Sheriff’s Office Newsletter - April 2021

To view each of the different stories in the April 2021 newsletter (Volume 7, Issue 4), please click on the tabs below.

Firearm Permits

Firearm Permits

Minnesota Sheriffs issued more firearms permits in 2020 than in any other year; it matches up with a nationwide trend, which some experts attribute to the pandemic and to civil unrest.

A report from the Minnesota Department of Public Safety Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) shows that more than 96,000 permits were issued last year, the most since permits became legal in 2003 and nearly twice as many as were issued in 2019.

In Olmsted County 1,289 permits to carry and 1,040 permits to purchase were issued in 2019; that number went up to 1,630 permits to carry and 2,060 permits to purchase in 2020. 2021 numbers will far exceed that if they continue as they have with 417 permits to carry and 307 permits to purchase already issued through February. 

What does this mean for you if you’d like a permit to carry or purchase? It means that after the perfect storm of a presidential election year, a pandemic and civil unrest, Olmsted County is processing record numbers of these applications and we’re doing our best to meet your needs. However, we’re still dealing with the pandemic and social distancing and safe practices must be a priority.  We are currently booked for these applications through the end of May. We realize this is frustrating when you want to make your purchase and get your permit to carry but this system is working, we are making headway and we ask that you use the system we have in place by scheduling online at:

DA.R.E. In Olmsted County

D.A.R.E. in Olmsted County

Captain Chris Wallace

I am sure that most reading this have heard of D.A.R.E. but in case you haven’t D.A.R.E. stands for Drug Abuse Resistance Education. This is a program that involves our deputies going into our local schools and instructing students on several topics to include bullying, internet safety, and drug and alcohol awareness. To be a D.A.R.E. instructor the deputy needs to attend an intensive 80-hour training. Our deputies meet with the students for one hour a week for 11 weeks that is culminated with a D.A.R.E. graduation. During the 11 weeks, the deputy and the students discuss these topics and talk about making good and safe choices.  The students create a poster and write an essay about what they have learned during the 11 weeks. During the week 11 session we bring back some of the older students as role models to talk with the kids about the importance of making good choices. Several of the students will be chosen to read their essays at the graduation ceremony. Some of the posters will be chosen by the D.A.R.E. instructor to be entered into the state poster competition. The students that are chosen as the winners from the entire state are recognized at a Minnesota Twins game. Olmsted County has over the years celebrated several state poster contest winners who threw out the first pitch at the Twins D.A.R.E. game. 

In recent years we have taught D.A.R.E. in Stewartville, Byron, and Dover-Eyota. We were fortunate to get Stewartville completed last year before COVID arrived but not in Byron or Dover-Eyota.  With COVID numbers declining we were able to start instructing D.A.R.E. in Stewartville in early March. Deputy Torkelson is beginning her 4th year of instructing the Stewartville 6th graders. This year Deputy Olson will be assisting Deputy Torkelson. They have 6 different classes with approximately 150 students. Although we focus on certain topics throughout the 11 weeks our main goal is for that positive interaction between the students and the deputies. Our goal with the D.A.R.E. program is to teach valuable life skills while at the same time fostering positive interactions between the students and law enforcement.

Polar Plunge 2021

Polar Plunge 2021

Hopefully, you all are aware the Plunge was held on March 19 and 20 at Foster Arend park in Rochester. The OCSO Team led by “Plunge Captain” Sgt. Mark Chambers did an amazing job of raising money for the Special Olympics. 

This is probably the biggest plunge team we have had and they raised $4,922 plus the $1k from the Deputy Sheriff’s Association donation makes it just shy of $6k.

Below are the top three teams in the local fundraising competition. I’m not sure but I think the 10.RPS Red Wing might be in the wrong category; nonetheless, bragging rights over the County Attorney’s Office again is sweet! And that’s not adding in Captain Tesmer’s Super Plunger Team amount of $3k and my over $3k on the Rochester Flyers Team as a coach amount to over $12,000. WOW!  Amazing. By the way, Captain Tesmer’s Super Plungers jumped (ran in and ran out) 24 times between 1400 and 2200 on Friday so the tent could be clear for the early start on Saturday, leaving them only Friday to do their amazing feat. Normally they spread their plunges over a 24 hour period of time, but not this COVID-19 year. 24 plunges within 8 hours!! 

Well done everyone and that includes Corporal Sherman’s daughters and Deputy Retzer’s K9 partner Mickey, he gets an extra treat!  We also had retired Captain Vince Scheckel and Grand Meadow and West Concord officers join us during our plunge time. Kyle Bradt did post a live streaming video on our Sheriff’s Office Facebook page Friday night. Look for that, too!

Next year we will be back on the second weekend of February jumping off a sheet of ice. Make plans to join us!

Visit for Ice Cream

Visit for Ice Cream

Deputies were invited to stop in for Ice Cream with Ava. Thanks for the invite, Ava—we had a great time!

Monthly Snapshot

Monthly Snapshot - D.A.R.E. Facts

• D.A.R.E. was founded in 1983 by Los Angeles Police Department.
• Today More than 15,000 D.A.R.E. officers and deputies are in over 10,000 communities nationwide.
• D.A.R.E is taught in all 50 states, U.S. territories and 50+ countries.
• Olmsted County began it’s D.A.R.E. program in 1988
• OCSO D.A.R.E. at one time taught D.A.R.E. in Dover-Eyota, Byron, Stewartville, RCLS and Rochester Catholic Schools.

Dates of Interest

Dates of Interest

Note—these are regular dates—please verify these meetings are taking place as well as the forum they’ll be held in.

April 1

Dover City Council Meeting

April 5

Oronoco Township Meeting

Pleasant Grove Township Meeting

Quincy Township Meeting

Rochester City Council Meeting

April 6

Elmira Township Meeting

High Forest Township Meeting

Olmsted County Board Meeting

April 7

Salem Township Meeting

April 8

Eyota City Council Meeting

Rochester Township Meeting

April 12

Cascade Township Meeting

Chatfield City Council Meeting

Orion Township Meeting

Rock Dell Township Meeting

April 13

Byron City Council Meeting

Marion Township Meeting

New Haven Township Meeting

Stewartville City Council Meeting

April 19

Eyota Township Meeting

Kalmar Township Meeting

Rochester City Council Meeting

April 20

Farmington Township Meeting

Olmsted County Board Meeting

Oronoco City Council Meeting

Pine Island City Council Meeting

April 21

Haverhill Township Meeting

April 22

Eyota City Council Meeting

Olmsted County Fire Meeting

Olmsted County Township Association Meeting

April 26

Chatfield City Council Meeting

Dover Township Meeting

Viola Township Meeting

April 27

Byron City Council Meeting

Stewartville City Council Meeting

Senior Administration

Senior Administration