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HomeMy WebLinkAbout8B - Rob Boe Recognition CITY COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT MEETING DATE: January 21,2003 AGENDA #: 8B PREPARED BY: Frank Boyles, City Manager AGENDA ITEM: PRESENTATION OF PLAQUE TO SERGEANT ROB BOE IN RECOGNITION OF 25 YEARS OF SERVICE AND HIS RETIREMENT FROM THE PRIOR LAKE POLICE DEPARTMENT (Mayor Haugen) PRESENTATION: Rob Boe joined the Prior Lake Police Department as an officer in 1978. Prior to working at Prior Lake, Rob was a member of the Public Safety Department at the City of Burnsville. His experience included both Police and firefighting. Since joining the Prior Lake Department, Rob has been promoted to a Police Sergeant. In addition to other areas of expertise, Rob has served as the City's Civil Defense Director for many years. During that time, the focus of civil defense has changed from natural disasters and formal declarations of war to include terrorism. Rob has amassed considerable knowledge in each of these areas. Few officers possess the breadth of knowledge and people skills which Rob possesses. On January 1 st, the City and Rob would have celebrated a 25-year anniversary. Instead, tonight we are recognizing Rob's 25 years with the City and his retirement from the Prior Lake Department to assume the responsibilities of Deputy Chief with the Scott County Sheriff's Department. We are diminished by the fact that Rib is no longer on the City's Police force. However, we are pleased that his skills and abilities have been recognized by others and that Scott County and the City of Prior Lake will continue to benefit from Rob's skills and knowledge. The Mayor will present a plaque to Rob recognizing his 25 years of service to the City and his retirement from the Prior Lake Department. 16200 Eagle Creek Ave. S.L, Prior Lake, Minnesota 55372-1714 / Ph. (612) 447-4230 / Fax (612) 447-4245 1:\COUNCIL\AGNRPTS\2003\BOE RECOGNmm.aOO'PORTUNITY EMPLOYER Boe swaps badges after 25-year career at PLPD By Holly Nordvick Staff Writer When he was hired to join the Prior Lake Police Department, Rob Boe couldn't imagine he'd stick around for 25 years. But that is exactly what he did. "Almost to the day," he said. In fact, when the police chief at that time asked to him to promise that he'd stay with the department for at least three years - Boe hesi- tated. "I agreed to two (years) and it's been 25 (years)," he said with a laugh. Now, after a career with the department that spans a quarter of a century, Boe, most recently sergeant in the patrol division and Prior Lake's emergency management coordinator, has accepted a new position. Scott County Sheriff Dave Menden, who was elected last November, appointed him as his department's new chief deputy - the number two position in that office. It was with mixed emotions that Boe left the PLPD. On the one hand, he said there are a lot of people he will miss seeing on a day-to-day basis. Since his new position is administrative, he is going to miss working on the streets as a police officer. "I think there's part of most of us in this business that like responding to calls," he said. "That's why we got into this business." At the same time, Boe can't help but feel excited about the new challenges that lay in front of him. "At this point in my career, to be given . this opportunity is terrific," he said. Boe's first day as deputy chief was Tuesday (Jan. 7), but he spent quite a bit of time in the office in the two weeks before that day. He was able to take vacation time from his job in Prior Lake over the holidays and used it for relaxation as well as getting familiar with his new duties helping to oversee the sheriff's office. With the help of the outgoing administra- tion, Boe said he was learning a lot about what the office is responsible for - and it's not just patrol officers as some might think. There is also the corrections department, civil service, courthouse security, warrants, maintaining a countywide dispatch center, as well as recre- Rob Boe, the new chief deputy of the Scott County Sheriff's Office, is busy moving into his new office in Shakopee. He worked for the Prior Lake Police Department for 25 years. (Photo by Holly Nordvick) ation and safety responsibilities. Looking back Boe became exposed to the field of law enforcement through his interest in fire and rescue work. When he was 18, he began as a volunteer on the Bloomington Rescue Squad. Eventually, that experience led him to a job with what was then called the Burnsville Department of Public Safety, fighting fires, dispatching and doing the work of a community service officer. While working for Burnsville, he was badly burned on the job. He was on the roof of a burning building that collapsed. "Fortunately I had very good equipment on or I wouldn't be here," he said. "That and the real heroic efforts of one guy." Boe to page 15 " \-0(, --,--..-- -...-,..---......,....... " B 0 e continued from page 1 In the meantime, Boe had earned his degree in law enforce- ment from the University of Minnesota and was hired to work in Prior Lake after the accident. While there, he served as a patrol officer and investigator and was later promoted to sergeant. As a sergeant he worked in the patrol and investigation departments at different times. Over the last 25 years many law enforcement procedures have changed radically, he said. For example, when he first started working in the field, officers were told that the worst thing they could do during a domestic situation was to make an arrest. Just a few years later that philosophy changed com- pletely. There have also been big changes in emergency medical response, how child abuse cases are investigated, and how driving while intoxicated cases are han- dled. Things have changed in Prior Lake as well. Boe recalled how everyone knew each other in the early years of his career in Prior Lake. Many residents and police officers knew each other on a first- name basis. "We could go to a bar fight and you knew when you went into the bar who would help you if you needed it," he said. Today, that personal relation- ship with the residents isn't as easy, Boe said. That's partly because the population of the city increased and partly because people are less likely to live in one area for many years. But that doesn't mean that the small-town feeling is completely lost. "Prior Lake people still func- tion pretty much as neighborhoods, which is neat," he said. This means many Prior Lake people are willing to step forward to help their neighbors and the police, which makes the city a great place to live. "I hope we don't lose that," he said. "I live there [too]." In the years that he worked for the city, a few events really stand out in his mind. He mentioned how - after many traffic accidents - a group of citizens banded together to make Highway 13 a safer road. In the end, they persuaded the state of Minnesota to lower the speed limit from 55 mph to 45 mph. "It was exciting to be a part of the reduction of that problem," he said. He also mentioned the impact of Mystic Lake Casino on the PRIOR LAKE AMERICAN/January 11. 2003/Pal!e 15 police department. From the moment the bingo parlor expanded (into what is now Little Six ~asino) the police department notIced an increase in calls. Many of the calls originating at the casino were ab~ut things officers had rarely dealt WIth before - like gambling crimes and even a few murders. Eventually the department and the casino staff learned to work together to keep things running smoothly. "I'm proud of the j~int training we did with the caSIllO staff," he said. "... What would have been a major incident five years ago is now handled rou- tinely. " Sorely missed Police Chief Bill Bill O'Rourke has mixed feelings about losing Boe to the sheriff's office. "I told Rob that it was a bittersweet moment for me and the city of Prior Lake," he said. . After all, O'Rourke was the one who recommended Boe for the position. He said one day that he and incoming SheriffMenden were talking about the kind of person Menden was looking to appoint to the position of deputy chief. "As we were talking, [I realized] he was describing Rob Boe to me," 0' Rourke said. "Unfortunately, I told him the truth. I should have [rec- ommended] somebody I wanted to get rid of." Although he knows Boe will remain a good resource for Prior Lake from his new position for Scott County, 0 'Rourke is certain Prior Lake will miss Boe. "He's absolutely a wonderful human being," said O'Rourke. "He's very empathetic and very knowledge- able. And those are going to be very hard for us to replace." With Boe's experience as a firefighter, patrol officer and emer- gency management offi.cer, ,0' Rourke believes that he WIll bnng many valuable skills to his new role. "[That will] benefit not only Prior Lake but also other cities in Scott County and the county as a whole," he said. Lt. Randy Hofstad of the PLPD believes that in his new position, Boe will continue to be a good resource for Prior Lake. "Rob was a very instrumental part of this department for many years," Hofstad added.. "I:Ie was still enthusiastic about hIS Job and he did it well."