Dakota County Police Praise Residents for 'Overwhelming' Support

Amidst high tensions between police officers and residents in the Twin Cities and nationwide, the Dakota County sheriff and police chiefs representing 11 different departments in the county have issued a letter Thursday thanking residents for their support of local officers.

"On behalf of the Dakota County Chiefs of Police Association and its law enforcement family, we would like to thank the people of Dakota County for their ongoing support of our officers," the statement read.

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"The outpouring of gifts – including food, flowers, and kind words – over the last several weeks has been positively overwhelming, encouraging, and a beautiful reminder of what drew us all to the public safety profession. From cookies to gift cards, from hand-written notes to handshakes on the street, the people in our cities and townships across the county have warmly and generously expressed their appreciation for the work we do. We cannot thank them enough."

"We are here to protect and serve our communities – and we love what we do. Now more than ever, we need to come together to foster relationships that build trust and understanding in our communities."

"We will try to meet and mingle with as many of you as we can! The tragic events of the past few weeks do not need to define us. Together, we can keep our communities safe."

The letter was signed by the following members of the Dakota County law enforcement:

Chief Jon Rechtzigel, Apple Valley Police
Chief Eric Gieseke, Burnsville Police
Dakota County Sheriff Tim Leslie
Chief James McDonald, Eagan Police
Chief Brian Lindquist, Farmington Police
Chief Bryan Schafer, Hastings Police
Acting Chief Sean Folmar, Inver Grove Heights Police
Chief Jeff Long, Lakeville Police
Chief Mike Aschenbrener, Mendota Heights Police
Chief Mitch Scott, Rosemount Police
Chief Bill Messerich, South St. Paul Police
Chief Bud Shaver, West St. Paul Police

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