A Wisconsin sheriff’s office is used to responding to emergency requests, but one of the deputy sheriffs for the Shawano County Sheriff’s Office fielded an unexpected call recently from a 10-year-old who called to ask for help with his math. The child reached longtime dispatcher Kim Krause, who first explained that the emergency line is not for homework help. Because she had some time, she offered to help the young boy anyway. Then she ran into a snag — “I’ve been out of school for over 40 years, but we’ll find somebody,” Krause told the boy. That’s when she enlisted the help of Deputy Chase Mason, who was able to help the child with his math. The Shawano County Sheriff’s Office, which is about 40 miles west of Green Bay, serves about 42,000 residents in a mostly rural area. While they’re typically busy, the young boy just happened to call during a quiet time, and everything worked out well. Shawano County Sheriff George Lenzner said he’s proud of both Krause and Deputy Mason for stepping in, adding that deputies and staff occasionally help others in the community in non-emergency situations. "Cops are there to help people and especially the youth," Lenzner said. "I don't want our youth to ever be afraid of law enforcement. I want them to continue knowing that law enforcement is there to help them."
