MINNEAPOLIS — More than 520 cities and towns nationwide disbanded their police departments between 1972 and 2017, according to a study by Rice University. That number grew during the pandemic and now departments across the country are struggling to hire enough officers.
It was a topic of discussion as dozens of new Minnesota state troopers graduated Friday.
The organization said while its numbers are holding steady, about 70 positions are still available. A spokesperson said getting people in the door remains a challenge, but the people who walk through are quality cadets.
There were 35 cadets who took the oath following completion of the 68th and 69th academies. Leadership of the department said the diversity of the two classes was a strength.
Loved ones were invited to assist with the badge-pinning ceremony. Husbands and wives came up with children of the cadets. Mothers, fathers, and siblings also proudly walked to the front of the Ted Mann Concert Hall to pin the badge on their new trooper.
Yahya Abdi's was happy to have his family there. He said training added an extra challenge for him as a stay-at-home father, but says his past has helped him build his future.
"I was born in Somalia," he said. "There was a civil war in Somalia, which resulted in people fleeing for their lives. So, I was one of the lucky ones. I escaped the war with my family."
He said that experience had helped him be resilient in training.
Abdi's colleague Catherine Barrie-Medellin knows a thing or two about resilience. She had to overcome challenges when her now 5-year-old twins were born.
"They found cancer in me," she said, "And so that was a very traumatic experience. But going through that, and beating the cancer made me realize that I am strong enough to do it."
Moo Eh Moo, another cadet, was drawn to the state trooper's stated mission of protecting its communities.
He said he came to the States when he was only nine from a refugee camp in Thailand.
"My family were from Burma, where they fled from a civil war," he said. "I felt like they didn't have an order of protection and things like that from war. That's part of me where I want to give back."
Ryan Geiser has a history of serving. He was a military officer in the Marine Corps. He also worked in Japan in traffic management and collision investigations.
"Everyone has their own experiences in life," said Geiser. "We're able to work together and figure out solutions to problems.
Christina Bogojevic is the interim colonel for the State Patrol. She said diversity is a strength.
"We serve a diverse Minnesota," she said. "To better serve those communities. We need a diverse workforce."
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