Crime & Safety

Updated: Malasuk Appointed Official Police Chief for Greendale

After six months of searching for a new Greendale Police Chief Robert Malasuk went from Interim Chief to official Police Chief

Robert Malasuk is the village's new police chief. 

Malasuk, who was a captain and interim chief for the department, was given the full-time job on Wednesday. He replaces Robert Dams, who retired on Dec. 31, 2010. 

Since Dams retired, the village's Police and Fire Commission set out to find Greendale's new police chief. The commission chose to keep it within the Greendale community by choosing Malasuk at last night's commission meeting that lasted about for four hours. 

Find out what's happening in Greendalewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Others on the list of candidates included: Randolph Pruss, director of Security at Southridge Mall and former Captain of the Greendale Police Department; Eric G. Schroeder, captain of the Franklin Police Department; Gregory A. Habeck, Assistant Chief of the UW-Milwaukee Police Department and former Assistant Chief of the Milwaukee Police Department; Patrick M. Balistrier, a retired Deputy Chief of the West Allis Police Department; and Wauwatosa Police Chief Barry Weber who withdrew his name from the list about a month ago.

"It’s very exciting," Malasuk said in a phone interview. "Coming up through the department, starting as a patrol man, and now I'm working every officer's dream. I feel blessed and owe it to the officers, staff, the department heads, and the Village trustees for supporting and helping me."

Find out what's happening in Greendalewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

David Wilmoth, president of the commission, said that they had excellend canididates for the position and that "the commission went through a thorough and painstaking process of evaluating the candidates and in the end appointed interim chief Robert Malasuk to the position."

Malasuk has been with the Department for for 24 years and 12 of those in a supervisory capacity, according to Wilmoth.

"He has been ambitious in his pursuit of continued training and education," Wilmoth said. 

Malasuk has experience as a patrol officer, a detective and as a member of the SWAT Team.  He has extensive grant-writing experience as well as an understanding the budget process and issues in the Village, said Wilmoth.

"In the six months Bob has served as interim chief, the department has continued to move forward in a positive manner and he has begun to implement a development plan that will advance both the department and its staff," Wilmoth said. "Bob has worked well with and has the support of the Village's fire chief, his supervisory personnel and other members of the Village management team. We are pleased to have Bob as our new chief and are confident he will do a fine job."

When asked what his plans are for the department Malasuk said, "My plan is to catch my breath and make the Greendale Police Department even better than it was with a more community orientated police department and promoting police interaction with the Greendale citizens."


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

To request removal of your name from an arrest report, submit these required items to arrestreports@patch.com.