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<br /> <br />www.ci.mounds-view.mn.us <br />11 <br />Department News <br /> <br />The department has seen the departure of 23 year veteran Sergeant Mike Kampa last July. <br />However, new members have been added as well. In February, Gregg Neumann was hired <br />as a new patrol officer. The position of Public Service Officer (PSO) has also gone through <br />many changes in 2010. The most recent person to hold this position is Craig Swalchick. The <br />department is fortunate to add these new officers to our ranks. <br /> <br /> <br />PSO Craig Swalchick Officer Gregg Neumann <br /> <br />The police department also saw the naming of a new police chief, Tom Kinney, a 25 year <br />veteran of the department and a promotion to sergeant for Ben Zender, an officer for nearly 7 <br />years. Vacancies continue to be filled within the department as the goal is to return to <br />staffing levels held in 2009. <br /> <br /> <br />The department has again been involved in the instruction of a DNR gun <br />safety course focused on providing safe firearm handling and operation <br />for young adults. Students participating must be a minimum of 11 years of <br />age. This Minnesota DNR firearm safety class consists of 17 hours of <br />classroom and field experience in the safe handling of firearms and hunter <br />responsibility. The field experience allows students to demonstrate <br />accepted principles of safety in hunting and the handling of firearms <br />learned in the classroom. The course includes live fire on a rifle range. <br />Upon successful completion of the course, students receive a hunter safety certificate. This <br />certificate allows the student to purchase a hunting license in Minnesota and other states <br />where certification is required. This educational opportunity in firearms provided by our <br />officers allows positive interaction to occur between the officers and the young members of <br />our community. It provides a setting for young students to be able to view our officers from a <br />new perspective. <br /> <br /> <br />The police department has also participated in charitable events such as the Law <br />Enforcement Torch Run benefitting Special Olympics and the Climb for the Cure, a fundraiser <br />for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. <br />