International Police officers visit Lake Hallie in an exchange program

LAKE HALLIE, Wis. (WEAU) - International police officers came to the Chippewa Valley to learn about how police work is handled in the United States.

The Lake Hallie Police Department is hosting six officers from Europe, specifically five from Germany, and one from Spain.

This has been an annual occurrance in the area for about seven years. It used to be hosted by the Altoona Police Department, but this year it is in Lake Hallie.

The chapter president of the state STAR International Police Exchange, Edward Bell, was a visiting officer to a German police department a few years ago, and now hosts a visitor from the same country.

“It helps understand the little cultural nuances of what people like and what they might be surprised by when they come to the United States,” Bell said. “I’m hosting one of the German officers myself, and being from Germany myself, there’s not too much of a cultural barrier as I moved to the us when I was 20 years old.”

During their two weeks here, there will be many opportunities for the international policemen and women to learn about law enforcement in Wisconsin. This includes ride-alongs with Lake Hallie officers, touring the Stanley Correctional Facility, and seeing the Capitol in Madison.