You probably haven't heard much about the Milwaukee Police Department's Harbor Patrol. But that just means they're doing a good job.

In fact, the team of three boats and 12 officers, led by Sgt. Don "Boots" Jensen, is literally the first line of defense on Milwaukee's lakefront -- a jurisdiction that extends a surprising 48 miles east of the coast. And while they perform the duties you might expect -- stopping drunken boaters, performing search and rescue operations -- they also play an important role in the Department of Homeland Security's plan to keep the city safe from much bigger threats.

The protection of Milwaukee's shoreline is layered and overlapping these days -- and that's a good thing. Along with the police, the Coast Guard and the Department of Natural Resources play a part. But Jensen's officers are the best of the best out there -- and they need to be, because backup is sometimes 20 minutes away.

"It's just you, the water and the boat," says Jensen, a 25-year veteran of the force. "The best weapon is your brain."

On the day we go out for a routine patrol, we're sailing in a 30-foot workboat. Sturdy, heavy and relatively wide, it's not the fastest ship in their small fleet (they also have a 21-ft. RIB, or rigid inflatable boat they acquired and rebuilt from the Navy.) The department does most of its own repairs and practically strips its ships down the nuts and bolts each year for a comprehensive overhaul.

Alongside Jensen is Dan Bell, an officer with one year of Harbor Patrol experience and 15 years on the force. Piloting the boat is Dave Feldmeier, a 12-year veteran who's been on the unit for eight years. According to Jensen, Feldmeier is one of the best coxswains you'll ever find. Bell has extensive dive experience -- though each of the officers is trained for anything he might encounter on the water.

"The selection process includes a physical agility test," says Jensen. "You need to be able to swim, think, react, have instincts and be coolheaded." Last year, he says 20 men applied for the unit. Two were chosen.

We ease out from the slip at McKinley Marina and head south toward the breakwater. On the way, we pass the 68-ft. mega yacht that belongs to Minnesota Timberwolves guard and River Hills resident Latrell Sprewell. Jensen's team recently spent several hours helping the boat get unstuck when Spree ran it aground outside Atwater Park in Shorewood.

"It wasn't his fault," says Jensen, explaining that Sprewell is actually a careful and competent boater. And even though Atwater is technically in Shorewood, MPD still responds to calls outside its jurisdiction. Basically, they go where they're needed most.

A routine patrol for the unit involves observing the several critical systems around Milwaukee -- water intake spots, Jones Island, the industrial infrastructures near the Hoan Bridge -- all the places that could be potential targets for terrorists.

The lake is divided into three zones, explains Jensen: the inner harbor, the outer harbor and the open water of Lake Michigan. Once we pass the no-wake zone, Feldmeier opens the throttle; the ship lurches forward, and we head northeast.

In just a few minutes, we're idling about a mile east of the intake station on Lincoln Memorial Drive, in what looks like a nondescript area of open water. But in reality, we're about 18 ft. above a water intake crib. Anyone with a map can find it, but it's certainly not marked. It's one of the spots that provides Milwaukee with drinking water -- and naturally, it's a target for those who would like to inflict harm.

The three officers visually inspect the area for anything suspicious: bubbles to indicate a diver or a filmy residue on the surface. And what if they see bubbles? "We wait for him to come up," Jensen says with a smile. They use the boat's sophisticated radar and depth finding equipment, too, giving the area an electronic sweep -- nothing looks out of order.

The intake cribs are on the checklist the team carries with them. That's just one of the differences in their job, says Bell, since the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11.

"There are a lot of targets," says Feldmeier. "The job has always been important. Now we just split our responsibility."

The boat powers up again and heads south toward the Summerfest grounds. We slow down next to the new Discovery World, and Jensen points out the new museum with pride. You can tell he's enthusiastic and passionate about Milwaukee, and he sees the city from every day from an angle few can appreciate. More people need to be highlighting the positive stories in our city, he says.

Jensen puts his money where his mouth is.

After the emotional experience of conducting the recovery efforts for Quadrevion Henning and Purvis Virginia Parker last spring, Jensen felt a strong urge to personally make a difference. He led the charge to partner with the Boys and Girls Clubs to develop an inner city swimming program, which has already taught more than 200 kids hows to swim. He's also a boating instructor and helps people learn water safety.

"You've got to give back to the community," says Jensen. "And you can give back more than money."

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42 comments about this article. Post a comment / write a review.

Recent Talkbacks ...

Posted by OMCreader on Oct. 29, 2006 at 5:55 p.m. (report)

Nicole Anderson said: Don, thanks for giving back, first by being part of the Marines and then by going one step further and continuing to serve the city of Milwaukee. Men don't stay in jobs they hate and don't gain respect from the men they lead unless they are good leaders. So thank you for keeping American's safe and being there for the public when they need you most, whether your recognized or not.

Posted by OMCreader on Sept. 11, 2006 at 9:12 a.m. (report)

Don Jensen said: Thanks for the positive article about the Milwaukee Police Harbor Patrol. These men work hard, on a daily basis, in all kinds of weather to protect and serve the citizens of Milwaukee and beyond. I am proud of my crew, their dedication to the job and community, and commitment to excellence. We have a saying on the hatch to our room "American by birth - Harbor Patrol by choice - Urah!" Don Jensen Sgt MPD Harbor Patrol Underwater Investigation Unit

Posted by OMCreader on Sept. 5, 2006 at 9:10 a.m. (report)

Amber Amerman said: Don-You did a good job of bringing some positive light to Milwaukee, I especially liked your man overboard drill. Next time, you should take a sauna before you jump in!

Posted by OMCreader on Sept. 3, 2006 at 5:48 p.m. (report)

John Q. Public said: A few simple facts that seem to have been overlooked: Homeland Security did not create the MPD Harbor Patrol. The Harbor Patrol has long existed; Homeland Security simply added to their workload. The Coast Guard is a branch of the federal military service. Not a law enforcement agency. The DNR does not have enough agents to properly maintain an adequate force in Milwaukee County and all of the other Wisconsin counties, so it relies upon the MPD as local law enforcement and state-defined DNR agents to handle the majority of the workload here (Similar to the way the State Patrol works with the Milwaukee County Sheriffs Office). Statistically, 12 more officers, even assigned to the same work location, would only increase the number of officers present at any given moment by 4. These are good guys working on a needed unit that has finally received the backing and equipment it has long needed. Milwaukee would be much better off if the Police Department pulled all those traffic motorcycle officers every Brewer and Bucks game and city and street festival monopolizes. Even better: If the Milwaukee Public School System were required to reimburse the city for all the hours wasted by Police Department personnel in their buildings the annual police overtime budget could be halved.

Posted by OMCreader on Aug. 30, 2006 at 2:12 p.m. (report)

Lyn Nelson said: Boy, after reading the comments on here, I can't believe all the "political" mumbo jumbo some people brought up. I think the author was just trying to highlight an aspect of the law enforcement in Milwaukee that no one really knows about. Guess from now on they should just keep it under cover.....