Column: Guest Column

My job is never boring, but sometimes it can feel like I’m doing the same thing with different details. Ever since I embedded with the troops in Kuwait last November I’ve been wanting a different challenge.

So when I heard the Albert Lea Police Department was putting on a Citizens Academy — with the chance to go on a ridealong and shoot in their indoor range — I signed up. It’s a weekly class on Thursday nights, and I’ll be writing a column about what we did for the Monday edition of the Tribune.

Last Thursday was our first class. We met at 7 p.m. at the courthouse. Chief Dwaine Winkels gave us a short history of the Police Department before several officers gave us a tour of the Law Enforcement Center.

The Citizens Academy is designed to give interested residents a look into the workings of the Police Department. In eight weeks we’ll learn about use of force, officer training, crime scene processing and much more.

The history part for me was the most interesting part, since as a reporter, I’ve toured or been in most of the areas of the LEC. It was interesting to see a different part of the jail, but more on that later.

 

A quick history lesson

I thought the most interesting part of the history of the department was the earlier details, like the first officer being appointed in 1878. His salary: $45 per month. Winkels said the position “wasn’t highly sought after.”

Also, they didn’t even have uniforms until 1895. Another interesting thing was that these were all foot patrols. The first car wasn’t purchased until 1924 (it cost $995). The city and county did share a motorcycle starting in 1921. And in 1953, there were 18 patrolmen and just one squad car.

Winkels also told us about the changes over the years in the police force. He said he’s been working to make it a proactive force, where officers get to know residents and prevent crime from happening instead of only responding to crime. The department now has 28 officers. There’s the chief, four lieutenants, three detectives, two school resources officers and 18 patrolmen.

One of the biggest tools that changed the police force has been automated external defibrillators. Winkels said many lives have been saved by having new defibrillators in squad cars. The second biggest tool: Taser guns. Winkels said without even using them, the threat of being “Tased” has quelled many disputes.

 

Touring the LEC

The next part of our first night was the tour. Lt. Darin Palmer and Lt. Jeff Strom took my half of the group to various places in the LEC. First we visited the courtrooms, where we got to see where prisoners are held while waiting to go to trial.

We visited the dispatch room, where two women were answering calls and talking with officers. Strom made a 911 call from his cell phone to show us how calls are tracked and what dispatchers see on their monitors when a call is made. We talked about the new Allied Radio Matrix for Emergency Response, or ARMER, and how it’s made it easier for officers to stay in contact in emergencies.

Next we saw the locker rooms where officers keep their gear, and the offices where they do their work when not on patrol. Palmer showed us the two kinds of interview rooms — hard and soft. Hard interview rooms have a table and chairs, while soft interview rooms have couches. Palmer said more often than people know, children are victims of sexual crimes and feel more comfortable talking in a soft room.

The group got to see the inside of a squad car next. We all had the chance to sit in the back seat and driver’s seat. Strom talked about the various tools each car has in its trunk, and then we moved on to the intake part of the jail.

Palmer basically walked us through what it would be like to be admitted into the jail. We met two on-duty jailers and toured a small holding cell. They talked about how the jail operates, including that it has audio and video recordings running around the clock.

Lastly we visited the evidence room, where only two people have access. We didn’t get to go inside the room, but we did see the area where officers drop off any evidence they have. We were told we’d learn more about evidence in the coming weeks, but we’ll still not be able to go into the room.

There were also many parts of the jail we weren’t able to see. Some of that was for inmate privacy, but mostly I think it was that they don’t want anyone to know too much about the jail.

I was lucky enough to visit a different part of the jail about two years ago. I did a story on inmates receiving diplomas while incarcerated. I was only taken into the room they use for schooling and was told not to take any photos of doors or safety measures. Both times I’ve been in the jail I’m thankful I’m not actually “in jail.” I don’t think it would be any fun at all!

Stay tuned for next week when we learn about the equipment officers use and the department’s field training program. Thanks for reading!

 

Kelli Lageson is the special projects editor at the Tribune. She is enrolled in a weekly Citizens Academy put on by the Albert Lea Police Department. Email her at kelli.lageson@albertleatribune.com.