Members of the Howard Lake Police Department are : Reserve officers Chiero and Christensen , Officer Bonnick , Officer Rollins , Sgt Anderson , Chief Thompson , Officer McDonald , Officer Szczepanik , and Reserve Sgt . Kottke .
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Police DEPARTMENT
The Howard Lake Police Department continues to provide professional and courteous law enforcement to the citizens of Howard Lake . The year 2020 provided the department with many opportunities to actively engage with the community .
The department maintained its active presence in the Howard Lake-Waverly-Winsted Schools through School Resource Officer ( SRO ) Darek Szczepanik . He provided a regular presence in both the high school and the middle school , and also served as a Drug Abuse Resistance Education ( DARE ) instructor . In addition to his duties as the SRO , Szczepanik also participated in the Safe Schools Committee of Wright County . This partnership between the school district and the police department has helped to reduce overall incidents of criminal and truant behavior by area youth .
In addition to its role within the schools , the department also participated in Safe Communities of Wright County , which seeks to act as a bridge of knowledge and communication between schools , law enforcement , and other community entities within Wright County . Chief Thompson is currently serving as the vice chair of the Safe Communities of Wright County Board .
Although many major community events were canceled in 2020 due to COVID-19 , the department looks forward to actively supporting all major community events in 2021 , including the Howard Lake Chamber of Commerce Community Expo , Good Neighbor Days , Wright County Fair , National Night Out , and other various community events throughout the year .
The department , along with the city , participated as a member of the Highway 12 Safety Coalition . This group of city and township representatives , law enforcement , department of transportation , and other safety officials met bi-monthly to improve highway safety along the Highway 12 corridor from Wayzata to Cokato .
The department worked closely with and partnered with the Wright County Sheriff ’ s Office , Minnesota Department of Transportation ( MnDOT ), and the Minnesota State Patrol ( MSP ) to conduct several targeted enforcement events in the city , including distracted driving , seatbelts , handsfree phone usage , and pedestrian / crosswalk safety .
Additionally , the department once again participated in the Toward Zero Deaths ( TZD ) traffic safety program in 2020 . Minnesota TZD is the state ’ s cornerstone traffic safety program , employing an interdisciplinary approach to reducing traffic crashes , injuries , and deaths on Minnesota roads .
As the department heads into 2021 , we look forward to continuing to build upon the relationships within the community and with surrounding agencies that will help us to better serve the residents of Howard Lake .
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