Lieutenant Eric Zellner emphasizes community engagement, officer wellbeing

This is part two in a series on the candidates for KC Sheriff.

KEWAUNEE COUNTY – Operations Lieutenant Eric Zellner, a 28-year veteran of the Kewaunee County Sheriff’s Department, joined the race for Kewaunee County Sheriff on Jan. 26. Zellner emphasized his commitment to accountability, support for officers and ongoing professional development.

Zellner began his career in law enforcement as a part-time jailer and dispatcher. After some time he was promoted to patrol, then became a field training officer (FTO) for other incoming patrolmen, and eventually a SWAT team leader. Around that time, Zellner said he also became a drug investigator with the Door and Kewaunee Joint Drug Task Force.

While some may feel dizzied by the many roles Zellner has filled, he said it’s been rewarding.

“I’ve gotten to meet a lot of different people. I have friends across the state now that I’ve met through networking agents with the Department of Criminal Investigations, sheriffs at other agencies, police chiefs at other agencies. They’re people that I can bring questions to if I run into an issue.”

Even as he’s climbed the ranks, Zellner said he still enjoys every role.

“I miss doing the investigative work, and every once in a while I still go out,” he said. “Algoma [Police Department] called me in the middle of night to let me know that a pursuit was going on last week, and I got up right then and there and threw on a pair of pants and a shirt, and I went out the door.”

Zellner said his mindset as a law enforcement officer has changed over time.

“As a youth, you’re always thinking of chasing the criminal and getting the bad guy doing what they do on TV,” Zellner said. “It’s not just about that anymore. You see families struggling.”

Zellner spent some time as evidence room manager, and it was then that a community member asked if the department could collaborate with local Girl Scout troops to help them earn their Cadette Special Agent and Junior Detective badges. Zellner spearheaded the program, connecting with Fox Valley Tech Forensic Science Instructor Holly Maas to prepare the evidence room for students and come up with age-appropriate investigations, like using fingerprinting to identify which officer took a bite of a cookie. He said he still participates in the program, and has recently expanded it to include Scouting America (Formerly the Boy Scouts), who learn chromatography, a laboratory technique for the separation of a mixture into its components, by using a black marker and a specialized filter which separates the colors.

These faux cases have a positive impact on both the scouts and the participating officers, Zellner said. Building up officers is one of his key philosophies for a successful law enforcement culture, and engaging with the community through fun initiatives can help do so.

Zellner participates in the community in other ways as well, like teaching kids to fish with Muskrat City Sportsman’s Club or instructing hunter safety through the Black Ash Gun Club in Algoma.

Zellner said the mental health of officers has long been neglected in law enforcement, though the tides have turned in Kewaunee County, and he hopes to continue to foster the environment of honesty and support.

“There’s a lot of bad stuff I’ve seen in my career. Some of it, I just swallowed back in the day. You didn’t worry about it. You went to the next call. That’s changed. We’re definitely taking care of each other a lot better.”

One way the department looks out for its officers and first responders is through debriefings, which follow any potentially traumatic call or incident, including traffic accidents or fires. Zellner said he has seen the benefit of this practice firsthand, and will continue to emphasize accountability among the ranks. He also encourages officers to come to him or other higher-ups when they are unsure how to proceed.

“When an officer needs to turn somewhere to get that guidance, I’m not giving them the exact answer. They’re going to walk through it with me, but we’re building them up to have the confidence to make a decision, because there are times when you have to make a decision and you’re not going to be able to reflect it off a supervisor,” Zellner said. “Everyone can be a leader. You don’t need to be a sergeant or a lieutenant.”

On why the community should vote for him, Zellner said, “I’m out there doing the job now, just not at the level of sheriff. I’m supervising our patrol. I’m supervising our investigations and our two school resource officers, coaching our officers and other officers from other agencies, being supportive to everyone. I already work hand in hand with several different agencies throughout the county and state.

“I really have the mindset to do it, too. I love doing what I do, and I believe I have the skillset and the toolset from doing those different positions, learning more and striving not to just be finished with one position and being good there. I always challenge myself to do something different, learn something different.”