DEFOREST, Wis. — Sgt. Erica Ballweg-Larsen has worked for the Wisconsin State Patrol for 10 years.
She said no two days on the job are the same.
“Hey there, I am Sergeant Larsen with the State Patrol. So, the reason I stopped you is for your speed,” said Ballweg-Larsen while on the side of a busy highway.
Ballweg-Larsen grew up in Dodge County, where her father worked as the police chief. She said her mother also worked for the department of corrections.
“So, to me, law enforcement was my background and how I became interested in this,” said Ballweg-Larsen.
Applications for troopers and inspectors only open once a year. The recruitment period runs from October until Jan. 19.
Lt. Nate Henriksen has been working for the Wisconsin State Patrol for 20 years. He has spent four of those years helping with recruitment.
“We are all seeing a decline as far as applicants go in the workforce in general, but we are doing our best to overcome some of those challenges,” said Henriksen.
He said each academy aims to have 20-50 cadets. In his four years helping with recruitment, he said they have been having trouble reaching those numbers.
“This last recruitment, as we have done for the last few, online opportunities to connect with individuals, that has been very valuable for us, especially for out of state,” said Henriksen.
Henriksen said his team uses public outreach, attends community events and partners with schools to find suitable applicants.
“A lot of it is word of mouth and being out in the community and making those connections early on,” said Henriksen.
Ballweg-Larsen said she did not think she was qualified to work in State Patrol 10 years ago because she had no prior law enforcement experience.
While interning at a sheriff’s office, she said she met a State Trooper that inspired her to apply.
”All you have to do is have a valid driver’s license, have at minimum 60 college credits or an associate’s degree, be in good standing with the law and be able to pass our physical fitness requirements,” said Ballweg-Larsen.
She said most people think this job is just stopping people from speeding on highways, but she said the job is much more complex.
“Traffic enforcement may be our main emphasis because we are a traffic enforcement agency,” said Ballweg-Larsen. “Even though we are stopping people for speeding or equipment violations, more times than not we end up stumbling on things like drugs, drunk drivers or possibly human trafficking.”
Henriksen said his department is also hiring current law enforcement officers as part of its lateral program.
“We have an accelerated academy for them, and it is kind of a hybrid between academy training and field training,” said Henriksen.
For more information you can follow this link or contact WisDOT Office of Public Affairs at (608) 266-3581, opa.exec@dot.wi.gov.