First, thank you for the opportunity to serve the Williston Community as the Police Chief, it is truly an honor I have the opportunity to lead the many outstanding men and women that make up the Williston Police Department. We take tremendous pride in our partnership with this community. Through this partnership, the high quality of life and safety can be preserved for those that live and work in Williston; and for those that visit our excellent community.
Our men and women are highly educated, well trained, and extremely devoted to the highest standards of integrity, morals, and ethics. Each member of the Williston Police Department is devoted to work with our community to solve crime and keep our neighborhoods safe. We pride ourselves on having tremendous community support, which assists us in hiring and retaining the best police officers we possibly can.
As a department, we have initiated many different programs to provide education and promote community relations. Some of these programs include the Citizens Police Academy, DARE, Community Engagement, Safe Williston Project, Bike Rodeo, Safe Bank Instruction, and many others. If you have any questions, comments or feedback, please contact us We would be happy to hear from you.
David A. Peterson Chief of Police
Chief David Peterson
Deputy Chief Steven Armstrong
Operations Captain Rodney Dickerson
Investigations Captain Steven Gutknecht
Administrative Lieutenant Dustin Celander
Investigations Lieutenant Daniel Dery
Investigations Sergeant Danielle Hendricks
Investigations Sergeant Sam Aide
Street Crimes Sergeant Jacob Koehn
Detective Momcilo Babic
Detective Alexius Clark
Detective Christopher Cook
Detective James Dixon
Detective Amber Koehn
Detective Nicholas Satermo
Detective Joshua Hilgart
School Resource Officer Jory Forsberg
School Resource Officer J.P. McClellan
School Resource Officer Nick Nelson
Street Crimes Officer Greg Oster
Street Crimes Officer T.J. Vangrinsven
Patrol Lieutenant Hugh Benzen
Patrol Lieutenant Walter Hall
Patrol Lieutenant Travis Martinson
Patrol Lieutenant Michael Wilson
Special Operations Lieutenant Derek Schipferling
Operations Sergeant Randy Haugenoe
Patrol Sergeant Brett Flesness
Patrol Sergeant Jacob Hendricks
Patrol Sergeant Michael Isenhower
Patrol Sergeant Anthony Mann
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Patrol Sergeant Luke Olson
Patrol Sergeant Justin Pelzl
Patrol Sergeant Jeremiah Lachner
Patrol Sergeant Kristiina Ravaska
Officer Brandon Balogh
Officer Jason Barten
Officer Lucas Brinkman
Officer Caden Collins
Officer Chase Cook
Officer Robert Cummings
Officer Shawn Egge
Officer Tanner Farstveet
Officer Wrangler Frye
Officer Tanner Granger
K9 Officer Alexis Haggerty
K9 Kreed
Officer Jonathan Holter
Officer Rowan Horswill
Officer Tanner Hronek
Officer Tyler Iwen
K9 Officer Jason Jonas
K9 Sisu
Officer Mariah Karst
Officer Eric Keyes
Officer Charles Kuhlmann
Officer Travis Lawhead
Officer Cody Miller
Officer Bryson Norsten
K9 Officer Garrett Norsten
K9 Buster
Officer Jeffrey Olson
Officer Jordan Patton
Officer Nick Rintamaki
Officer Nicole Roberts
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Here we are starting into 2023 and I feel like 2022 went by in rapid fashion Where did the year go? As always, the Williston Police Department's Criminal Investigations Division was extremely busy this year. So busy, in fact, that we had to make some major changes to the division to even keep up
Some of these changes are as follows; both the Public Information Officer and the Community Engagement Officer were transferred to another division so that supervision of these positions would no longer be handled by the Investigations Division, thus freeing up some time for Command Staff, especially the Sergeants, to focus more of their attention back to Detective related tasks
Another change to help alleviate the current case load was to pull back one of the Williston Police Department's three drug task force agents from the Northwest Narcotics Task Force and have him work as an Investigator in the Investigations Division These three changes alone have alleviated some of the daily struggle the Detectives go through to and keep their heads above water.
As of 2022, the Street Crimes Unit came into fruition It consists of two officers with a Sergeant overseeing the project This unit is housed off site from the Law Enforcement Center due to lack of workspace. The role of this Street Crimes Unit is to identify law enforcement needs within the City of Williston and then use proactive methods to identify, deter and prevent criminal activity. The Street Crimes Unit is a stand-alone entity, however, when needed, it also bolsters the capabilities of Patrol and Investigations Divisions They have already proved to be an invaluable resource
The Williston Police Departments Investigations Division for 2023 will now consist of it's command staff, which consists of three Sergeants, one Lieutenant, and one Captain Three School Resource Officers, two Street Crimes Officers, two Narcotics Officers, one Intelligence Analyst, two Evidence Technicians, and seven Detectives. There is a total of 22 people in various positions currently assigned to the Investigations Division.
As far as major cases experienced by Investigators this year, they had all of the investigations you would commonly expect to take place in Williston, ND. In addition to this, they investigated a murder-suicide, an extremely violent attempted murder which ended in the suicide of the assailant, a large explosives manufacturing case, and a rare Munchhausen by proxy investigation
All of the aforementioned cases and a whole lot more are routinely investigated by this Investigations Division staff while all the time still completing their own required continuing education training to maintain their Peace Officers Licenses They are also frequently educating the public at different events and helping out other area law enforcement agencies who frequently come to the Williston Police Department for assistance
I still feel honored and privileged to be able to work with the great public servants at the Williston Police Department Each of them putting the needs of society in front of their own
Captain Steven Gutknecht Williston Police Department Investigations CaptainDUE TO REPORTED TIMES AND WHEN INVESTIGATIONS ARE CONCLUDED, NUMBERS MAY VARY SLIGHTLY FROM THE STATE OF NORTH
REPORTING.
In 2022, the Williston Police Department restructured the Community Engagement team The community Engagement team now consists of the civilian Community Engagement Liaison, the Public Information Officer, School Resource Officers, and administrative leaders within the department The Community Engagement team is tasked with creating and implementing opportunities in partnership with the community to further the mission of the Williston Police Department
The Community Engagement team hosts and participates in multiple events within our community to foster healthy relationships with police officers and the public, especially children Below is a list of events that the Williston Police Department hosts/participates in to further those relationships
K9 Valentines Program
Polar Plunge
D A R E
Williston Public Library Easter Egg Hunt
Bike Rodeo
National Night Out
Tip a Cop
Torch Run for Special Olympics
Red Ribbon Week Citizens Academy
Back to School Backpacks
Back to School Supplies Drive
Trail of Treats
Halloween Safety Presentations
Thanksgiving Meals for McKinney Vento Families
First Responders Toy and Food Drive
Responsible Beverage Server Training
Cops and Daubers (BINGO)
Any Requested Community Training Services
The Community Engagement team works hard to build a strong relationship with our community in a day and age, where law enforcement is viewed as a negative to some. We strive to build trust in our community and ensure them that the service we provide to them is of the highest quality
Officer Heather Cook
Williston Police Department
Public Information Officer
The Williston Police Department has partnered with Williston Public Schools for the School Resource Officer (SRO) program since January 2015. The SRO program covers all nine Williston Public School District #7 schools that fall within the city of Williston There are currently three School Resource Officers assigned to Williston Public School District #7
School Resource Officers are trained in the SRO Triad and act as an educator of state and local laws, an informal counselor, and a law enforcement officer School Resource Officers are assigned other duties to include D A R E , Bike Rodeo, classroom and school presentations, safety talks, along with many other duties Each SRO is required to undergo training with the National Association of School Resource Officers (NASRO) and has opportunities to participate in other trainings specific to the SRO position on a state and national level The SRO program has been beneficial to both Williston Public School District #7 and the Williston Police Department in building connections with our youth in the community and law enforcement
Sergeant Detective Sam Aide Williston Police Department School Resource Officer Sergeant
SISU Age: 3
Handler: Officer Jonas In Service: November 9, 2020
KREED Age: 2
Handler: Officer Haggerty
BUSTER Age: 1
Handler: Officer Norsten In Service: April 18, 2022
The Williams County Special Weapons and Tactics Team is comprised of members from the Williams County Sheriff’s Office, the Williston Police Department, and the Williston Fire Department. The team consists of a team commander, five team leaders, thirteen operators, four designated marksmen, and seven tactical medics.
Since 2018, the North Dakota Peace Officers Association Special Operations Committee has recognized the Williams County SWAT Team as a regional team. The team covers a four-county area consisting of Williams County, Divide County, McKenzie County, and Burke County. For the year, the Williams County SWAT Team served five high-risk warrants, responded to two active barricades, one report of active threat, and one search of a person, the team was called on multiple other occasions but thankfully, those situations were resolved prior to SWAT intervention.
It is the continued mission of the Williams County SWAT Team to be a highly trained, wellequipped, and skilled tactical team that is a resource to the communities it serves for the successful resolution of critical incidents
Lieutenant Hugh Benzen Williston Police Department Williams County S.W.A.T. CommanderThe Northwest Crisis Negotiations Team (NWCNT) was originally started by one member from the Williams County Sheriff’s Office and one from the Williston Police Department in early 2016.
NWCNT has a total of 9 team members. The members work their normal shifts for the agencies and are on call for situations that require the NWCNT
The NWCNT equipment has been very beneficial to both the Negotiations and SWAT Team in various situations. The team continues to attend regular trainings including the NTOA Crisis Negotiators Conference.
The NWCNT responds to suicidal subjects, barricaded subjects, hostage situations, mental crisis situations, and responds simultaneously with the SWAT team call outs. The NWCNT continues to be an asset to the Northwest Region.
The Northwest Narcotics Task Force (NWNTF) is a multi-jurisdictional drug task force. It is a joint effort set forth by area law enforcement agencies through a memorandum of understanding. These agencies (NWNTF Executive Board) include the North Dakota Bureau of Criminal Investigation (Williston and Watford City field offices), Divide County Sheriff’s Office, McKenzie County Sheriff’s Office, Watford City Police Department, Williams County Sheriff’s Office, and Williston Police Department.
The NWNTF consisted of agents who cover Williams County, Williston, McKenzie County, Watford City, and Divide County During the year of 2022 the NWNTF members consisted of seven task force officers assigned from participating agencies, as well as two nonsworn personnel, and one North Dakota Bureau of Criminal Investigation Special Agent assigned as the Task Force Coordinator.
The NWNTF Executive Board agreed to employ a full time Administrative Assistant/Intel Analyst as one of the non-sworn positions. The intel analyst position is key to the operation of the NWNTF. During the calendar year of 2022, the intel analyst assisted numerous separate agencies with a variety of intelligence information requests. Our intel analyst has provided a resource that relieves the task force officers from having to spend a lot of time in the office and allows for more time in the field The intel analyst has also been working with others throughout the state to further the mission.
The NWNTF Executive Board has also agreed to fill the position of evidence custodian for the NWNTF The evidence custodian saves the task force officers and coordinator numerous hours by handling the evidence after the officers in the field complete their duty. The evidence custodian works hand in hand with the Williams County States Attorney Office, McKenzie County States Attorney Office, and Divide County State Attorney Office in preparing evidence for trial. Other duties include, cataloging evidence, disposing evidence properly, returning evidence per court orders, sending evidence to the state crime lab for testing, following up when lab items after testing at the crime lab, creating reports that correspond with evidence, as well as generating reports for the task force officers.
The NWNTF primarily focuses on issues related directly to the communities the NWNTF serves, but when investigations stretch out to the neighboring communities, the NWNTF shares information to combat the influx of drugs that are frequently transported to the local communities.
The NWNTF is also committed to aiding the Mandan-Hidatsa-Arikara Division of Drug Enforcement (MHA-DDE) This collaborative effort has proven successful and has led to federal indictments and state arrests Information and resource sharing between NWNTF and MHA-DDE, along with the personal relationships between the entities, has proven successful in operations and assistance through many cases to ensure the safety of the Mandan-Hidatsa-Arikara community members and community members within the area of responsibility of the NWNTF The NWNTF looks to continue, and strengthen, the relationship in the future
In addition to the illegal drugs and narcotics removed from the streets the NWNTF has also seized cash and assets, to include vehicles and firearms, all used or derived from the sale/transportation of narcotics.
The NWNTF have always been available and utilized by the member agencies to transport non-drug evidence, assist with non-drug related undercover operations and investigations, execution of search warrants, etc.
The NWNTF conducted seven (7) presentations throughout the year for local schools, landlords and apartment managers, realtors, emergency service providers, and local schools.
During the transition to the new normal, the NWNTF has a similar number of cases as they did during the year of 2022, and it is obvious to see that opioids (Fentanyl, and Heroin) are on the rise as well as cocaine and THC products
Special Agent Ryan Chaffee
RANDY HAUGENOE 20 Years
HUGH BENZEN 10 Years
JACOB HENDRICKS 10 Years
RODNEY DICKER 10 Years
DANIELLE HENDRICKS 10 Years
JEFF OLSON 5 Years
ROBERT VANWINKLE 5 Years
T.J. VANGRINSVEN 5 Years
CODY MILLER 5 Years
JEREMIAH LACHNER 5 Years
STEVEN ARMSTRONG 5 Years LEXIE CLARK 5 Years
CITIZEN PEYTON WALTON Courageous Service Award
LIEUTENANT DUSTIN CELANDER School of Police Staff & Command Graduate
CAPTAIN RODNEY DICKERSON School of Police Staff & Command Graduate
DETECTIVE MOMCILO BABIC National Forensic Academy Graduate
SERGEANT DANIELLE HENDRICKS ND American Legion Ray Atol Law Enforcement Officer of the Year Award
JEREMIAH L Promotion to Patrol Sergeant
HEATHER COOK Transfer to Public Information Officer
CALLI STELLMACHER Transfer to Community Engagement Liaison
GREGORY OSTER Transfer to Street Crimes Officer
SHUA HILGART Transfer to Detective
JAMES DIXON Transfer to Detective
NICK NELSON Transfer to School Resource Officer
JP MCCLELLAN Transfer to School Resource Officer
TJ VANGRINSVEN Transfer to Street Crimes Officer
GARRETT NORSTEN Transfer to K9 Officer
Patrol Officer Garrett Norsten
Began Employment on May 24, 2019
Records Administrator Amy Johnson
Began Employment on February 4, 2019
Captain William White (ret.)
1938 - 2022
