Jasper Police Chief outlines department vision while describing current demands, issues

Jasper’s Police Chief Chad Dick presented his vision for the department to the Common Council at Wednesday’s meeting, highlighting staffing challenges, department statistics, and his leadership priorities moving forward.

Dick, who was sworn in as chief in January following Nathan Schmitt’s retirement, outlined the significant personnel challenges the department faced in 2024.

“To our knowledge, there’s never been another year in the history of the department where the chief has decided to retire and three other officers left for various reasons,” Dick told the council, adding the department was also down an officer during that time.

Despite being understaffed, the department handled 19,465 calls for service last year, made 579 criminal arrests, responded to 553 vehicle crashes, and issued 784 traffic citations and 3,310 traffic warnings.

Dick emphasized that recruiting and retention in law enforcement is at “an all-time low” nationwide, not just in Jasper. He attributes this to the political climate, public rhetoric, and increased video documentation of what officers endure.

“While being down in manpower last year, the police department ran three different hiring processes to try to fill the vacancies,” he said. “Fortunately by the end of the year, they were able to get three accepted offers.”

The department has already sworn in three new officers: Joshua Priddy, Alec Wallace, and Derek Sutton. Two additional officers are expected to join in June, bringing the total sworn personnel to 26.

Dick noted a significant increase in the department’s workload since 2020, with calls for service jumping from approximately 13,000 to over 19,000 last year – a 6,000-call increase with the same number of officers.

When asked about his priorities as the new chief, Dick placed officer wellness at the top of his list.

“I want them to be able to thrive both at their service with the police department, but obviously beyond that because there is a life outside of being a police officer,” he said. “Without healthy officers, we do not have an effective or proficient police department.”

To address officer wellness, Dick is forming a peer support team to help officers, dispatchers, and retirees with mental and physical well-being. The team includes Sergeant Greg Brescher, School Resource Officer Jason Knies, Patrolman Elijah Mundy, Telecommunications Officer Megan Dodd, and retiree Mike Stallman.

“Our prayers are that this access to mental health professionals and the training that these officers will get will ensure that the members of the Jasper Police Department are the best they can be to serve our community to their full potential,” Dick said.

The chief outlined his leadership approach using the acronym “PATH”:

“P stands for professionalism. I believe professionalism helps us not only be better police officers but a better community,” Dick explained.

“A is accountability in everything that we do. As Proverbs 27:17 says, ‘as iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.'”

“T is for transparency. Transparency builds cooperation and collaboration, but most importantly, it builds trust not only inside the agency, but also with our community.”

“H stands for honesty. Being honest with ourselves and our community builds a strong bond and better understanding of each other’s views, needs and requirements.”

Dick emphasized the importance of community policing, encouraging officers to get out of their cars and engage with residents. He cited the recent storm response as an example of officers going above and beyond.

“It was very neat to hear the enthusiasm of the officers,” Dick said, describing how officers brought their personal chainsaws to help clear limbs and used straps to reposition traffic lights that had been spun by the wind.

“Not just doing law enforcement activities but they are true servants of our community,” he added.

The chief concluded by expressing gratitude for the dedicated officers serving Jasper.

“Our police department is dedicated to ensuring the safety and well-being of our community,” Dick said. “We are very fortunate to have the dedicated men and women and the well-trained men and women that we do at the police department. And we need to make sure that we never take them for granted.”

Council members and Mayor Dean Vonderheide expressed appreciation for the chief’s presentation.

The Jasper Police Department continues to seek applicants for part-time dispatcher positions and traffic auxiliary roles to assist with major events and traffic direction throughout the city.