UW police honored by local Red Cross chapter

The Badger Chapter of the American Red Cross has named the UW-Madison Police Department the 2011 Top Public Safety Unit in Dane County.

The department has participated in the Red Cross One-A-Week Blood Donor Club since 1992, and last year UWPD staff members donated 75 pints of blood. The donor club was started by Detective Harlan Hettrick, who is now retired.

“This is recognition for our department and those employees who take time to donate blood,” says Central Campus Community Officer Kristin Radtke.

“UWPD continues to serve the community in many ways and in this case by donating blood,” says Radtke. “If you’re ever donating blood at one of the campus blood drives, you just might see one of our police or security officers donating blood, too.”

The department is the smallest of the three public service agencies in Dane County that are participating in the Red Cross program. The other two are the Madison Fire Department and the Dane County Sheriff’s Department.