On any given day, one may see the Becker Police Department monitoring traffic in the morning by the schools, or helping to find a lost dog, or providing security for a local event.  They may be doing security checks at homes and businesses or handling a neighborhood complaint.  

Maybe you have not noticed them because much of the work of the Becker Police goes unnoticed, but every day, “fulfilling their mission 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 the law and reflective of shared community values” can sometimes mean that an officer has to put his or her life on the line. 

That’s why National Police week was created.   In 1962, President Kennedy declared that May 15 would be known as Police Officers Memorial Day, a day to honor those who had fallen in the line of duty.  The week that surrounds May 15 would be observed as National Police week and in 1994, President Clinton made an amendment to the declaration that directed that the flag of the United States be flown at half-staff on May 15.

Though there are no events scheduled for the BPD to recognize National Police Week, every day they are aware of what is at stake. 

Chief of Police Brent Baloun explained the job of his officers, “Our jobs can go from 0 to 80 in a heartbeat.  It can be saving a cat in a tree to a major accident on Highway 10 or a bank robbery in the next hour where guns are drawn.”

Those situations don’t happen every day, but they are possible.  Lt. Chris Lindbloom added, “We handle the same calls that your metro agencies have – there’s just more time in between.   We’re still handling the same types of bigger calls, the assaults, burglaries and thefts, domestic disturbances – all of those types of calls get handled by us, the Becker Police Department.”

It’s that “in between time” that may go unnoticed.  Lt. Lindbloom said, “They might not notice us out and about unless we have our lights and sirens on, but we’re out there.”

Being out there means patrolling and developing relationships.  Chief Baloun shared, “It’s the relationship building that does a lot for us.  You’re not going to find a lot of people who don’t know a Becker cop in this town.”

How can citizens of Becker honor police during National Police Week?  Lt. Lindbloom gave this advice, “I think a simple hi or a thank you or a wave goes a long way, especially if you’ve had a bad day or dealt with a bad call or someone who wasn’t pleased with a conversation you had to have with them that day.  Giving a five fingered wave goes a lot further than people think.”

This year National Police week will be celebrated from Sunday, May 12 to Saturday, May 18.