Waupaca County Sheriff's Office

10/22/2026

We enjoyed welcoming the ERVING Careers in Criminal Justice class to the Waupaca County Sheriff’s Office last week! 👏

Students got an inside look at our Communications Center, Jail, learned about our drone unit, and explored how evidence is processed and handled after being collected at a crime scene.

We appreciate the opportunity to follow up on our classroom presentations to showcase our facilities and, most importantly, the thoughtful conversations, great questions, and engagement from these students and future leaders in our community.

It’s exciting to see young people exploring careers in public safety and discovering ways to make a difference!

Sheriff Timothy R. Wilz

Our ERVING Careers in Criminal Justice class visited the Waupaca County Sheriff's Office today as a follow-up to their classroom visit a couple of weeks ago!

Students got an inside look at the communications center and jail, learned about the department's drone unit, and explored how evidence is processed and handled after being collected at a crime scene.

A big thank-you to the Waupaca County Sheriff's Office staff for taking the time to meet with our students, share their knowledge, and provide such a valuable learning experience! 👏

10/22/2026

💙🐾 THANK YOU, 715 HARVEST FEST! 🚔🤿

We are incredibly grateful to the amazing volunteers behind 715 Harvest Fest who put in so much time and effort to make this event a success year after year! Thank you to the vendors who show up and make the event special, and to our community for continuing to show up with such incredible generosity and support.

Because of YOU, the proceeds from this event make a direct impact on a number of support programs throughout Waupaca County, and we are incredible grateful that our Waupaca County Sheriff’s Office Dive Team and K9 Program are part of this! These funds help support the equipment, resources, and needs of two incredible teams that serve our community in so many ways.

We are proud to partner with an event that brings people together for such a great cause. Thank you for supporting those who serve, protect, and keep Waupaca County a great place to visit and call home! ❤️

Sheriff Timothy R. Wilz

$30,000 BACK INTO OUR COMMUNITY! 🧡

THIRTY THOUSAND DOLLARS!! We're still wrapping our heads around it!

What started as a small fall festival has grown into one heck of a fundraiser! Thanks to the generosity of our sponsors, the dedication of our organizers and volunteers, and a community that continues to show up, the 6th Annual 715 was able to raise some serious money for five pretty amazing local organizations!

🚤 Waupaca County Dive & Rescue Team
🐾 Waupaca County Sheriff's K-9 Team
🚒 Waupaca Area Fire Department
💚 Waupaca County Su***de Prevention Coalition
🎨 The Waupaca Arts Hub

And here's something worth celebrating... In just SIX years, 715 Harvest Fest has raised over $85,000 for our local community!

To our sponsors who opened their checkbooks, vendors who filled the streets, organizers and volunteers who put in countless hours, and every single person who came out to eat, shop, visit or just see what all the fuss was about... THANK YOU!

We say it every year, but there's just something about this community. We ask, and you show up. EVERY. SINGLE. TIME.

What started small has become something we're pretty darn proud of, and we couldn't do it without you!

Five local organizations. One heck of a community.

THIS is what 715 Harvest Fest is all about! 🧡

10/21/2026

🚔 Stronger Together: Keeping Our Highways Safe! 🚔

Yesterday, two of our Waupaca County Sheriff’s Office deputies teamed up with Wisconsin State Patrol for a proactive traffic enforcement detail across Waupaca County from 8:00 AM to 2:00 PM.

Proactive enforcement plays an important role in keeping our highways safe throughout Wisconsin. By working to identify unsafe driving behaviors, promote compliance with traffic laws, and deter dangerous driving, the Wisconsin State Patrol helps protect everyone who travels our roadways. We appreciated the opportunity to join their team and work together toward that shared goal within Waupaca County! 👏

Just as important is the coordination behind the scenes. Multi-agency teamwork doesn't stop on the roadway. Our Waupaca County Dispatchers work hand in hand with the Wisconsin State Patrol, helping coordinate communication, share critical information, and support the deputies and troopers working to keep our communities safe.

From the roadways to the dispatch center, effective communication, collaboration, and strong partnerships make a difference every day. We're proud to work alongside our public safety partners and grateful for the dedication everyone brings to keeping Wisconsin's highways and communities safe! 💙🚔

Sheriff Timothy R. Wilz

10/20/2026

🚔 Waupaca County Sheriff's Office – 2025 Annual Report Spotlight

Over the next month, we will be sharing sections of our 2025 Annual Report to give our community a closer look at the work of the Waupaca County Sheriff's Office.

📖 We are kicking off the series with a message from Sheriff Timothy R. Wilz.

Each year, our Annual Report is released in the fall and provides a comprehensive look back at the previous year's activities, accomplishments, and operations. This allows time to gather and review information from across the Sheriff's Office to provide an accurate picture of the services we delivered throughout 2025.

Throughout this series, we will highlight the different divisions, responsibilities, accomplishments, and services that make up our Sheriff's Office.
Our goal is to provide transparency and give our community a better understanding of the work our dedicated staff does every day to serve and protect Waupaca County.

We encourage you to follow along as we share additional sections of our 2025 Annual Report in the coming weeks.

📚 Interested in previous years? Our Annual Reports from prior years can be viewed on our website:
https://www.waupacacounty-wi.gov/departments/sheriff_s_department/resources.php -1309

Thank you for your continued trust and support!

10/18/2026

Report of:​​Fatal UTV Crash
Location:​​Symco Rd. east of Bridge Rd.
Town of Union
Date:​​​Saturday, October 17, 2026​
Time:​​​5:34 p.m.

Information:
On Saturday, October 17, 2026 at 5:34 p.m., Waupaca County Sheriff’s Office received a 911 call reporting a UTV crash on Symco Road east of Bridge Road in the Town of Union. Waupaca County Sheriff’s Office, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Manawa Fire Department, and Manawa Ambulance responded to the scene. No other vehicles were involved in this incident..

Aspirus Medivac and Theda Star responded to the scene to airlift the UTV occupants from the scene to Theda Care Medical Center of Neenah. One of the two occupants was pronounced deceased at Theda Care Medical Center of Neenah.

This incident remains under investigation. No further investigation is being released at this time.

---END OF MEDIA RELEASE---

Release Completed By:​​​Lt. Andrew Thorpe #507​​
Authorized By:​​​​Sheriff Timothy R. Wilz #501
Date/Time of Release to Press:​Saturday, 10/17/2026 10:00 p.m.

10/15/2026

The Waupaca County Sheriff's Office and Clintonville Police Department K-9 Units conducted a joint training yesterday.

We would like to thank LeNaTy Dairy for allowing us access to their property and hosting our training.

We greatly appreciate it.

Sheriff Timothy R. Wilz

10/14/2026

🎃👻 A SPOOKTACULAR THANK YOU! 👻🎃

The Waupaca County Sheriff’s Office would like to thank everyone who came out to Spooks on Spurr on Friday night to support our Waupaca County Shop with a Cop program!

A special thank you to Spooks on Spurr and Hintzke Well Drilling Inc. for each generously matching the money raised, bringing the grand total to $3,000! 🎉

Your generosity and community support will help make the holiday season brighter for children throughout Waupaca County.

Thank you to everyone who helped make this event a success! 🎄🚔🎁

Sheriff Timothy R. Wilz

10/12/2026

🚨 UPDATE – LOCATED SAFE 🚨

The missing juvenile has been located and is safe.

The Waupaca County Sheriff’s Office would like to thank everyone who shared this post or provided information that assisted in locating her.

The original photograph and identifying information have been intentionally removed to protect the juvenile’s privacy. 🚨The Waupaca County Sheriff's Office is seeking the public's assistance in locating Auwynn E. Kraeger (16-year-old female, Waupaca area). Auwynn was last seen on October 11, 2026, at approximately 10:15 P.M., in rural Waupaca County. Auwynn left her home without a cellphone. Auwynn is approximately 5'4", 155 pounds, brown hair, brown eyes, and has a nose ring. Auwynn is entered as a missing/runaway juvenile. Anyone with information is requested to contact the Waupaca County Sheriff's Office at 715-258-4466. Parties with information can remain anonymous.

Case Officer: Detective Sergeant Alec Brockman

10/12/2026

💙🚔 Inspiring the Next Generation!

One of the best parts of being out in our communities is the opportunity to connect with the people we serve, and sometimes, those interactions can make a lasting impression!

While at 715 HarvestFest on Saturday, Deputy Erntsmeyer had the opportunity to meet a young man who had been talking with an off-duty Waupaca Police Department officer about his interest in becoming a police officer someday. That conversation led him to Deputy Erntsmeyer, who took the time to show him his squad, answer all his questions, and give him a firsthand look at what a career in law enforcement can look like. 🚔

I received some wonderful feedback about how great Deputy Erntsmeyer was with this young man, and I couldn't be more proud! These moments might seem small, but they can have a big impact on someone who is just beginning to explore their future.

We are grateful for opportunities like 715 HarvestFest that allow us to be part of our community, not only by helping provide safety and security, but also by building positive relationships and inspiring the next generation of law enforcement professionals.

I'm incredibly proud of the way Deputy Erntsmeyer and so many others represent the Waupaca County Sheriff's Office every single day. Thank you for taking the time to make these connections and showing our community what public service is all about! 👏💙

Sheriff Timothy R. Wilz

10/12/2026

🎓🚔 Exploring Careers in Criminal Justice!

We were excited to spend time with Mr. Gosz’s Careers in Criminal Justice class at Weyauwega Fremont School District to talk about the many opportunities and career pathways available right here at the county level!

Representatives from our Communications, Patrol, Detective, Corrections, and Records divisions joined the conversation to share their experiences and highlight the different ways people can serve their communities through the Waupaca County Sheriff’s Office. From answering 911 calls and keeping our communities safe to investigating crimes and supporting the justice system, there are so many ways to make a difference!

We are grateful for the opportunity to connect with these students, answer their questions, and hopefully inspire some future members of our team! 🙌

We’re also excited to welcome Mr. Gosz’s class into our office for a tour later this week so they can see firsthand how all these divisions work together!

Thank you to Weyauwega-Fremont School District and Mr. Gosz for inviting us to be part of this learning experience. We love helping students explore their future and showing them the many ways they can make a difference in their own communities! 💙

Sheriff Timothy R. Wilz