VILLAGE OF SOUTH WAYNE, Wis. -- It was a brazen burglary.
Last week, thieves hit the Police Department in South Wayne, Wis., vandalized the building and made off with a gun and police radio, according to the Lafayette County Sheriff's Department.
Joshua C. Broge, 20, of rural South Wayne, and Jacob J. Kaempfer, 18, of rural Gratiot, were arrested late Friday on charges of burglary and possession of stolen property.
Sheriff Scott Pedley said a street maintenance employee spotted the damage early Wednesday morning, and discovered broken windows and door frames. Pedley called it "significant damage," but he didn't provide a monetary estimate.
Investigators tracked down the stolen equipment from the break-in two days later. Pedley praised the work of his deputies in recovering the stolen gun and police radio so quickly.
Since May, the police department sat empty but locked in the village of 500 people. The former police chief, and only officer, quit his job for a better position elsewhere, Pedley said.
For now, the sheriff's department will provide policing services for South Wayne, he said. The village made the arrangement before the burglary, and the deputy will start after completing a field training program.
Besides the police department incident, the area hasn't been hit with an increase in crime, Pedley said. Sheriff deputies have increased patrols due to the start of school and to learn more about the community before taking over full policing duties.
The burglary still is under investigation and has been referred to the county attorney.
