Jason Spetz has been named police chief at the University of Wisconsin-Stout, succeeding Lisa Walter, who retired in January.
Spetz, a UW-Stout police employee since 2008, is just the second sworn police chief in the university’s history. He served as interim chief since Walter’s retirement.
“My number one priority is ensuring the safety of everyone on campus,” Spetz said. “At the end of the day it’s something that now rests on my shoulders. It is a huge responsibility that will weigh in on the majority of the decisions I make throughout the rest of my career.”
He said Walter left the department in great shape. She served as police chief since 1999, first in an interim position until her appointment as permanent chief in 2002.
UW-Stout Chancellor Bob Meyer said that “Walter brought an enormous amount of professionalism, good humor and common sense to the department.” Her efforts also drew praise from Menomonie Police Chief Eric Atkinson.
“Chief Walter was instrumental in building an effective working relationship between our departments. She was transparent in her objectives and was always willing to collaborate on projects aimed at enhancing public safety.”
Spetz has a Bachelor of Science degree in law enforcement from Minnesota State University-Mankato and is also a March, 2016 graduate of the FBI National Academy in Quantico, VA.
He served as a patrol officer and EMT for MSU-Mankato and worked for the Wisconsin State Patrol from July 1996 to March 2005, when he was also involved with the Baldwin rescue and fire departments. That led to nearly six years with the Menomonie Fire Department as a firefighter and EMT, a time period Spetz said he enjoyed.
“It’s a public service type of job,” he said. “You always get to be the good guy.”
Spetz worked part-time for the Dunn County Sheriff’s Department while at the Fire Department and he said it became clear to him that his heart was really in law enforcement. He joined the UW-Stout police department in 2008 and worked his way up to a series of supervisory roles.
He noted that one of the downsides of becoming a police supervisor and now chief is that the administrative demands reduce the time he can spend on campus getting to know students, faculty and staff.
Spetz said he goes to every graduation ceremony and invariably runs into students he has interacted with during their time on campus.
“We can influence in a positive way the lives of these kids,” he said. “I wouldn’t miss that (ceremony).”
Even though Spetz knows he will be office-bound more as chief, he said he still wants to be engaged in the community, as well as working with the International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators.
He said his immediate goals include filling two full-time positions that are open. A longer-term goal involves the parking division, which also falls under Spetz’s purview.
“We are a little old-school in how we do business,” he said. “There are a lot of ways we can automate the services we provide, thus providing a better customer experience.”
Spetz said he also wants to concentrate on addressing ongoing concerns with alcohol and other drug abuse. As chief, he is a member of the Chancellor’s Coalition on Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse.
He said he hopes to speak to all freshmen during fall orientation on various issues, including the need to stay safe and ensuring that their companions are safe as well.
Phil Lyons, vice chancellor for Administrative and Student Life Services, said Spetz stood out among the other finalists because of his experience and close connections on campus.
“Jason will do a great job building on the already excellent reputation of our campus police department and parking services,” Lyons said. “We are lucky to have an experienced leader like Jason ready to take over the department.”