The following information is gleaned from the Becker Police Annual Report submitted to city council, city administration and city residents by Becker Police Chief Brent Baloun.

“This report details some of the activities and accomplishments from throughout the year. It also summarizes casework and call activity from a statistical perspective and also provides a multi-year overview of trends in numerous areas.

This was another great year for the Becker Police Department and the City of Becker. We jumped from the 18th Safest City in Minnesota to the eighth Safest City. This is according to the website Safewise.com. This is truly great news and demonstrates the hard work of our officers and staff along with the partnerships created in our community.

On a statistical note, calls for service were up this past year. Slight increases were observed in the areas of disorderly and assaultive behaviors. In addition, our officers increased the number of traffic stops in and around Becker. We believe in an educate-before-cite strategy hoping that the number of repeat and dangerous behaviors will decrease over time and be limited. Speaking with our community members and visitors about driving behaviors has been successful and favored in the past.

Lastly, I’m thankful for the continued commitment by our Police Department staff. This past year the Police Department was involved in three audits. Two of these came from the MN Bureau of Criminal Apprehension assessing security compliance of our networks, in addition to our work involving data and criminal history information. We were also audited in the use of our body camera system used by our officers. In all three cases, while being mandatory audits, the Police Department was found in compliance and passed all three audits.

I often hear that we have a department staffed by an excellent group of people. Their commitment to the safety of our community is worth noting. This past year did not see any staff changes within the Police Department. This is also due to the strong support of our community and elected officials.

This next year will be busy with a proposal for upgraded Police Department and City Hall facilities. This will add some much-needed space as we move towards the future. Stay tuned.”

Mission Statement

The mission of the Becker Police Department, in partnership with the Becker community, is to protect and preserve life, protect property, to understand and serve the needs to of citizens, and to improve the quality of life in a manner consistent with the law and reflective of community values.

Core Values

Pride, Professionalism,  Respect, Participation, Solidarity, Innovation.

Personnel

Brent Baloun, Chief of Police, 17 years of service; Chris Lindbloom, Lieutenant 10 years of service; Paul Hickerson 8 years of service; David Rydberg 7 years of service; Caleb Hansen 4 years of service; Preston Voigt 2 years of service; Mike Gordon 2 years of service; Tristan Mello 1 year of service; Grant Jansons, 3 years of service; Jenna Voigt, PT 2 years of service; Krystal Fair, PT 1 year of service; Kristen Heins, Admin. Asst. 5 years of service.

Community Engagement

The Becker PD participates in Donut Day, held during Kindness Week inNovember. They are advocated for the annual Night to Unite celebration on an annual basis as well.

 They also participate in shop-with-a-cop in December and hand out candy during Halloween.

Department Training

Each year the officers/staff of the Becker Police Department participate in various trainings in an effort to stay updated on the latest information and technology within law enforcement. The Minnesota Board of Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) requires officers to complete 48 hours of continuing education credits/hours every three years in order to maintain and renew their peace officer license.

Reserve Officer Program

The Becker Police Reserve Officer Program is made up of men and women who volunteer their time without pay to assist the Becker PD with various needs and projects throughout the year. Without the help of our reserve officers,  the Becker PD would likely incur additional overtime and be less responsive to the needs of our citizens and our community.

In 2023, 344.0 hours were volunteered to the Becker Police Department by the reserve unit which  equates to nearly $20,000 in overtime wages saved.