WAUPUN — Waupun Police Chief Scott Louden is resigning from the Waupun Police Department, per the meeting agenda for the Special Police and Fire Commission to be held on Monday at 5PM.
On the agenda were three items of interest: Accept Resignation of Police Chief Scott Louden, Consideration of Appointment of Interim Police Chief, and Discuss Process to Fill Police Chief Role. Also on the agenda was setting time for the next meeting, currently to be held Wednesday at 4:30PM.
“I can confirm that I have accepted the chief’s resignation,” Mayor Bishop said in a statement. “I thank Scott for his years of service to Waupun and I wish him well.”
Mayor Bishop also stated that Louden was resigning from the Department to pursue “other opportunities.”
Scott Louden served as Waupun Police Chief for 6 years, and the Waupun PD for 23.
This resignation comes at an inopportune time for the Waupun Police Department, which has been facing staffing shortages which have gotten more severe over the last several months. Last month the WPD hired a consultant to examine current staffing practices to figure out how to attract new talent to the force.
The following is from a press release sent by the City of Waupun Saturday afternoon.
“Waupun Police Chief, Scott Louden, has resigned his position with the City of Waupun. Louden joined the City in 2000 as a patrol officer. Over the course of his career, Louden promoted through the ranks and held positions of Lieutenant, Deputy Chief of Police, and most recently Chief of Police, a role he served in since 2017.
Mayor Rohn Bishop commended Louden for his team’s work to keep the City of Waupun safe, remarking, ‘I’m proud that our city is consistently recognized as one of Wisconsin’s safest cities. Our police department does an excellent job and I want to thank Chief Louden for his commitment and service to our community. Scott will be missed and we wish him well in his future endeavors.’
The Waupun Police and Fire Commission (PFC) is responsible for the hiring of a new police chief. The PFC next meets on Monday, December 11, 2023 where they will accept Louden’s resignation and work to determine their recruitment and selection plan for the vacant position. The City will release additional information to the community as it becomes available.”
Updated 12/9/23 5:03PM — Updated to include press release sent out Saturday afternoon. A previous version of this article stated Louden served as Chief for about 7 years and in the WPD for 25 years, when it was 6 and 23 years, respectively.
