PATROL HIGHLIGHTS
August
The annual Night to Unite celebration occurred on the second Tuesday of August. This is a statewide program that brings community members and law enforcement officers together. To find out more and to register for a block party, turn to page 38. A combined effort from the patrol division and the detective bureau ended a spree of residential burglaries that occurred over a period of 7 months resulting in over 20 known burglaries. The offender was sentenced to 54 months in prison. Owat onna Pol i ce Sergeant Jason Petterson hosted a 5 day National Rifle Association (NRA) handgun – shotgun instructor’s course. A total of 24 students attended the course from various parts of the state which represented law enforcement and private armed security services.
September
October The Patrol Division began testing and evaluation on two mobile in-car video systems. The Panasonic 360 Arbitrator and the WatchGuard 4RE were the systems under consideration. The recommendation from the pilot program represented by members on the department technology committee was the WatchGuard system. The system replaced the previously used Digital Ally system beginning March of 2014.
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OWATONNA POLICE DEPARTMENT
November
In the chilly month of November, the licensed officers of the police department completed their annual low light and cold weather firearms shoot. The temperature was almost perfect as it was cold enough to get a good reminder of the season without being unbearable to train in. Officers also had access to an unoccupied residence for building clearance and movement drills. The shoot took place in the evening where officers were handling weapons while they wore clothing they weren’t necessarily used t o wear i ng. T hese ci r cumst ances can potentially make for dangerous conditions however, officers managed the drills well with their safety officer and practiced good muzzle discipline.
December On Thursday, December 12th, co-workers, friends and family gathered at the Owatonna Art Center to celebrate the retirement of Cheryl Pfeifer, who served 33 years for the Owatonna Police Department. Cheryl started work in the Records Division and served in the position of Administrative Assistant to the Chief of Police for the last several years of her career.