Department Training

2019 DEPARTMENT TRAINING

Firearms Training Unit

Firearms Training Coordinator: Sergeant Jason Matejcek Certified Firearms Instructors: Sergeants Andrew Drenth, Joshua Sorensen and Jason Petterson, and Officers Benjamin Johnson, Andrew Van Osdale and Alan Callahan

The certified firearms instructors train, test, and evaluate the officers under the mandated training requirements set forth by the Minnesota Peace Officer Standards and Training Board (POST). Each licensed officer must qualify with their department issued handgun, their squad shotgun, and patrol rifle. In 2019, the Firearms Training Unit conducted the following trainings: Annual qualification, Chief’s Top Shot/off-duty weapon qualifications, Close Quarter Battle (CQB) - force on force building clearing, and a combined low light / inclement weather training. The instructors strive to replicate realistic situations and scenarios through a variety of ways in order to raise the stress levels in the officers. Training the officers in a controlled environment under stress can help them learn how to mitigate and reduce their stress response during actual situations that they encounter while on-duty. Instructors train officers to have a winning mindset by utilizing scenario-based training where the instructors and officers utilize simunition (non-lethal) rounds and role players.

2019 DEPARTMENT TRAINING

SCDIU Tactical Team

Officer Joel Hunt – Team Leader Detective Matthew Oeltjenbruns – Assistant Team Leader / Sniper Officers Zackary Schumaker & Alan Callahan - Operators

In 2019, the South Central Drug Investigation Unit Tactical Team (SWAT) was comprised of about 29 team members from 11 different agencies within Steele, Freeborn, Waseca, and Faribault counties. The primary goal of the tactical team is the safety and preservation of all human life. The team is a support group that aids local police departments and sheriff’s offices through the use of their specialized trainings and equipment to resolve high-risk, critical incidents that are beyond the capabilities of the local authorities. All officers assigned to the tactical team maintain a high-level of proficiency through attendance of monthly ten-hour training days. Assigned OPD officers are allowed to conduct additional six-hour monthly trainings in order to comply with the National Tactical Officers Association’s (NTOA) training hour recommendations. Team members participate in the annual three-day Special Operations Tactical Association Conference (SOTA) to compete against other tactical teams throughout Minnesota and to learn the latest trends in tactical techniques. In 2019, two OPD members moved up the ranks within the tactical team. Officer Joel Hunt took over as a Team Leader, and Detective Matt Oeltjenbruns moved up to fill the Assistant Team Leader position. Also, after a competitive department process, Officer Alan Callahan was selected and appointed to the tactical team to fill the open position left by former Officer Jesse Ackerson. The South Central Drug Investigation Unit Tactical Team (SWAT) was call-out to respond to 13 incidents.

Use of Force Training Unit

Sergeant Josh Sorensen, Detective Matt Oeltjenbruns Officers Travis Ardolf and Alan Callahan

The use of force instructors have received specialized instructor training in SPEAR, L.O.C.K.U.P., TASER, Less Lethal, and ASP curriculums.

Officer Travis Ardolf and Detective Matt Oeltjenbruns instructed our taser program while taking care of the maintenance and downloading of data when these units were deployed in the field. Our agency has outfitted each sworn officer with an X2 Taser. This past year, the instructors dedicated four full days of training to provide a minimum of eight (8) hours of continuing education credits to all sworn police officers. Our community service and reserve officers also receive annual training from the use of force unit. One of our training highlights was an environmental drill at the gun range. We incorporated ground fighting outside during a range day and included simmunition as part of the stress inoculation training. The use of force unit also works with each newly hired officer for a minimum of ten hours to review department policies, state statutes, and our current training curriculum. In 2019, our instructors gave presentations to Citizen’s Academy and Leadership Owatonna groups as a way to educate the public on how we conduct ourselves on the street.