12060 SHERBURNE AVE PO BOX 250 BECKER, MN 55308

12060 SHERBURNE AVE

PO BOX 250

BECKER, MN 55308

2018 Annual Report 2

BECKER

POLICE DEPARTMENT

2018 ANNUAL REPORT

Submitted By:

Brent J. Baloun

Chief of Police

Becker Police Department

12060 Sherburne Ave, PO Box 250

Becker, MN 55308

Office: 763-200-4267 · Fax: 763-261-5344

www.ci.becker.mn.us

(Cover photo: new squad car design introduced in 2018. see page 9)


Area patrolled by the Becker Police Department:

~ 9.1 Miles ~4,775 Population

Other notable

attractions:

Becker City Park

Becker Public Schools

Sherburne Coun-ty History Center

Northstar Link Park & Ride

Pebble Creek Golf Club

Becker Furniture World

Becker Community Center

Xcel Energy Powerplant

Liberty Paper, Inc.


To the Becker City Council and Citizens of Becker:

On behalf of the staff and personnel of the Becker Police De-

partment, we are pleased to present the 2018 Police Depart-

ment Annual Report. It is our privilege to present this report

identifying our accomplishments from this past year.

Once again, the City of Becker was honored to be named one of

the safest cities in Minnesota, #11 overall by Safewise.com. I

appreciate the efforts of our police staff to make this accom-

plishment happen. Their hard work and commitment should be

recognized!

2018 saw several changes to the police department. June Hub-

bard, our longtime secretary of 30 years retired. Those com-

ing into the police department will now see a new face in Kris-

ten Gagnon, who has taken over that role in an exemplary fash-

ion. In addition, the police department added an investigator

position at the start of the year. This position, currently held

by Officer Chris Lindbloom, is to allow the police department

to better investigate more serious crimes in a more efficient

and timely manner. Officer Lindbloom has also received addi-

tional training to better equip him and the department to re-

spond to these calls for service as professionally and as

thoroughly as possible.

Our department continues to recruit the most qualified Police

Officers and Reserve Officers that share our values and mis-

sion. We have a great staff that is, and will continue to be, at-

tentive to the needs of our community.

As always, we appreciate the continued support of our police

department and look forward to what 2019 has in store for

all of us. We will continue to build on the progress we have

made in 2018 and look forward to working together to make

Becker a Safer Place to live, work and play!

Brent J. Baloun

Chief of Police

In February 2018, the City of Becker was

recognized as one of the top 20 safest cities

in Minnesota by Safewise.com!

Brent Baloun, Chief of Police

Proudly Serving the City of Becker since 2006

Chief Brent Baloun

career highlights:

Crosby, MN PD

1992-1995

St. Cloud , MN PD

1995-2006

Becker, MN PD 2006-

present

BA Criminal Justice

Studies, Minor Fo-

rensic Science (St.

Cloud State Univ.)

MS Public Safety

Executive Leader-

ship (St. Cloud State

Univ.)

Graduate of 223rd

Session FBI Nation-

al Academy, Dec

2005, Quantico, VA.

Graduate of MN

Chiefs of Police Ad-

vanced CLEO and

Command Academy,

May 2017


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 the law

and reflective of shared community

values.

Pride

Professionalism

Respect

Participation

Solidarity

Innovation

Core Values:


Wages: Salaries for personnel (Chief, Officers, Civilian Staff) Fuel & Transportation: Fuel costs for police department vehicles, Travel Training: Training for personnel Contracted Services: Legal, Technology, Cleaning Services Personnel: FICA, PERA, Employee Insurance, Workers Comp, Unemployment General Operating: Office Supplies, Ammunition, Equipment, Misc. Supplies Other/Miscellaneous: Repairs, Maintenance, Safety, Dues, Animal Control, etc.

~ 5 Year Budget Summary : 2014-2018 ~

2014 Budget $771,750 (Budgeted) $750,456 (Year end actual)

2015 Budget $836,367 (Budgeted) $837,576 (Year end actual)

*2016 Budget $808,650 (Budgeted) $759,853 (Year end actual)

*2017 Budget $818,528 (Budgeted) $794,870 (Year end actual)

2018 Budget $947,569 (Budgeted) $907,335 (Year End Actual)

(*does not include capital expenditures)

(New police officer positions added in 2014 and 2018)


REVENUE SOURCES 2015-2018

Source of Revenue Amount Received

2015 2016 2017 2018

Toward Zero Death Grant $17,366.94 $9,557.65 $17,203.48 $7,698.70

Donations $3,000.00 $17,100.00 $21,795.53 $809.80

State Funding (training, etc) $2,665.44 $8,867.37 $15,508.26 $7,656.03

Federal Grant (vests) $2,230.00 $409.70 $500.00 $1,443.76

State Police Aid $47,853.64 $56,503.51 $49,684.01 $52,200.58

Forfeitures $28.00 $6,301.99 $5,065.59 $14,985.25

State Fines $13,459.37 $9,047.52 $11,779.79 $10,561.71

Administrative Fines $235.00 $1,280.00 $20.00 $2,805.00

Licenses and Permits $395.00 $230.00 $260.00 $535.00

Charges for Services* $602.00 $871.75 $1,873.50 $1,967.00

Budgeted revenue amount in 2018: $77,400.00 (Budgeted)

$84.393.57 (Year end actual received)

(*This includes Fingerprints, copies for documents, etc.)

The Becker Police Department throughout the year may receive monies from various

sources. Some of the revenues collected assist in the budgeting process and may

replace funds spent as part of day-to-day operations. These revenue sources are

listed above (numbers may vary depending on time of reporting, how identified and

when received).

Footprint observed at the scene

of a crime. Photograph was

taken with a scale to help

illustrate the size of the

footprint.


BPD Personnel :

Name Date Hired: Years of Service (Becker):

Brent Baloun, Chief of Police 09/11/2006 12

Tim Martin, Officer 05/13/1999 19

Chris Lindbloom, Officer (Inv.) 09/25/2013 5

Paul Hickerson, Officer 04/09/2015 3

Tom Gunderson, Officer 04/05/2016 2

David Rydberg, Officer 11/09/2016 2

Trevor Wolseth, Officer 08/16/2017 1

John Timmers, PT Officer 11/23/2002 16

Tyler Hecht, PT Officer 05/01/2018 1

Tyler Lawson, PT Officer 05/11/2018 1

Kristen Gagnon, Admin Asst. 05/14/2018 1

December 2018


Administration:

Patrol:

Investigations:

The Patrol Division of the Police Department is the most visible arm of the PD and the

heartbeat and backbone of the organization. This division is comprised of 8 police of-

ficers who cover 3 shifts each day (day=0600-1800, Power=1600-0200, and Night

1800-0600). In addition, 4 squad cars containing a recently updated squad car

camera system is in use and utilized daily. These officers account for the largest por-

tion of the statistical data for the police department. The Volunteer Reserve

Officer Unit is also considered a part of the Patrol Division.

Their primary duties involve the response to calls for service, basic investigation of

crimes, pro-active enforcement of local, state and federal laws, and community

policing initiatives.

The Administrative Division of the Police Department consists of the Chief of Police,

Administrative Support Specialist and others as assigned (i.e. IT Specialist).

The Chief of Police is in charge of all functions of the police department which

includes personnel, budget administration, reporting, professional standards, crime

analysis and overall communication with the Department, City Administrator, City

Council and Citizens of Becker.

The Administrative Support Specialist is responsible for all clerical duties, front

desk/front window operations, greeting the public and providing support to the

department staff via records management and processing.

Currently one police officer is assigned as the Department’s Criminal Investigator.

He is responsible for the investigation of crimes that are considered more serious in

nature and often include follow-up that is not able to be completed by a patrol

officer. This officer has also received specialized training in crime scene processing

and management, photography, search warrants and other various trainings to

enhance our investigative abilities as a department.

In 2018, this officer handled over 38 felony level investigations and created over

100 reports pertaining to these investigations. As time allows, the investigator also

assists the patrol division with patrol related duties.

New to the Department in 2018

was the introduction of a new

design to the squad car. New

graphics and color (black vs

white) were introduced in late

June.


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 pro-

grams, 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 countermeas-

ures.

The TZD program team works in partnership with community and

corridor groups to improve the traffic safety of a designated ar-

ea. 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.

(Source: http://minnesotatzd.org/whatistzd/mntzd/)


2016-2018 TZD Traffic Safety Grant Statistics

2016 2017 2018

Grant Funds Received: $9,557.65 $17,203.78 $7,698.70

Overtime Shifts Worked: 43 60 32

Overtime Hours Worked: 282 383.25 166.75

Miles Patrolled: 5,573 7,004 2,620

Vehicles Stopped: 493 586 227

Total Arrests Made: 18 23 7

DUI Arrests: 11 17 4

Speeding: 66/82 86/120 12/58

Equipment Violations: 7/124 1/127 0/70

Seatbelt Violations: 13/1 21/13 18/5

DAR/DAS/DAC: 14/0 17/0 4/0

Drug Violations: 7/1 10/0 10/0

Minor Consumption/Alcohol: 2/0 2/0 0/0

Open Bottle/Alcohol: 0/2 3/1 2/0

Move Over Law Violation: 0/2 0/2 0/1

All Other: 35/99 57/106 23/44

(EX: 12/34 = Citations/Warnings)

The TZD program has identified several major focus areas to reduce traffic injuries

and fatalities. A combination of strategies from different focus areas is often most

effective for solving a particular problem.

* Education * Emergency Medical & Trauma Services * Enforcement

* Engineering * Courts & Legislation

Source: http://www.minnesotatzd.org/whatistzd/foures/


Underage purchases of

alcohol and tobacco is

a continual concern

for community members.

In an effort to enforce

liquor and tobacco

sales laws, the police

department conducts

compliance checks of

all licensed

establishments within

the City.

Cashiers/servers who

violate the law by

selling to minors are

referred to District

Court. License holders

are referred to the

Becker City Council

for administrative

sanctions that range

from fines to

suspensions.

An alcohol compliance check was

conducted on July 18, 2018 on all

license holders. One local busi-

ness was found in violation. This

business was issued a $750 adminis-

trative fee by the Becker City Coun-

cil for the violation.

A tobacco compliance check was

conducted on June 27, 2018 on all

license holders. No businesses

failed this round of compliance

checks resulting in 100% compli-

ance!

Alcohol and Tobacco compliance checks are authorized under

Becker City Ordinances on all licensed sellers and are to be

completed at least once a year. Underage and undercover

checkers are utilized to check compliance of each license

holder within the City to ensure that no businesses are selling

alcohol or tobacco to our underage youth. Those found doing

so face stiff legal penalties.

The City of Becker has also enacted

a Social Host Ordinance to

discourage underage drinking. Like

many cities and counties, this

ordinance makes it unlawful to

provide an environment where un-

derage drinking takes place,

regardless of who provided the

alcohol or whether they were pre-

sent or not.

Social Host Ordinance

Thank you to the Sherburne County

Dept. of Human Services/Public

Health for their assistance in com-

pleting these yearly compliance

checks. We sincerely appreciate

their continued support of this pro-

gram.


St. Cloud Times Photo

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 Officers

Standards and Training (POST) requires

officers to complete 48 hours of

continuing education credits/hours eve-

ry three years in order to maintain and

renew their license.

A list of trainings that the Becker Police

Department attended or participated in is

listed on this page.

For more information on law enforcement training, please visit: https://

dps.mn.gov/entity/post/continuing-education/Pages/default.aspx

Use of Force

Handgun and Rifle Qualifications

MN Chief’s of Police Conference (ETI)

Sex Trafficking & Sexually Exploited Youth

Fundamentals of Crime Scene Investigation

Taser Recertification/Taser Instructor

Advanced Driving School

DWI & Traffic Safety Webinar

DMT-G Certification Course

Defensive Tactics, Handcuffing, Weapon Retention

Field Training Officer School

3ECHO Active Shooter Training

SFST/ARIDE Training

Sherburne County Attorney Updates

League of Minnesota Cities PATROL online Training

ALICE Active Shooter Response Instructor Training

MN Professional Law Enforcement Assistants Association Conference (MN PLEAA)

Anti Defamation League Managing Implicit Bias

Predatory Offender Training

Becker Off icers qualify in the use of Tasers and Firearms several times a year. This also includes handguns and rifle usage.

Over the course of 2 days in

August 2018, the Becker Police

Department helped train all

staff from the Becker Public

Schools in, ALICE®-Active

Shooter Response Protocol.

Through scenarios and

discussions with staff, the

becker Schools are in a better

position to respond in case a

volatile situation develops. We

are proud to be partners with

our local schools in helping

maintain a safe environment for

students, staff and visitors.

Officer Rydberg instruct-

ing Officer Hickerson dur-

ing a Taser exercise.


Statistical Summary by Year: 2016-2018

2016 2017 2018 2016 2017 2018

0000-0059 327 319 305 1200-1259 195 156 154

0100-0159 270 282 291 1300-1359 314 261 240

0200-0259 147 177 194 1400-1459 351 328 342

0300-0359 91 129 129 1500-1559 372 391 410

0400-0459 85 104 118 1600-1659 357 326 299

0500-0559 63 66 107 1700-1759 296 307 244

0600-0659 66 63 34 1800-1859 199 231 242

0700-0759 145 156 124 1900-1959 409 399 324

0800-0859 169 202 161 2000-2059 431 382 339

0900-0959 194 218 224 2100-2159 272 366 299

1000-1059 249 255 285 2200-2259 456 333 312

1100-1159 233 250 297 2300-2359 409 360 349



2016 2017 2018

Sunday 693 666 649

Monday 747 689 794

Tuesday 850 809 788

Wednesday 821 808 901

Thursday 865 857 853

Friday 1,128 1,266 1,010

Saturday 996 966 828

TOTAL: 6,100 6,061 5,823



2016 2017 2018

January 431 507 437

February 423 449 365

March 507 482 526

April 533 519 486

May 507 531 525

June 629 467 518

July 658 626 544

August 492 529 401

September 537 554 524

October 441 461 534

November 455 465 492

December 443 471 471

TOTAL: 6,100 6,061 5,823

“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you

did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” — Maya Angelou


Part I offenses reflect information on eight “serious” crime classifica-

tions, and is generally referred to as the “Crime Index” measurement. Each

category may also include various sub-classifications 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.)

Summarized for 2014 - 2018

Classification 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018

Murder 0 0 0 0 0

Rape (force or attempt) 0 0 0 0 1

Robbery (armed, strongarm) 0 0 0 0 0

Assault (gun, knife, hands, other) 13 8 7 2 5

Burglary (forcible, no force, attempted) 7 5 7 9 5

Larceny (theft) 53 81 37 55 28

Auto Theft 3 1 4 4 1

Arson 0 0 0 0 0

Part I Offenses Reported — 2014—2018

National Night Out, August 2018


Part II offenses are the “less serious” identified crimes. Each category may

also include various sub-classifications which are included in the total

for each category.

(NOTE: Numbers identify reports to the police department, and may not nec-

essarily reflect those that have been charged or prosecuted as such. Sta-

tistical information is that which is known to the police department, but

may later be reported differently under the Uniform Crime Reports by the

FBI.)

Summarized for 2014—2018

Classification 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018

Other Assaults 0 8 5 7 5

Forgery/Counterfeiting 0 0 1 3 2

Fraud 18 26 26 26 29

Embezzlement 0 0 0 0 0

Stolen Property (Receiving, etc) 1 0 0 3 1

Vandalism, Destruction of Property 20 35 37 27 19

Weapons 0 2 2 10 3

Prostitution 0 0 0 0 0

Other Sex Offenses 3 7 8 16 35

Narcotics 12 20 28 20 37

Gambling 0 0 0 0 0

Family/Children 27 20 68 43 106

D.U.I. 32 40 18 28 22

Liquor Laws 0 1 2 4 1

Disorderly Conduct 37 46 45 37 42

Vagrancy 0 0 0 0 0

Curfew 2 1 3 15 11

Runaway 6 2 3 3 4

Part II Offenses Reported — 2014 - 2018

Chief Baloun swearing in the new

School Safety Patrol members at the

Becker Intermediate School in

September. These 5th grade student

leaders were trained in school and

crosswalk safety.


Citation Issued: 2015 2016 2017 2018

Traffic Stops (all) - total 2,631 3,094 2,657 2,350

Warning-Traffic 1,940 2,300 2,074 1,923 (82%)

Speeding 290 315 280 168

Stop Sign Violation 8 10 5 13

Expired License Tabs 31 30 27 28

Parking Complaints 2 19 61 91

Seatbelt Violations 54 17 28 19

Driving after Revocation 42 55 40 39

Driving after Suspension 40 45 26 23

Other calls for service:

Alarms (ALL) 119 109 105 98

Vehicle Lockouts 123 125 109 110

Medicals 185 180 194 224

Vehicle Accidents (ALL) 69 72 80 76

Animal Complaints (ALL) 110 156 150 113

Other Agency Assist 322 331 358 258

Domestics 37 26 40 26

Additional Citations Issued—2015-2018

The Becker Police Department has been an active participant in cross-

walk safety initiatives. This has included information on social media,

local newspaper, and traffic enforcement projects designed to bet-

ter inform the public of crosswalk safety.


The Becker Volunteer 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 our Reserve Officers, the Police Department would likely incur

additional overtime and be less responsive to the needs of our citizens and

our community.

Summarized for 2014-2018

Total hours volunteered in 2014: 680.0

Total hours volunteered in 2015: 1,080.5

Total hours volunteered in 2016: 602



Activities participated in:

Ride Along 244.75 Golf Events 7

Training 79 Harvest Fest 5.5

Patrol & Security Checks 35.5 Shop-with-a-Cop 5

Freedom Days 18.5 Touch-a-Truck 4.5

Concert at the Creek 14 Halloween 4.25

Night to Unite 14

The 432 hours volunteered to the Becker Police Department equates to

nearly $18,000 in overtime wages saved.

(Left) Officer Chris Lindbloom,

Officer Tom Gunderson and

Reserve Officers Jale Gregoire

and Colt Frerich participated in

the annual “Shop-with-a-Cop”

event in Elk River in December.

The Becker Police Department is always

seeking qualified applicants to assist the

Department as volunteers. Please check

out the Website or stop in at the Police

Department for more information or to

obtain an application.

www.ci.becker.mn.us



The Becker Police Department would like to thank the following who

contributed to this report:

Police Officer Christopher Lindbloom

Police Officer David Rydberg

Finance Director Connie Robinson

For more information about the Becker Police Department and material

in this report, please contact:

Becker Police Department

Chief of Police Brent Baloun

763·200·4267

[email protected]

Visit us at www.ci.becker.mn.us

2018 City Council

Tracy Bertram, Mayor

Rick Hendrickson

Lori Keller

Mike Doering

Todd Hanrahan

City Administrator

Greg Pruszinske

The staff of the Becker

Po li ce Dep ar t ment

extends a sincere thank

you to our elected

officials and City

Administration for their

continued support and

participation in activities

that support the police

department and our

community.

Thank you!


This report is available for download at:

www.ci.becker.mn.us

Documents

12060 SHERBURNE AVE PO BOX 250 BECKER, MN 55308