(File Photo by Kevin Mathewson, Kenosha County Eye)
KENOSHA, Wis. — Detective Pablo “Paul” Torres officially retired from the Kenosha Police Department on Friday, ending a career that spanned nearly three decades of service to the city he grew up in. Torres, known for his candor and dedication to the job, began his law enforcement career in 1994 with the Village of Winthrop Harbor Police Department before joining KPD on March 25, 1996.
Torres was placed on leave in July, as previously reported by Kenosha County Eye, and later retired in good standing with the department. In this retrospective, he shared reflections on his career, the challenges of policing, and his plans for life after the badge.
Torres didn’t originally set out to be a police officer. While studying Fire Science at Gateway Technical College, he met two active police officers, Chuck Hannes and Robert Karpus, who encouraged him to apply for KPD. “They said the department was hiring and in need of Spanish-speaking officers,” Torres recalled.
(File Photo by Kevin Mathewson, Kenosha County Eye)
Before joining Kenosha, he served as a police officer in Winthrop Harbor, Illinois. Once in Kenosha, his career became what he described as “very diversified.” Over the years, he worked as a bike officer, field training officer, motorcycle officer, K9 handler, and detective. His favorite assignment, he said, was without question the K9 unit.
(File Photo by Kevin Mathewson, Kenosha County Eye)
“The best job is K9. If you’re willing to commit yourself to this position, it will be the most rewarding job you can have,” Torres said. “The community outreach that it provides is immeasurable. I enjoyed doing community events with Officers Schrandt and Nichols and our dogs, Chico, Miky and Eddie. Outside of the K9 unit, I truly enjoyed meeting with the average citizen on patrol calls. The local interaction with citizens of Kenosha was great.”
(File Photo by Kevin Mathewson, Kenosha County Eye)
When asked what he liked least, Torres said “internal politics.” He added that he always preferred working directly with the public rather than getting caught up in department bureaucracy. “The less you know about your bosses and co-workers the better off you’ll be. I’d rather chase a criminal into a dark alley then walk down the halls at KPD.”
Torres described the 2020 Kenosha riots as the most difficult period of his career. “The KPD was under tremendous stress. Several members were overwhelmed and opted to not come to work. For those of us that did, we worked long hours with no training or equipment,” he said. “Never in my life did I imagine a scenario where I would be chasing suspects with AK-style guns or Molotov cocktails in Kenosha.” He credited Sgt. Trevor Albrecht, who has since passed away, and then-Chief Daniel Miskinis for their leadership during those chaotic days. “This city would have burned down far worse had it not been for their leadership,” Torres said.
Reflecting on how policing has changed, Torres cited advances in technology as the biggest shift. “Cameras, GPS, TASERs — all that is great, but it’s only as good as the officer that wears it,” he said.
Torres grew up in Kenosha and attended Frank Elementary, Washington Junior High, Bradford High School, Gateway Technical College, and Carthage College. “Job security, pension, and wanting to serve,” he said of his motivations. “I regretted not enlisting in the military when I was 18, so this was the next best thing.”
He also observed how Kenosha’s demographics have evolved during his tenure. “Our community has seen a huge increase in Hispanics. I’m happy to see that. The department has seen the need to hire Spanish-speaking officers to facilitate the needs of the community,” he said.
(File Photo by Kevin Mathewson, Kenosha County Eye)
Looking ahead to retirement, Torres plans to “go back to school, work out more, probably train for another marathon, and help his friend, Detective Pete Deates, babysit his grandkids.”
When asked what he would miss about the job, Torres answered plainly: “I won’t miss it. I have great memories and worked with some great officers, many of whom I speak with regularly.”
In his advice to younger officers, Torres encouraged them to stay grounded and committed both personally and professionally. He emphasized the importance of maintaining strong family ties, faith, financial stability, and especially physical fitness. He noted that an officer’s ability to perform under pressure can depend on staying healthy and capable in the field — something he said too many take for granted.
He added that staying motivated and avoiding temptation are crucial in a demanding profession. “You’re going to see people getting promoted and assigned who don’t deserve it or haven’t earned it. Be honest and true to your family and faith. Inappropriate relationships are common. These are nothing new to any profession but common in law enforcement.”
In closing, Torres addressed his relationship with this publication. “I was skeptical about submitting to this interview given [KCE]’s reporting on me over the years,” he said. “But I decided to do it after he informed me that it would be neutral and unbiased. I am no fan of Kevin Mathewson but I do appreciate that he is providing a service to his community.”
“I am thankful to the City of Kenosha for providing me with the means to support my family. I am honored to have the support of my parish, Mt. Carmel Church, my friends and extended family. Most importantly, I thank God for watching over me during my career. My wife and daughter deserve immense credit for standing with me. Solid.”
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56 Responses
Thank you for your service to our community and enjoy your retirement.
Pablo, I’ve known you since you were 9 years old maybe. (You still look the same) I want you to know I’m happy for you and you should be proud of yourself. I’m grateful for your many years of service and I hope you enjoy retirement. Thank you Kevin for doing a great job with this artical. I appreciate your dedication to journalism. Thank you so much!
Congratulations on safely making it to the end. You’ve earned it. Any profession who’s subject is “people” can be testing and often difficult.
Pablo was one of the finest K9 officers. Probably the highlight of his career.
I grew up with Pablo we go way back
We are all safer with him being gone. He was simply too brutal when he faced any type of physical or verbal resistance. He repeatedly errored on the side of using excessive force.
He actually shot and killed a suspect who was armed with an empty five gallon plastic bucket.
The good things he did were tainted by his brutality.
How can you say that when you haven’t once put on that uniform and had to make one of those split second decisions? It’s pretty easy to criticize and judge someone when you don’t have a clue what your criticizing and judging. I suggest you put on that uniform and do that job before you throw stones and attack someone and the job they did.
How do you know this commenter is/was not an officer. I know plenty of officers who cringe when they had to be on a scene with Torres. He scared guys with his unpredictable volatility and temper.
The commenter is sticking up for his relative who Pablo chased through the city and shot. Always excuses
Yeah that POS he shot was a chomo
The guy your referring to that he shot was a child molester , so really there is no loss there… and he was told to put whatever he had down and he didn’t. Pablo didn’t take that chance and I wouldn’t have either. Stop sticking up for POS. Pablo was a great officer !
You got the story wrong. That man was a disgrace to the police department
No he wasn’t.
Just ten days earlier, Torres shot a military veteran in the gut. This old man was suffering from PTSD and was considering suicide. Torres was one of at least three officers at the scene. To the surprise and dismay of the other two officers, Torres shot this suffering old man.
Another commenter talked about how other officers hated to go on calls with Torres due to him being unpredictable and prone to using excessive force. Torres was brutal and the decent cops wanted nothing to do with him. His friends were the other brutal and corrupt cops.
What’s your profession there dumbass
Fuck you! You POS!
MURDERER!
Over time, many in law enforcement become arrogant and that gets in the way of them thinking clearly. That seems to be the issue here.
others develop short tempers and the willingness to poke someone in the nose from years of contacts screaming, “I didn’t do nothing what I do what I do let go of me I’m in charge don’t touch me don’t touch me here I want my lawyer let me call my mom to get my car!”.
If the dictionary needed an example of “police escalation” Torres would be a classic example. Glad he’s gone. Bad and weak cops make everyone less safe. Rustin Sheskey is an example of a weak cop. Shooting two citizens in a 10 day span is wild.
“Shooting two citizens in a 10 day span is wild.” Exactly. Yet there’s no mention of this in Kevin’s fluff piece about this controversial cop. My guess is he’s the first Kenosha Police officer to shoot two people in separate incidents in such a small time span, but apparently that wasn’t newsworthy enough to be mentioned.
You get what you deserve….
They were both justified and one was a suicide by cop attempt. Pablo shot one in his stomach holding a knife. He could have taken a kill shot but he didn’t. Know your facts before you run your mouth.
That was a feeble old veteran. Torres shot him to the surprise and dismay of the other two officers at the scene.
You are also full of crap. Every cop is taught that every shot is a “kill shot”. Cops don’t shoot to wound. They shoot to incapacitate, which means kill.
The shoots were determined to be justified. That does mean they were necessary. Both could have been avoided if your boy wonder did not panic.
You need to stop distorting the facts.
The second shooting was on his first day back on the job after the first shooting.
What a bitter, egotistical little man.
Hey Kevin , were the last 5 comments by anonymous, all the same guy ?
Thanks Paul
Walk a mile in my shoes…
“You don’t want the truth because deep down in places you don’t talk about at parties, you want me on that wall — you need me on that wall.” Grateful to have Pablo on our wall all these years.
Amen!
Another blue line member gone. Good riddance dirt bag
And what do you do, besides waste oxygen?
I’m your daddy
Hardly. Not even a good troll LMAO
Being a midget cop leads to shooting guys armed with plastic buckets, ect.
I remember that case where he found the guy hiding in the garage, the bucket, etc. I would have shot him, too.
Well, we are all thankful that you are not a cop and didn’t have to replicate that bad decision.
Funny how you keep commenting on this, but don’t seem to know anything other than the bucket. Maybe Torres can now tell how the same guy had robbed Subway restaurants with a hatchet. Another dangerous criminal who goes too far and gets shot.
Pablo, you will always be a hero to me! Your bravery has kept us safe and your service helped to make our community better. I am grateful for your dedication. Have a wonderful retirement and thank you for your service! God bless you and your family always and all ways.💙
Bravery?
This officer could not control his fear. He was prone to panic. This caused him to immediately escalate a situation and have to resort to overwhelming and excessive force. The real brave officers are those who control and harness their fear and are able to de-escalate a situation.
Hero? Hahahahah
Pablo is a good cop and person. Congrats on his retirement.
God bless you, Pablo!! Thank you for all you have done for Kenosha. See you at Mass!
He’s an egomaniac. Good riddance, now pick on people without that tin badge and costume
Pablo would fuck you up brother.
That is what Pablo does best.
A lot of people that needed to go to jail went to jail with Pablo. That upsets a lot of people these days. Enjoy your retirement.
BTW Funny how a lot of keyboard warriors who never took calls for service are suddenly experts on police work. Opinions are like a holes, everyone has one.
People that needed to go to jail went to jail, guilt and constitutional rights not important. Isn’t that right retired LEO
I’m from the outside that knows a lot of insiders. He was not a great cop. He arrested for somebody once for coming to his door and soliciting. He was a hot head. Always intimidating. Don’t let that smile fool you. He killed two people without any gun knives one of them had a bucket. Wow that’s protecting the community.
But we don’t want to hear the truth.
Killed two people…fake news! How about we get our facts straight before we post a comment. Guess the guy who can’t formulate a coherent paragraph shouldn’t be known for his reliability!
That’s the siler idiot commenting on everything.
B.S. you sound like a crybaby who got caught for something
30 years & how many murders!! Kenosha is a little safer without him with a service weapon. Rip Aaron you are never forgotten
Shut up dork.
Enjoy your retirement, you’ve earned it. I’m willing to bet the ones talking crap have never had to be in the many dangerous situations you have been in and had to deal with the literal scum of the earth on a regular basis. The most dangerous thing they’ve ever done in their life is drive to the grocery store.