Shakopee Police Department 2021 Annual Report

2021 ANNUAL REPORT | POLICE DEPARTMENT | SHAKOPEE, MN

Tribal Liaison

By Detective Jeff Wyckoff

The Proactive Policing Unit (PPU) provides a unique and proactive approach to criminal activity, public nuisance problems and emerging crime trends within the City of Shakopee The PPU works closely with community members and businesses with the goal of preventing and solving crimes, as well as addressing quality of life concerns within the city This unit is not subject to a patrol style call load, which allows a more targeted and precise response to areas of concern This specialized unit works with all divisions of the Shakopee Police Department, including patrol, the investigations team, the victim & community services coordinator, and the crime prevention specialist In 2021, PPU continued to be comprised of Officer Bengtson and Officer Santos The officers proactively addressed and investigated Shakopee community problems and incidents such as: retail thefts, narcotics complaints, gun violence, robberies, stolen vehicles, warrant arrests, check forgeries, mail thefts and frauds Several of these cases were very involved and took many weeks of investigation to resolve Proactive Policing The Shakopee Police Department and the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community (SMSC) have an ongoing partnership that includes a tribal liaison program The tribal liaison position started in 2013 Over the years, the tribal liaison program has built a strong working relationship between the Shakopee Police Department and the SMSC In addition to the close working relationship with the SMSC, the tribal liaison works closely with the tribal liaison from the Prior Lake Police Department, as the community lies within the boundaries of both Shakopee and Prior Lake In 2021 the Shakopee Police Department responded to 319 calls for service to assist the SMSC A large event held annually on SMSC property is the Wacipi (PowWow) In 2020, the Wacipi was held on a smaller scale for community members only due to the COVID-19 pandemic Fortunately, in 2021 the Wacipi was back as a larger event The Wacipi provided the tribal liaison the opportunity to interact with SMSC members, staff and visitors The tribal liaison program has been well received by both the Shakopee Police Department and SMSC members and staff JeffWyckoff has been the tribal liaison since August 2020

The annual Wacipi (PowWow) event held on SMSC property

By Mike Santos, PPU officer

A notable case led by the PPU occurred in June of 2021 The unit was assigned to investigate the assault and robbery of a juvenile A firearm was displayed and used against the juvenile victim during the assault The PPU worked jointly with investigators from multiple agencies including the Burnsville Police Department, Prior Lake Police Department, Faribault Police Department, Dakota County Drug Task Force, Southwest Metro Drug Task Force, Cannon River Drug and Violent Offender Task Force and Dakota County Probation to identify the adult suspect and safely apprehend him This investigation required multiple residential, vehicle, and electronic search warrants These warrants were tactically executed so as to ensure the safety and dignity of all those involved The result of these careful operations led to the collection of evidence, the confiscation of hundreds of fentanyl laced pills, the confiscation of firearms, the seizure of the vehicle used during the crime and a forfeiture of cash In 2022, The Proactive Policing Unit continues to adapt, evolve, and focus on aiding the Shakopee Police Department and the Shakopee Community through integrity and innovation

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