The Minnesota Chiefs of Police Association has a vision “to be the recognized voice for professional law enforcement in Minnesota” and a mission “to bring the highest quality police services to the people of Minnesota.”
With a theme of “Accelerating the Evolution of Policing,” the educational components of the conference included law enforcement presentations on key police topics by leaders from across the state and nation. These presentations included a case review of the “Ambush at Shady Oaks” by Director J.D. Carlson of the Albert Lea Police Department; “The Evolution of Police Response and Civil Unrest” by Commissioner John Harrington, Sheriff David Hutchinson and Colonel Matt Langer; the “Parkland Florida School Shooting” by Chief Tony Pustizzi; a review of the new “BCA Force Investigation Unit” by BCA Special Agent in Charge Scott Mueller; “Improving Mental Health and Wellbeing for First Responders” by Account Manager Bobby Arnell and Director Steve Dickens of Invest EAP Centers for Wellbeing; the “Jayme Closs Case Review” by Detective Jeffrey Nelson of the Barron County Sheriff's Department and Special Agent Joe Welsch of the Wisconsin Department of Justice; and many additional sessions on a variety of law enforcement topics.
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| Thanks to everyone who stopped by to meet League staffers (l-r) Laura Honeck, Ashley Edwardson, and Tracy Stille. |
The law enforcement expo was also a good opportunity to learn about the latest products and services for our police agencies to consider purchasing. The expo included vendors for police uniforms, two-way radio equipment, emergency vehicle upfitters, psychological employee fitness services, wireless communication systems, automatic license plate recognition (ALPR) communications, access control and security systems, police audits, community surveys, police vehicles, and architecture firms to name but a few.
Once again this year, our LMCIT staff were on hand to explain the benefits and monthly continuing education courses of the PATROL - Peace officer Accredited Training Online program. Additionally, PATROL helps police agencies meet OSHA standards and also offers a five-part supervision and leadership course series.
Each PATROL course is also supported by legal memos, updates on developments, legal briefs, and case law changes. PATROL helps you achieve training mandates at a low cost and learn from professionals, including police liability experts, insurance defense attorneys, and local law enforcement leaders.
PATROL is supported by the Minnesota Counties Intergovernmental Trust, the Minnesota Chiefs of Police Association, and the Minnesota Sheriff’s Association. If you have any questions about PATROL or would like additional information about this unique training program, please contact our new Loss Control Program Coordinator Ashley Edwardson at the League of Minnesota Cities Insurance Trust (LMCIT) at (651) 281-1258, (218) 269-5352 or by email at aedwardson@lmc.org.
PTSD and mental health
LMCIT staff were also able to discuss the League’s PTSD and mental health initiatives. The Pocket Wellness Guide for law enforcement and information on talking with an employee that brings a mental health concern to you were both available as handouts that attendees could take back to their stations.
MCPA Officer of the Year
The 2021 awards banquet comprised many recognitions including president’s awards, medals of honor, distinguished service awards, a meritorious service Award, lifesaving awards, citizen’s valor awards, and Officer of the Year. A medal of honor and the Officer of the Year Award were presented to Officer Arik Matson of the Waseca Police Department whose “actions clearly distinguished himself above all others while serving with valor, honor, persistence, and merit.” Officer Matson was shot and critically injured in the line of duty on Jan. 6, 2020 while responding to a report of a suspicious person in the city of Waseca.
As always, you may contact me at tstille@lmc.org or give me a phone call at (651) 215-4051 with any comments or questions.
Remember: Responder Safety = Public Safety
In the meantime, stay safe and be careful -
Tracy
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