Lakeside Link: ‘88 Oestreich retires after 28 years of service Officer Troy Oestreich (‘88) retired in October after 28 years in law enforcement. He attended police academy in 1993 and went to work for Jefferson County Sheriff ’s Office. He joined Lake Mills PD in April 1995. Troy became the department’s defense and arrest tactics instructor (DAAT) in 2000 and vehicle contact instructor in 2001. Finally, he was named community resource officer in 2007 where he taught Charlie Check First, GREAT, and DARE to thousands of children—including many local Lakeside students. He also increased turnout and involvement with Lake Mills Night Out Against Crime community event.
On Thursday, Sept. 20, the entire LLHS student and staff assembly gave Officer Oestreich (‘88) a standing ovation in appreciation of his 25+ years as a police officer, including DARE and crisis training, among many other services. He and his chief, Mick Selck, then headed over to Lake Mills City Hall for a public recognition of his service to the community.
Chief Mick Selck shared that “Officer Troy” (his community youth nickname) “dedicated himself to school safety through training teachers on how to deal with intruders and active shooter scenarios and assisting administration with safety plans. [He’s been] involved in training the active shooter course at schools all over Jefferson County. His ability to teach a serious and dry subject with a stress-relieving sense of humor made his classes interesting [and] working with him fun. He will be missed!” In a recent Lake Mills Leader article, Troy said, “There have been times when children who were victims of crimes or abuse have said they would only talk to me. This meant the world to me because it meant that they trusted me to help them.” Troy was selected as “Officer of the Year” three times during his career and was instrumental in saving five lives through medical action. He’s received a number of accommodation letters from local schools.
LL: Why police officer?
Above: LLHS teacher and fellow ‘88 grad Andy Asmus (left) spoke at the tribute for Troy. Pastor Mark Toepel (right) is the only teacher still on faculty from the 80s. Below: Troy with some of the LLHS Class of 2023. These St. Paul, Lake Mills, students were part of his DARE program when they were in 5th grade.
It was the best of both worlds for me. I was able to be in a respected profession and most importantly, I wanted to help people. The second reason is that I was always a bit of an adrenaline junkie as a kid. I liked to drive fast and I also raced motorcycles while I was at Lakeside. I liked that Law Enforcement would allow me to help people, but to also be able to do exciting and interesting things everyday.
those friendships today. I really loved the athletic events and the spirit week activities too.
LL: Did any teacher stand out?
LL: Did you encounter any hurdles in your career path?
Mrs. [Emily] Armstrong was a wonderful teacher for me. I was not a great student back then, but she never lost faith. She was kind, encouraging and treated me in a caring way—even when I didn’t necessarily deserve it with my behavior!
LL: Favorite memory from LL days? Really, just the friendships that I made. It was great having friends from all over the area and different cities. I still have
LL: Do you have encouragement or advice for today’s students?
Follow your own path. If you don’t know what that path is yet, it’s OK. I had no clue that I would be successful after Lakeside. School was hard for me. Everyone can find their purpose if they stick with it.
I really didn’t have too many hurdles in my career path. I was hired by the Jefferson County Sheriff ’s department shortly after finishing school and then by the Lake Mills Police Department. I worked and studied hard after Lakeside and I believe that God put me right where I needed to be to make a difference in this world—or at least my little corner of it.
Lakeside Lutheran Link | 2021 Issue 2 | llhs.org | page 5
