Department History

Captain’s Message

Captain Pat Aldrich

Captain Pat Aldrich

In 2022, I will be starting my 23rd year at CLPD. My entire law enforcement career has been dedicated to this agency. I have continued to teach aspiring law enforcement students at Century College. Maintaining positive contacts with our citizenry, while navigating through Covid-19, has been our department’s focus.

Policing has changed drastically over the past 22 years. These changes have helped us police better and provide the necessary services to maintain positive community relationships. Through teaching, I have been able to share my experiences with, as well as learn from, many diverse cadets from the Minnesota State Patrol, DNR and Minneapolis PD

We hired one officer in 2021. During a time period of competitive hiring, low law enforcement recruit numbers, and troubling retention strategies, we are fortunate to maintain a great group of officers. With job postings steadily in the 100’s across Minnesota, it is apparent some agencies are having trouble filling employee rosters. We hope we can maintain a great work environment and continue to hire employees that “fit” into our agency’s culture.

Even though there was a global negative perception on law enforcement, we as an agency remained positive, and the expectations of our officers have remained paramount. Through our everyday interactions we are encouraged that our citizens still support our department and our officers.

Pat Aldrich

Captain