By Dan Lang
Howard Lake Police Chief

The Howard Lake Police Department is a progressive police department that serves the citizens of Howard Lake. The department consists of three full-time officers along with its K-9 Felony and six active part-time officers.

We are actively involved in a number of programs that include the following: Safe-N-Sober, Nitecap Operation, HLWW MEADA (Methamphetamine Education and Drug Awareness), Safe School of HLWW, Safe Communities of Wright County, Region 12 Canine Association, Rivers of Hope Domestic Violence Prevention, and Wright Technical Center Curriculum Committee.

Our part-time officers assist in filling shifts for training, vacations, sick leave, and community events which include the following: Howard Lake Business Expo, child fingerprinting program during the HLWW Community Education Family Night, Good Neighbor Days celebration, Wright County Fair, and the Wright County Garlic Festival, along with our non-scheduled events that come up during the year.

With the use of K-9 Felony, we are active in our enforcement of narcotics complaints and trafficking along Highway 12. Felony is utilized on the evening patrol seven nights a week. He also performs unannounced searches at the HLWW High School. Along with these duties, he attends numerous trainings throughout the year and takes part in many demos at the school along with community events and business meetings. If you would like to schedule a talk or a K-9 demonstration, please feel free to contact the department.

As the Chief of Police, I am responsible for the administration of the department. I work a regular patrol shift during the day, responding to calls and medicals along with attending the meetings that the job requires.

Our evening officers, Officer Eric Anderson and Officer Darek Szczepanik, work a night shift that includes patrol, responding to calls, medicals and working with K-9 Felony. They are also assigned to work with the above programs to address the needs of the citizens and work with many community groups.

We have been fortunate enough to partner with the other police departments in the county and initiated an automated records and mobile computer program to use in our day-to-day operations. This program has enabled us to maximize the available technology while keeping the costs to a minimum. We encourage citizens to contact us at (320) 543-3670 or via our e-mail at hlpd@howard-lake.mn.us for questions and concerns.