PORT EDWARDS, WI (WSAU) — Under pressure from many residents and some village board members, Port Edwards has asked one of its police officers to resign. The board voted Tuesday night and agreed that Port Edwards part-time officer Thomas Roszak should be given seven days to resign from the force.
WAOW television had learned of resident concerns over the hiring of Police Chief Jennifer Iverson and officer Thomas Roszak. Both worked together in Greenfield, Wisconsin’s police force. WAOW uncovered surveillance video showing Roszak on duty at the Greenfield Police Department injuring a woman by shoving her into a jail cell. They also obtained documents showing Iverson lied to the department on several occasions.
Legal counsel had advised the board not to fire either Iverson or Roszak, which did not satisfy many Port Edwards residents.
Tuesday’s decision to ask for Roszak’s resignation did.
Resident Rita Eichsteadt is one of the residents that told WAOW television she was uncomfortable having Roszak on the force. “There was a lot of concern in the community as a whole about people being stopped by him, or if they had to call the police to their house that he would be the one that would answer the call. There was a lot of concern.”
Eichsteadt felt Roszak could not be trusted after the incident at the jail. “I felt like if he had done it once, you don’t know how anybody could say with any certainty that it would not happen again.”
Many Port Edwards residents remain unhappy about the hiring of Chief Iverson.
Neither Iverson or Port Edwards village board president Ed Saylor would comment after the meeting.
