“To continue to build relationships within the community, the Fort Dodge Police Department took part in a large number of community events and conducted numerous presentations to different professional and civic groups,” Police Chief Dennis Quinn said.

The list of activities included presentations to service clubs, training school personnel, and helping to organize Night to Unite, which is the local version of the National Night Out Against Crime.

When elementary school children came to school last spring, they sometimes found police officers there waiting to greet them with high fives.

And all jokes about cops and doughnuts aside, some of the officers went to Dunkin’ Donuts for the Cop on a Roof fundraiser for Special Olympics Iowa. Fort Dodge is consistently one of the top fundraising sites in Iowa for the Cop on a Roof initiative.

-Submitted photo
Fort Dodge Police Officer Brandon Mills just started with the department in December. On Dec. 10 and 11, 2024, he was helping area children in need shop for holiday gifts as part of the annual Santa Cops event in Fort Dodge. Fort Dodge police officers were involved in a wide variety of community events in 2024, from trainings to fundraisers and more.

Cameras were a focus for the Police Department last year. Quinn said new body-worn cameras were introduced for the officers. New cameras were also installed in the patrol vehicles and within the interview room in the Law Enforcement Center.

The City Council also approved the installation of more cameras throughout the community, building onto a system that was started downtown. Those cameras are monitored by 911 dispatchers. Video from the cameras can be used to do everything from tracing the route of fleeing suspects to determining what vehicle caused a collision by running a red light.

During 2024, the police force had familiar people in new roles and five new officers joined the ranks.

Caitlin Carlyle was promoted from sergeant to lieutenant. Leighton Walker was promoted from patrol officer to sergeant. Jennifer Smith, Trevor Satern, Benjamin Loy, Brandon Mills and Keaton Peart joined the department as patrol officers.

Already this year there has been one promotion, as Matt Weir advanced from patrol officer to sergeant. He joined the department in 2016. He is a member of the Special Emergency Response Team and he is a crisis hostage negotiator.

Weir has an associate degree from Iowa Lakes Community College and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls.

Looking forward to 2025, Quinn plans to work on adding cameras to the city camera system, increase training opportunities for officers and continue to enhance community partnerships.

“The Fort Dodge Police Department is devoted to finding new and innovative ways to ensure the safety, security and well-being of our community members through professional and proactive law enforcement,” Quinn said. “We aim to embrace innovation, collaboration, and modern law enforcement techniques to make Fort Dodge a place where people can live, work and thrive.”