By Chief Robert N. Carlson
Lester Prairie Police Department

The Lester Prairie Police Department is a proactive police department involved in community oriented policing services. The department has three full-time police officers and three active part-time police officers. The full-time police officers donated 42.5 hours ($824) above their normal 2,080 hours worked. They also donated 1,482 hours of emergency on-call time in 2008. Part-time officers worked an average of seven shifts a month. Part-time officers are needed to fill in for vacation, training, special summer shifts, and sick time. The part-time officers have also been used for special activities (i.e. Prairie Days, citizens academy and the bicycle rodeo) and emergencies (i.e. barricaded subjects and suicides).

As the chief of police I am responsible for the administration of the department. I work a regular patrol shift during the day, teach Drug Abuse Resistance Education (5th and 8th grade) during the school year, serve as the school liaison officer, and work with the city council and city department heads to make the city work efficiently and effectively. I represent the City of Lester Prairie in the following organizations and associations:

President of the McLeod County Chiefs of Police Association, Lester Prairie Community Task Force, MEADA (Methamphetamine Education and Drug Awareness Coalition of McLeod County), Southwest Metro Drug Task Force (non-voting member), student assessment team (L.P. School) and the domestic violence task force.

I am proud to say we have worked on and received several grants this year that have helped keep equipment and other costs down.

At the beginning of the year we did a remodel of the police department and purchased equipment and property that enhances our ability to be more efficient and effective. I welcome you to come see the remodeled office during my office hours. I have office hours from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. and it continues to provide more visibility and availability to the public to meet with us face-to-face.

The City of Lester Prairie is working on a city web site which should be operational within the next several months. You will be able to see, review and fill out information from the convenience of your home. We prefer to receive our complaints and concerns by phone, however e-mail is available when you feel it is necessary at chief@lesterprairiemn.us.

Officer Mark Thiry is the senior police officer of the department, and has been a valuable employee of the city for more than eight years.

Officer Thiry is in charge of the Safe and Sober Challenge Program and is our firearms and Taser instructor. Under Thiry’s direction, the Lester Prairie Police Department received the second place award for the 2008 Minnesota Safe and Sober Challenge. We received a $3,500 grant for second place, and will use the money for purchasing new equipment for the squad car. We previously won the first place award in 2005 and 2006, and second place in 2007.

I am very proud of the work we have done, and love the community and city council I work for. If I have ever needed anything to protect our community, the city has never turned me down.

If you have any questions, concerns or comments please contact me at (320) 395-2100 or e-mail me at chief@lesterprairiemn.us.