Port Washington, WI
Home MenuFire Chief and Police Lieutenant Promotions
The City of Port Washington recently had promotions for Fire Chief and Police Lieutenant. Congratulations to Fire Chief Joe DeBoer and Police Lieutenant James Mejchar! Below are announcements from each department.
FIRE:
At this week’s Common Council meeting, Joe DeBoer was formally sworn in as the 14th Chief in the 173-year history of the Port Washington Fire Department, following the retirement of Chief Mark Mitchell in October. Chief DeBoer had been serving as Interim Chief since November and brings nearly two decades of experience to the role. He has been with the department since 2004, holding a variety of fire and EMS positions before accepting a full-time Deputy Chief position in 2023. In addition to his fire service experience, Chief DeBoer brings a unique background to the department, having worked as an emergency medicine physician assistant for more than a decade. During that time, he held leadership roles in prehospital medical direction, education, and clinical informatics. Under the mentorship of Chief Mitchell, Chief DeBoer was instrumental in modernizing the department’s ambulance service, leading quality assurance initiatives, launching a fall-reduction program, and securing essential grant funding. He also played a key role in the department’s successful staffing referendum, helping to ensure the long-term sustainability of the department. Chief DeBoer has also been pivotal in establishing key operational programs, including the department’s active shooter response program, technical rescue team, rescue swimmer program, and drone operations.
POLICE:
At the Common Council meeting on Tuesday, January 7th, 2025, several were in attendance for the Pinning Ceremony of Port Washington Police Department Officer James "JJ" Mejchar to the position of Lieutenant.
Lieutenant Mejchar is a Port Washington High School graduate where he then attended MATC, graduating with a degree in Criminal Justice. Lieutenant Mejchar has been with the Port Washington Police Department since May of last year, providing 10 years of experience in Law Enforcement upon joining us.
Retired Captain James Mejchar of the West Allis Police Department, Lieutenant Mejchar’s father, held the honor of pinning his badge on his uniform.
Congratulations Officer Mejchar, it is well deserved!
Police Department
Mission Statement
To enhance the quality of life in our City by working in partnership with the community, to protect and serve the community’s quest for a peaceful and safe existence, with democratic values applied equally to all citizens.
Programs/Service Lines
Provide high quality law enforcement services by:
- Responding to requests from the community.
- Informing and educating the community of crime prevention strategies.
- Promoting safe vehicular and pedestrian travel.
- Cooperating with other public service agencies to enhance the effectiveness of service delivery.
- Prioritizing resource allocations to accomplish our mission based on the needs of the city.
Strategic Plan - Key Performance Indicators (KPI's)
- Establish expectations for School Resource Officer (SRO) to increase positive contacts.
- Identify activities SRO can and does participate in.
- Track daily activities.
- Track truancy rates (comparison of students with SRO intervention and those that do not).
- Evaluate traffic accidents from the previous five-year period to analyze trends to reduce crashes through road safety improvements or enforcement.
- Customer Satisfaction.
- Use current city customers survey and data to improve customer experience.