John Ferak

USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin

Officers at the Manitowoc City Police Department wear navy blue uniforms. Deputies at the Manitowoc County Sheriff's Department wear dark brown uniforms. But the difference between the agencies runs much deeper than apparel in the two high-profile criminal prosecutions involving Steven Avery.

In the Netflix blockbuster "Making a Murderer," the sheriff's department is portrayed as unprofessional, corrupt and fueled by revenge and hatred toward Steven Avery. The city's police department, meanwhile, comes across in a much more positive light.

In 1985, the sheriff's office targeted Avery, then 23, for an attack and sexual assault committed near Lake Michigan outside the Manitowoc city limits. City police detective Tom Bergner, however, suspected that a dangerous predator, Gregory Allen, was the likely rapist, not Avery. Allen had been prosecuted for lewd and lascivious conduct in 1983. Allen's crime occurred in the same area where the woman was brutalized around 4 p.m. on July 29, 1985. He shared his suspicions with the sheriff's department, but to no avail.

TIMELINE: History of the Steven Avery case

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Avery insisted he was innocent of the sexual assault along the beachfront, but the Manitowoc County authorities and a Manitowoc County jury did not believe him, and he spent 18 years in prison before he was exonerated by DNA evidence that showed Allen committed the assault just as Manitowoc city police had suspected.

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In 2005, Avery insisted he was being framed for the Oct. 31 murder of 25-year-old photographer Teresa Halbach, but the same sheriff's department insisted he was the killer. A jury in 2007 found Avery and his teenage nephew, Brendan Dassey, guilty of murder. They remain incarcerated in separate prisons, while many people believe the real killer is free.

Here's another key difference between the Manitowoc sheriff's department and police force:

The City of Manitowoc Police Department maintains an active social media presence on Facebook and Twitter.

The Manitowoc County Sheriff's Department currently has no official Facebook or Twitter account.

Not realizing the difference between the two, people outraged by the "Making a Murderer" series have mistakenly blasted the police department.

"The majority of comments on our law enforcement agency are wrong," Manitowoc City Police Capt. Larry Zimney said. "We had nothing do with the Avery prosecution. I think the vast majority of threats and rude comments directed to us through social media are people who are not from the area or even the state of Wisconsin."

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The Manitowoc City Police Department is located a few blocks from the sheriff's department, which is next door to the Manitowoc County Courthouse.

"Most cities and counties usually have different names," Zimney said. "But we're the county seat and a lot of people are just not able to distinguish this. By and large, local people know the distinction, but there are some that do not."

During the past six weeks, the police department has had to continuously monitor and scrub hateful social posts being left on its Facebook page by people wrongly denouncing its role in prosecuting Avery for two different violent crimes.

Most of the more than 825 social media comments erroneously directed at the city police over the Avery case have been removed from the Facebook page.

Trying to thwart unfair backlash, city police have posted the following message on its Facebook site:

"The release of the Netflix series regarding Steven Avery has caused some confusion regarding the Manitowoc, WI area. Anyone on this Facebook page commenting about these cases involving Steven Avery has directed their opinion to the wrong law enforcement agency. All of the cases referenced in the Netflix series were the jurisdiction of the Manitowoc County Sheriff’s Office. The incidents occurred outside of the City of Manitowoc. The Manitowoc Police Department does not have any jurisdiction outside of the City of Manitowoc.The Manitowoc County Sheriff’s Office and the Manitowoc Police Department are two separate law enforcement agencies. Also, the City of Manitowoc does not oversee the Manitowoc County Sheriff’s Department. Therefore, any positive or negative comments on this City of Manitowoc Police Department Facebook Page about the Netflix series concerning the Avery cases are directed at the incorrect agency."

Criminal justice faculty at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville agree the Manitowoc Police Department shouldn't be confused with the sheriff's department's role in any of Avery's high-profile cases.

"To hold the Manitowoc City Police Department hostage to this thing is really unfair," said Patrick Solar, assistant professor of criminal justice at UW-Platteville.

Solar is a former police chief of Genoa, Illinois and former deputy chief in Sycamore, Illinois. Solar said he has watched the "Making A Murderer" series.

"I didn't see any signs of involvement they had in it," Solar said of Manitowoc city police. "It's incredibly unfair to not recognize a distinction. Just because they're next to each other does not mean they have any working relationship whatsoever."

Netflix documentarians Laura Ricciardi and Moira Demos portrayed the City of Manitowoc Police Department in a favorable light.

Episode 1 chronicles the efforts of city detective Bergner, who tried to convince Manitowoc County Sheriff Tom Kocourek that Avery did not commit the 1985 rape. The horrific crime occurred within the sheriff's territory and in a rare move, Kocourek put himself in charge of that investigation. Avery was arrested at his home several hours after the brutal attack.

Several days later, even though Avery was in jail, the victim began receiving creepy and threatening anonymous phone calls at her house.

Kocourek, who served as the county sheriff from 1979 until 2001, refused to let anybody second-guess his investigative work. In 1985, the city police department and the sheriff's department were territorial. The two agencies did not share information or contact each other regarding ongoing investigations, reports reflect.

"Despite this relationship, Bergner went to Kocourek and discussed the 1985 assault against (the victim). Bergner asked if Kocourek knew about Allen. Kocourek told Bergner that Allen had been ruled out as a suspect. Bergner got the impression that Kocourek knew about Allen and Allen's history," stated a Wisconsin Department of Justice report investigating Avery's wrongful conviction for the 1985 rape.

A jury of Manitowoc County residents heard trial testimony and found Avery guilty of attempted murder and sexual assault. Avery was sentenced to 32 years in prison. Allen went on to harm other women.

In 1995, Manitowoc County Sheriff's deputy Andrew Colborn received a phone call from a Brown County detective. While in custody, Allen had told Brown County detectives that somebody was wrongfully in prison for an earlier assault he committed in Manitowoc.

When Colborn spoke with Sheriff Kocourek, he was told not to concern himself with the matter because the correct person was convicted, sworn testimony taken in 2005 showed.

Colborn didn't write a report about the phone call from Brown County until eight years later in September 2003, a day after Avery was exonerated by DNA evidence and was making national headlines.

At that point, Colborn huddled with his boss, Detective Lt. James Lenk and Sheriff Kenneth Petersen and was told to produce a brief report about the eight-year-old phone call. Petersen had the report placed into the sheriff's office sealed vault.

It only came to light after Avery's civil lawyers, Walt Kelly and Stephen Glynn of Milwaukee, filed a $36 million lawsuit against Manitowoc County.

Then, just three weeks after Colborn, Lenk and Petersen gave sworn depositions as part of the Avery lawsuit, a freelance photographer from rural Calumet County went missing. Authorities determined that Halbach visited the Avery Salvage Yard on Oct. 31, 2005 before she vanished. Lenk and Colborn volunteered to help investigate her disappearance, though both men were embroiled in Avery's civil lawsuit.

Even though the sheriff of Calumet County announced Manitowoc County would not be involved in the Avery probe, Lenk, Colborn and fellow Manitowoc County detective Dave Remiker remained a regular presence inside Avery's trailer. On Nov. 8, 2005, Lenk and Colborn returned to Avery's bedroom and revealed they discovered a spare key for Halbach's Toyota RAV4 next to Avery's bed. A day later, Avery was arrested. He was charged with Halbach's murder within a week. The single spare key contained Avery's DNA, but not Halbach's DNA.

This marks the 11th year since the Halbach slaying captured statewide media attention.

These days, nearly 20 percent of the city of Manitowoc's 64-sworn officers were not employed at that time, officials said.

Last Friday, city officers handled security for a rally organized by supporters of Avery and Brendan Dassey. The rally drew about 60 pro-Avery supporters, a handful of counter protesters and several onlookers outside the Manitowoc County Courthouse.

The crowd chanted, "Manitowoc County take a stand. Don't imprison an innocent man." Signs with phrases read, "Poor people lose." "Let's get even Steven." "Can't you see? Set Brendan Dassey free!"

Last weekend, Avery supporters took to social media urging the rest of the world to draw a clear distinction between the sheriff's department and the city police department in Manitowoc.

"Please stop confusing the Manitowoc Police Dept. with the Manitowoc Sheriff's Office," Allysa Apperson of suburban Chicago posted on the Manitowoc Police Facebook page. "These guys were absolutely wonderful at the protest today! They went above & beyond to welcome us all on both sides to come & participate. Thank you so much for the hot chocolate & coffee!"

Kathryn Bleckham of Spain posted similar comments on the page. "It's a pity that you didn't have jurisdiction, maybe there would have been a different outcome! Thanks for your policing of the protesters today ..."

Numerous times over the past several weeks, frustrated Manitowoc police officers have taken to their agency's social media accounts to bring clarity to the situation.

"Just a notice for all the people complaining. The Manitowoc Police Dept. is separate from the Sheriff's Dept.," Manitowoc Police posted on Twitter on Jan. 1.

In contrast, Manitowoc County does not maintain active social media accounts. That has not stopped social media pranksters from trying to make a mockery of the Manitowoc County Sheriff's Department.

The fake Twitter handle @ManitowocSD currently has more than 4,600 followers. The page shows a Manitowoc County Sheriff's Department patch along with photos of Charles Manson, Al Capone and Steven Avery. The spoof account reads: "We put the PARTY in SEARCH PARTY, ya jokers!"

Joseph Collins, in his 11th year as chief of the Two Rivers Police Department, said he has no concerns involving the sheriff's office.

"I have had nothing but a great working relationship with the county in everything they do," Collins said."They are very professional and we have a very good partnership."

For most of his tenure as chief, Collins said he has worked alongside Robert Hermann, who has been the Manitowoc County sheriff since 2007.

"He's got a great group of administrators and all of the people within that agency," Collins said. "If we need their assistance, they are very quick at responding."

Zimney said the residents of Manitowoc are fortunate to have "highly dedicated police officers at the Manitowoc Police Department."

He said his officers take very seriously the core values posted on the city's website: mission-guided, trustworthy, professional and dedicated.

"We are accountable to each other and to the citizens we serve," one of his department's core principles states.

As far as the saga surrounding Avery, "It has not stopped us from doing our jobs," Zimney said. "Obviously, it's been a distraction and it's another thing we need to deal with."

But "people are painting law enforcement with a very broad brush, and I do think there are a silent majority in this county and state and everywhere in this country that appreciates law enforcement and what we do on a daily basis."

John Ferak: 920-993-7115 or jferak@gannett.com; on Twitter @johnferak