General Overview

Police Districts

The Patrol Division is the backbone and face of the Owatonna Police Department. The group of conscientious dedicated staff provide 24/7 service in a uniformed patrol capacity. They respond to a multitude of incidents such as emergency and priority 911 calls, fender benders, noise complaints, disputes and disturbances, traffic and code enforcement, criminal patrol, and criminal apprehension. Other ways our officers are visible in the community are conducting business checks, foot patrols, bar checks, park patrols, hotel visits, 24-hour business checks, public presentations, safety talks, and many other community and private events.

A new trend in 2020 for the Owatonna Police and Fire Departments along with many other agencies across the country was “Birthday Parades”. To battle the hardships of having to social distance from one another due to the COVID-19 pandemic, communities had to get creative and came up with drive-by celebrations. In these instances, the police were invited to escort a parade of cars to a designated place to send our well wishes.

Also in 2020, our officers and volunteer reserves / explorers were proud to partner with Community Pathways at their “Truck to Trunk” events where we managed traffic and helped load boxes of food that served 1,200 families! These were successful drive-up events that took place at the Steele County Fairgrounds. Our officers work hard to connect with the youth of our community on their level. We value fun and respectful relationships and feel that the first encounters with law enforcement are vital in forming those relationships. Below is Officer Matt Oeltjenbruns enjoying some outdoor fun at our local skatepark. While he may have learned a thing or two, we are sure thankful no one was injured!

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