Police Chaplain

Reverend Russell Knoth

The Menomonee Falls Police Department has only one volunteer member, Reverend Russell Knoth. Reverend Knoth is a retired Pastor of The United Church of Christ. Serving since 1989, Reverend Knoth was instrumental in developing the Police Officer Support Team (P.O.S.T.). He does not promote any specific religious denomination over another during his volunteer service to our Department. The chaplain is available to all members of the Department and can often serve as a counselor, confidant and friend. Many officers have found comfort in having "Rev. Russ" work confidentially with them to problem-solve difficult personal or professional situations.

Services

His valuable service includes riding-along with officers, responding to accident and sudden death scenes, co-chairing the Police Officer Support Team, making death notifications in the field, assisting Patrol, and a general availability to all members of the Department. He also coordinates the local police memorial ceremony, which is held each May. In 2010, he was able to devote 650 hours of volunteer service to officers and staff.

Chaplain Knoth is dedicated to helping other police agencies consider the value of having a volunteer chaplain program as well and has served as a distinguished presenter at various chaplaincy conferences and training meetings. He fully supports the "peer-listening" aspects of P.O.S.T. as an adjunct to his own services. He is a member of the Waukesha County Law Enforcement Chaplains Association and also a member of the International Conference of Police Chaplains.