Shakopee Police Department 2021 Annual Report

2021 ANNUAL REPORT | POLICE DEPARTMENT | SHAKOPEE, MN

Message from the Chief Dear Residents, Thank you for taking the time to read our 2021 annual report It does mean a lot to us, and I am confident you will find it informative and useful We consistently struggle to get real facts in the hands of folks who have questions, and it can be extremely frustrating to read so much misinformation on social media So let me start with some good news about Shakopee and your safety: 2021 was the third lowest crime rate year we’ve recorded in more than 30 years! We are very proud of the work we’ve done and want people to know that Shakopee is a safe community We continue to hire and promote wonderful people in this organization It has become increasingly difficult to recruit and retain police officers no matter where you are, but we are fortunate to be in a position many cities are envious of—fully staffed We know that hiring the best and brightest is the single most important thing we do to ensure a successful future for the department We can’t make the impact we want to unless we have the best people in those squad cars and offices I’m so proud of this department! Community policing remains the philosophical basis for every decision we make I was so glad to see the levels of community participation in events like Night to Unite and our Picnic with Police Getting back to in-person events like Coffee with a Cop and Shop with a Cop meant a lot to us and continue to enhance our partnerships with the community Rest assured we will continue to have frequent events in the community in 2022 I truly want to encourage all of you to get to know our staff When you see them, either at an event or in the community, stop and introduce yourself We love to talk to folks in Shakopee and answer any questions you may have so please, swing into one of our events or just simply stop and talk to one of our officers when you can I want to once again thank each and every one of you who have reached out to talk, bring food, or share a nice thought about an officer with me Your letters, gestures, and emails mean the world to us and are a great reminder of what a great community we have here in Shakopee I don’t think a single week went by in 2021 during which I didn’t receive nice feedback from the community, and please know we will never take that for granted We will continue to work hard not to just meet but exceed your expectations of us! Thank you for taking the time to read our annual report and please, never hesitate to reach out and contact us if we can ever be of help

“Community policing remains the philosophical basis for every decision we make. I was so glad to see the levels of community participation in events like Night to Unite and our Picnic with Police. Getting back to in-person events like Coffee with a Cop and Shop with a Cop meant a lot to us and continue to enhance our partnerships with the community.”

Jeff Tate Police Chief

Sincerely, Jeff Tate Shakopee Police Chief

Message from the Chief | 3