Mayor: Superior Police Dept. Internal Struggles Near Possible ‘Crisis’

SUPERIOR, Wis. — The Superior Police Department is dealing with “urgent” internal struggles that Mayor Jim Paine said needs an outside review as soon as possible to keep the situation from becoming a “crisis.”

Mayor Paine made his concerns known at the April 17 Public Safety Committee meeting.

He said there are a number of cultural issues, interpersonal conflicts and potential personnel concerns that have “overwhelmed” the ability of senior administration.

Senior administration, of course, includes Police Chief Paul Winterscheidt who took over as chief at the beginning of 2024 after Nicholas Alexander retired from that role.

Chief Winterscheidt did not speak on the record about the internal concerns while at the committee meeting and instead let Mayor Paine lead the conversation.

“I mean, I don’t want to paint a picture of an absolute crisis here, so I hope I’m not sounding too alarmist. We have issues that left untended will grow into serious problems and potentially a crisis,” Paine said. “We’re not sure exactly how to tend to these issues. So that’s what we’re consulting on.”

Paine did not elaborate at the meeting on specific examples or explanations about the internal issues of the police department.

The committee approved Paine’s request to hire an outside consulting firm, OIR Group, at a cost of no more than $50,000 to investigate specific allegations within the police department, while also reviewing the overall health and effectiveness of the department before providing recommendations for the city to consider.

The city council will have the final say on the $50,000 contract as early as the next council meeting May 6.