McGee Retirement

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Police Chief Charles McGee

Watertown’s 9th Chief of Police

Appointed Chief

06 08 1993

Charles S. McGee II, a lieutenant with a Colorado police department, was selected as Watertown's ninth chief of police.

The Watertown Police and Fire Commission chose McGee, 46, after interviewing the five finalists. The panel was unanimous on its selection of McGee, who served as patrol commander for the Northglenn, Colo., Police Department.

The commission was assisted during the interviews by Jefferson County Sheriff Orval Quamme and city of Jefferson Police Chief Michael Besel. Mayor Frederick Smith also was present during the sessions.

"I was impressed. It was a tough decision as there were a lot of high quality applicants, but I feel we got a good one. "All of us (commission members) are really high on him. We believe he has the ability to relate to people both inside and outside the department, and he can make the tough decision when it's needed."

- Watertown Police and Fire Commission

Swown In

08 09 1993

Honored at Retirement Dinner

08 13 2008

Served as chief since being hired by the Watertown Police and Fire Commission back in June of 1993 when he succeeded Richard Reynolds. McGee succeeded as chief by former deputy Chief Tim Roets.

The recurring theme of the speeches from people who spoke during the event was that McGee was responsible for taking a police department and making it a leader in Wisconsin. It was noted Watertown was one of the first police departments in the state to implement the Sex Offender Registry Program and it was implemented through McGee's leadership.

Mayor Ron Krueger welcomed the guests, and the invocation was given by the Rev. Brian Wilk of St. Henry’s Catholic Church.

Krueger also present McGee with a plaque holding his badge and thanked the former chief for his 15 years of service to the police department and the community.

McGee, who formerly lived in Broomfield, Colo., worked for the Northglenn Police Department starting in October of 1975. He served as a patrol officer and corporal for five years and was transferred to the investigation department, where he served as a detective for 24 years. He was transferred back to the patrol division when he was promoted to sergeant. In 1985, he was promoted to the rank of lieutenant. He was patrol commander of the department when he accepted the Watertown position.

McGee, who also worked as a police officer in Aurora, Colo., and Laramie, Wyo., has a master's degree in criminal justice from the University of Colorado at Denver. He received his bachelor of science degree from the University of Wyoming in 1971 and graduated from the Federal Bureau of Investigation's National Academy in Quantico, Va., in 1988.

Watertown Daily Times full text article