General Overview, Districts

GENERAL OVERVIEW PATROL

Often referred to as the backbone to a police department, the uniformed Patrol Division is the largest and most visible division of the Owatonna Police Department. Tasked with patrolling and answering calls for service within the city of Owatonna—an area encompassing approximately 14.45 square miles—the Patrol Division was staffed by (1) captain, (6) patrol sergeants and was authorized for (20) patrol officers. The sergeants and patrol officers are assigned to one of three policing districts—the North, South or West Central District. Patrol districts are designed with a focus on taking ownership and responsibility, building relationships to make a positive impact on the quality of life and safety in our neighborhoods. This is accomplished through partnerships, collaboration, problem solving and community engagement. The officers engage regularly with our citizens, businesses and community leaders and seek other agencies and organizations to identify issues for positive resolutions. Specialty units that are within the Patrol Division include the K9, Field Training Unit, Use of Force/ Firearms Unit, Drone, Chaplains, and volunteer/mentorship programs. Sergeant Tracy DuChene (Middle) takes home the medal for the 2019 Steele County Free Fair watermelon seed spitting competition against the Steele County Sheriff’s Office. Way to go OPD!

Police Districts

To the left is Officer Joel Hunt demonstrating OPD’s drone—an unmanned aircraft that can be navigated without a human pilot on board. The aerial vehicle is navigated from the ground using a GPS tracking system. The drone is used for emergency situations such as search and rescue, chemical spills, crash scenes, searching for armed suspects and missing persons. It allows the OPD to search faster, cover more terrain, and use less resources.