Sheriff's Office Newsletter - December 2021

December 2021 Newsletter (Volume 7, Issue 12)

To view each of the different stories in the newsletter, please click on the title below.

Note from Sheriff Torgerson

The holiday season is in full swing and our deputies combined with police officers and state troopers are once again working extra shifts from Thanksgiving through New Year’s Day. The program is called TZD or Towards Zero Deaths and the Holiday Season is focused on DWI enforcement. Already several people have been arrested after deciding to drink and drive. There is never a good time to lose a loved one to DWI, distracted driving or speed-related crashes, but the holiday season seems to magnify the impact. Please, if you are going to drink at holiday gatherings, find a safe and sober way home. Leave your vehicle behind and pick it up when you’re sober or someone else who is sober can get it for you. 

The season is busy for our deputies and their families but we do our best to support our community at several events starting with Salvation Army Bell Ringing the day before Thanksgiving; look for them out and about at the following:

· Shop with a Cop at Wal-Mart North on December 4th

· Toys for Tots at Fleet Farm on December 4th

· Tip A Cop for Special Olympics at Glynner’s Pub on December 16th

· Polar Plunge at Foster Arend Beach on February 11th and 12th

Watch our social media for updates and details. Have a safe and happy holiday season!

Recruitment and Retention in Law Enforcement

Captain Jon Jacobson

The COVID-19 pandemic has hit so many industries hard, and law enforcement has had no exception. Combine the uncertainties of the pandemic (vaccine information, boosters, distance-learning in schools, quarantine, etc.) and civil unrest throughout 2020, many agencies across the State of Minnesota, and the country, are trying to tackle a different epidemic; recruitment of newly qualified candidates to this profession and retention of those that have dedicated their lives to the service of others and do it well. The Olmsted County Sheriff’s Office is no different. With the recent development of a recruitment task force comprised of Olmsted County Human Resources, Sheriff’s Office Civil Service Commission, Olmsted County Administration and Sheriff’s Office staff, we, too, are looking at ways to capture tomorrow’s best, brightest and bravest people to serve our communities in Olmsted County. We have recognized a serious problem; not even 25 years ago, Olmsted County would get hundreds of applicants looking to work for the Olmsted County Sheriff’s Office. The most recent candidate pool for law enforcement was 15; for adult detention was 15 as well. That isn’t a typo. What is even more interesting is we have seen a significant increase in the number of newly hired Deputies over the last couple of years when we compare those numbers to years past. For a quick overview, please take a look at those numbers in this month’s Snapshot. Our numbers are on the rise for two primary reasons; full retirements and those that choose to leave this profession due to the current environment in law enforcement. So, 25 years ago, we may only hire a few people each year and our pool of qualified people was significantly higher. Today, we are hiring more than ever and have less than 10% of the applicants we once did.  Again, Olmsted County isn’t singled out; this is a major problem all over the country.

So, what has changed besides the environment in law enforcement? The demands on our staff today have compounded over the years. The more we are responsible for, the more training this profession requires. The people we serve expect us to be proficient in so many areas of professional service with the primary new areas being in mental health, those in crisis, and social justice. Training newly hired staff is a daunting task that requires hundreds of hours of on-the-job training, otherwise known as Field Training, to become proficient in the skills that are required of law enforcement professionals today. In addition, we must also receive specialized training like crisis intervention and de-escalation training, implicit bias training, several different less than lethal force and general use of force training, as well as critical and emergency medical care training. And these are just some of the areas Law Enforcement professionals receive training on a continual basis. Some of our new staff may struggle because of these demands.  According to 2020 US Census data, Olmsted County is the 7th most populous county in the State of Minnesota which, with the third largest city in the state, we reside in a busy area and there is a lot going on! We do our best to give our new staff every opportunity to succeed and sometimes the pace which is required to become proficient may be too daunting, or some realize that, after receiving such in-depth training, this calling just isn’t for them. Our office is seeking new ways to connect with people at a younger age as research has shown that developing relationships early tends to have a longer-lasting effect because we can help mentor and guide those that may not get the support for this type of career from others in their lives. We are extremely fortunate to have a good working relationship with Rochester Community and Technical College and their Law Enforcement program, but we, like they, are seeing a decreasing number in potential future law enforcement professionals, which ultimately affects the candidate pool.

A long-time leading law enforcement professional, Gordon Graham, recently stated “the law enforcement candidate pool has been effectively reduced to a puddle.” Gordon constantly and consistently talks about training; how important it is and how invaluable good Field Training Officers are to an organization. With the increasing number of Olmsted County Sheriff’s Office staff retiring or leaving for a variety of reasons, particularly over the last two years and the upcoming few, it may become more challenging to fill the void of knowledge leaving our ranks. However, rest assured, we are up to the task! We are seeking ways to improve our Field Training Officers’ (FTOs) capacity to teach and enhance our Field Training program overall to deliver the best possible training to newly hired staff.  Being an FTO is probably one of the most difficult job assignments, and at the same time, it is one of the most rewarding. A little shout out and “thank you” to all our FTOs, past and present. Our office has also developed a new testing process that happens more frequently to attempt to capture the most qualified candidates and hire them more quickly. Lastly, with this new and active team of people dedicating time and effort to develop the best recruitment and retention strategies, we will continue to work hard to attract and solidify relationships with new candidates that will be the best professionals in this business; those that we, and the communities we serve, will be proud of.

Monthly Snapshot - Newly Hired Olmsted County Deputy Sheriffs by Year

2016 - 3

2017 - 2

2018 - 5

2019 - 7

2020 - 15

2021 - 12

Salvation Army Bell Ringing

A big thank you to staff and family members who joined in to help ring the bell for the Salvation Army this year!

Our team spent the day at Hy-Vee spreading cheer and accepting donations for the kettle! The money raised will help meet needs in Olmsted County.  Each dollar is used locally to support 30 different programs and services of the Rochester Salvation Army. 

It was great to get back to ringing the bell in person this year!  Between the Adult Detention Center Staff and Law Enforcement Staff, we raised $1,521.47 for the day.

Watch for even more good deeds by our staff throughout the holiday season in the January edition!

Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Captain Tim Parkin

During October this year, the Olmsted County Sheriff’s Office participated in raising awareness relating to breast cancer. OCSO sold approximately 110 pink badges that symbolized support for breast cancer survivors, those still fighting the disease, and those that lost the battle to breast cancer. The Deputy Sheriff’s Association purchased the badges. Over $2,000.00 was raised from the badge sales and will be donated to an organization seeking a cure for cancer.

Thank you to all that participated in this event by purchasing and wearing the badge.

Dates of Interest

Note—these are regular dates—please verify these meetings are taking place as well as the forum they’ll be held in.

December 1

Dover City Council Meeting

December 2

Olmsted County Board Meeting

December 5

Pleasant Grove Township Meeting

Quincy Township Meeting

Rochester City Council Meeting

December 6

Elmira Township Meeting

High Forest Township Meeting

Oronoco Township Meeting

December 7

Salem Township Meeting

December 8

Eyota City Council Meeting

Rochester Township Meeting

December 12

Cascade Township Meeting

Chatfield City Council Meeting

Orion Township Meeting

Rock Dell Township Meeting

December 13

Byron City Council Meeting

Marion Township Meeting

New Haven Township Meeting

Stewartville City Council Meeting

December 14

Olmsted County Board Meeting

December 19

Eyota Township Meeting

Kalmar Township Meeting

Rochester City Council Meeting

December 20

Pine Island City Council Meeting

December 21

Farmington Township Meeting

Haverhill Township Meeting

Oronoco City Council Meeting

December 22

Eyota City Council Meeting

Olmsted County Fire Meeting

Olmsted County Township Association Meeting

December 26

Chatfield City Council Meeting

Dover Township Meeting

Viola Township Meeting

December 27

Byron City Council Meeting

Stewartville City Council Meeting

Senior Administration