COVID dismissed as cause for complaint uptick

By: 
David Wilhelms
Correspondent

A fistfight, even one in a cemetery over a remark about a deceased relative, wouldn’t normally be a big item of interest.

The Shawano County Sheriff’s Department responded to such an altercation in the Town of Wescott on July 29, according to George Lenzner, chief deputy. Two men, ages 41 and 67, admitted to the fight and were issued disorderly conduct citations, Lenzner added.

Emergency responders checked the older man’s injuries, but nothing serious was reported, Lenzner said.

With press reports from around the nation documenting incidents, such as an attack last week on a Trader Joe’s employee in Manhattan over a mask requirement, a logical question is whether fear and uncertainty during the COVID-19 pandemic has contributed to a rise in violence.

Lenzner said he didn’t see a connection in Shawano County, including the Town of Wescott incident.

The chief deputy noted that domestic violence complaints in the county have risen this year, but he couldn’t say whether that was related to the pandemic.

He also noted that suicides are definitely up in 2020, and drug overdoses and drug-related complaints have also risen, he said.

One area that Lenzner could note from a law enforcement perspective was the rising number of speeding drivers — especially on Highway 29. He said deputies “could be stopping people one after another” and have to manage those enforcement efforts along with other priorities.

That observation was supported by information shared at the recent quarterly meeting held the Wisconsin Department of Transportation and law enforcement agencies, Lenzner said.

Although, predictably, vehicle accidents have dropped as people have traveled less this year, Lenzner said, there is a definite increase in fatalities. Through the end of July, the DOT reported 293 people died on state roads, with three fatalities reported in Shawano County. Through the end of the same period in 2019, DOT tallied 279 deaths, putting the state on a pace to surpass the 2019 total of 551.