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Meet the Chief of Police
Mike R. Bondarenko is the chief of police in Prescott.
He joined the department in August 2006 as acting chief of
police.
He later became the chief of police.
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Chief Bondarenko has been a full-time law enforcement officer in
Wisconsin since December 1977 when he joined the Saint Croix
County, Wis. Sheriff's Office as a dispatcher and jailer. He spent
six months with the Saint Croix County Emergency Communication
Center as a telecommunicator in 1979. Chief Bondarenko became a
criminal investigator for Saint Croix County in 1979 and a
sheriff's patrol deputy in 1984. He worked in criminal
investigations and traffic accident investigation and
enforcement.
Chief Bondarenko served as Saint Croix County's first
state-certified humane officer and investigated crimes against
animals for seven years. He also worked as a motor carrier safety
enforcement officer for five years. He retired from the
sheriff's office after 29 years of service in May 2006.
"I had no intention of ever returning to law enforcement after I
retired from Saint Croix County," the chief recalled. "However,
when I was asked to become the acting chief in Prescott, I decided
to accept the challenge. I very soon realized that Prescott is a
very special place, and I am very honored to have become the chief
of police in this dynamic, growing community."
Chief Bondarenko is active in the community. He is a member
of the Prescott Kiwanis, the Prescott Foundation and the
Friends of Freedom Park. He has the honor of serving as
the Kiwanis club president.
Chief Bondarenko spent 18 years as an elected school board
member in Baldwin, Wis. He is a former member of the Wisconsin
Association of School Boards board of directors.
Chief Bondarenko's hobbies are collecting law enforcement
insignia and World War II feature films. He also
rescues unwanted Doberman pinscher dogs. The chief and
his wife, Paula, have rescued eight Doberman pinschers. The
couple presently has three Doberman pinschers that
they have rescued from Illinois and Minnesota. (Rescue dogs
are either homeless or unwanted and/or dogs that have health and/or
behavorial issues.)
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