By Lynn Binnie
Whitewater Banner volunteer staff
whitewaterbanner@gmail.com

The agenda for the Common Council meeting on May 3 indicated that there would be a closed session to discuss accepting a “Release and Employment Disposition Agreement between City of Whitewater and City of Whitewater Police Chief.” It was also stated that there would be an open session regarding the subject after the closed session. However, at the end of the initial open session it was announced that this item had been pulled from the agenda. No reason was given.

The Banner reached out to City Manager Cameron Clapper to request any information he could provide about this matter. No response was received. From the title of the fore-mentioned agenda item, it would appear that the city and Aaron Raap were in some sort of negotiations that would result in an end to Raap’s employment as police chief. However, the Common Council agenda for May 17 does not include any items regarding the chief.

Chief of Police Aaron Raap was taken into custody by the Waukesha County Sheriff’s Department for alleged battery-domestic abuse on November 24, 2021 from his Town of Ottawa home.

According to a City of Whitewater press release dated December 3, Raap had been placed on paid administrative leave. It was indicated that an internal investigation would be conducted by an outside agency “based on an incident that occurred outside the city of Whitewater,” and that Deputy Chief Dan Meyer would be serving as acting police chief until further notice.

The Waukesha County District Attorney’s Office announced on December 15 that it had declined to issue criminal charges “due to a lack of evidence to establish that Mr. Raap intended to inflict bodily harm on anyone.”

The city has not indicated whether the internal investigation has been completed. Deputy Chief Dan Meyer continues to serve as acting police chief.

Raap was hired as police chief in 2018, succeeding Lisa Otterbacher. He had left the Milwaukee Police Department in 2016 after 26 years of service, ultimately with the title of captain.