(Editor’s Note: The following information was comprised from the Becker Police Department’s 2022 annual report.)
Personnel
The Becker Police Dept. is comprised of 11 officers, one administrator and four reserve units. They include: Chief Brent Baloun, Paul Hickerson, David Rydberg, Lt. Chris Lindbloom, Preston Voigt, Mike Gordon, Caleb Hansen, Tristan Mello, PT Grant Jansons, PT Jenna Voigt, PT Krystal Fair and reservists, Ross Cozzi, Carter Erickson, Frankie Schaap and Skylee Blomquist. Kristen Heins is the department’s administrative support.
The Becker Police Department’s mission statement is: 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 of citizens, and to improve the quality of life in a manner consistent with law and reflective of community values.
The department’s core values are Pride, Professionalism, Respect, Participation, Solidarity and Innovation.
Serving the Community
Becker’s officers serve in many ways in the community including handing out free donuts during Kindness Week in November, visiting with residents during the annual Night to Unite event in August and attending fairs and expos with the purpose of speaking with prospective police officers and volunteer reserve officers.
Patrol Jurisdiction
Safewise.com identified the City of Becker as the 18th safest City in Minnesota for the year 2022. BPD’s patrolling areas comprise of 9.1 miles of territory amongst the 5,000+ residents.
Budget Overview
The BPD’s budget has risen from just over $900k in 2018 to over a million in 2022. Wages are the highest cost and results in around 60% of the budget. Personnel is around 30% while fuel and transportation, training, contracted services, general operating and miscellaneous make up the rest of the budget.
Equipment
During the latter part of 2022, the Becker Police Department updated the Tasers that the Police Officers carry on their duty belts. With the approval of the City Council, the Police Department entered into a contract with AXON to provide officers with the latest Taser, the Taser 7. Each officer now has a Taser assigned to them for use each shift.
Towards Zero
Deaths Program
Minnesota TZD is the State’s cornerstone traffic safety program, employing an interdisciplinary approach to reducing traffic crashes, injuries and deaths on Minnesota roads. While individual disciplines have a long history of successful traffic safety programs, TZD aims to tie these together with a common vision and mission for even greater success. The TZD program uses data to target areas for improvement and employ proven countermeasures.
The TZD program team works in partnership with community and corridor groups to improve the traffic safety of a designated area. Toward Zero Deaths provides technical assistance, materials, and guidance to local groups that are committed to reducing crashes and the fatalities and severe injuries that result from them.
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.
Calls For Service
Calls for service has increased in the last few years and typically the times between 8 p.m. and 2 a.m. produce the most calls, mostly on weekends. In 2020, the BPD fielded 5,236 calls for service during the calendar year while 2022 produced around 5,831.
Part I Offenses
Part I offenses reflect information on eight “serious” crime classifications, and is generally referred to as the “Crime Index” measurement. Each category may also include various subclassifications which are included in the total for each category.
(NOTE: Numbers identify reports to the police department, and may not necessarily reflect those that have been charged or prosecuted as such. Statistical information is that which is known to the police department, but may later be reported differently under the Uniform Crime Reports by the FBI.)
Becker had zero murders and zero robberies in the last five years recorded. Five rapes have occurred since 2018 including one on 2018, three in 2019 and one in 2020. Assault has occurred eight times, five in 2018, one in 2019, one in 2020, and one in 2022. Thirty-seven burglaries have happened since 2018 including five that first year, 11 in 2019, nine in 2020, two in 2021 and 10 in 2022. Larceny has occurred 147 times with 28 in 2018, 27 in 2019, 26 in 2020, 35 in 2021 and 31 in 2022. There have been six auto thefts since 2018 including one in 2018, one in 2020, two in 2021 and two in 2022. Three arsons have occurred int he last four years including one in 2020 and two in 2021.
Part II Offenses
Part II offenses are the “less serious” identified crimes including forgery, fraud, embezzlement, stolen property, vandalism/destruction of property, weapons, prostitution, other sex offenses, narcotics, gambling, family/children, DUI, liquor laws, disorderly conduct, vagrancy, curfew and runaways.
These crimes have decreased through the last five years with 2018 seeing 317 cases, 2019 seeing 292 cases, 2020 seeing 336, 2021 seeing 284 and 2022 seeing 242.
Reserve Program
The Becker Police Reserve Officer Program is made up of men and women who volunteer their time without pay to assist the Becker Police Department with various needs and projects throughout the year. Without the help of the Reserve Officers, the Police Department would likely incur additional overtime and be less responsive to the needs of our citizens and our community.
Five hundred and seventy-six hours were volunteered by Becker’s reservists, equating to nearly $23,000 in overtime wages saved.
