In the Spring of 2018, the Hartford Police Department welcomed a Police Intern from the Waukesha County Technical College named Eric Strunsee. Strunsee was pursuing his degree in Criminal Justice to become a police officer. It was immediately apparent to the department that he possessed the character, work ethic, and self-discipline to reach that goal.
After completing his unpaid internship, he was hired as a Police Aide at the HPD on May 10, 2018. Eric Strunsee then earned a promotion to the rank of Police Officer and HPD sent him to the Waukesha County Technical College’s 720-hour Police Recruit Academy to earn his certification on July 31, 2018.
After completing two of three major training phases with his academy class, his Army National Guard Unit, the 2-127th Battalion of the 32nd Infantry Brigade, was called up to active duty in Kabul, Afghanistan. Officer Strunsee’s spot with the WCTC Academy Program and the Hartford Police Department were held for him while he served his country in that capacity. In mid-November, his unit returned to Fort Bliss, Texas, to begin their demobilization protocols.
On December 11, 2019, Officer Strunsee reported to the Hartford Police Department to discuss plans for his return to his duties at our agency. He presented the department with a commemorative plaque thanking the department and our community for supporting him during his deployment. The plaque will temporarily be on public display in the lobby window of the Emergency Communications Center for community viewing. It will ultimately be hung in a place of honor within the department.
Officer Strunsee will return to duty at HPD on January 6, 2020. He will rejoin the next offering of the final training phase at the WCTC Police Recruit Academy in March of 2020, and return after its completion to begin his tour of duty as a police officer in mid-2020. Officer Strunsee will join Officer Mitch Kraemer, who served with the Army’s 102 Military Police Company in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, as our second military veteran currently serving at HPD.
Our department and our entire community are grateful for Officer Strunsee’s service to our country and for his safe return home. We look forward to his continued service at the Hartford Police Department.