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Police Chief Kyle Bergen outlines public-safety priorities and announces planned retirement; search for successor underway
Summary
Chief Kyle Bergen briefed the council on school safety, EMS coordination, child and adult protection intakes, a returning K-9 program, officer wellness, recruitment success and a plan to conduct a regional search for a replacement chief; he said he expects the hiring process to conclude by late summer and offered to support a transition.
Fergus Falls Police Chief Kyle Bergen updated the Committee of the Whole on department programs, partnerships and staffing, and confirmed he will retire after the city completes a regional search and hires a successor.
The nut graf: Bergen listed current department efforts — school safety partnerships, expanded emergency-medical-response coordination with the fire department to provide advanced life support as-needed, child and adult protection intakes, a k9 program that will be reactivated when the assigned officer recovers from injury, an officer-wellness program developed with risk-pool support, and successful recruitment and retention efforts that left the department fully staffed. He said the city has engaged a search firm to run a regional recruitment for his replacement and that he expects the hiring process to conclude by the end of summer; Bergen said he will provide a handover period to the new chief.
Bergen described public-safety concerns he is raising with the courts — notably low bail on violent offenders — and urged greater accountability for repeat violent offenders to reduce revictimization. He also described ongoing regional work to address gaps in local detox capacity and noted partnerships with Otter Tail County Human Services for mental-health interventions and coordinated response teams.
On operations, Bergen said the department replaced portable and mobile radios using grants and other funds, continues to work with school district ISD 544 on safety contracts, and that a coordinated police–social-worker response program has been successful and is being considered for expansion.
Ending: The city has retained a search firm and personnel committee work is underway; Chief Bergen said he will remain engaged throughout the transition, help onboard the new chief and support continuity while the department completes the hiring process.
Provenance: topicintro block_id: "5339.245" evidence_excerpt: "Update from the Police Department... School safety, emergency medical response, child protection, new k 9 officer, officer wellness program, recruitment and retention, radio replacements, coordinated response with Otter Tail County Social Services, and search for a new police chief to be completed by end of summer." topicfinish block_id: "6273.98" evidence_excerpt: "I think that this will be a successful process and I think there are better things ahead for all of us. So with that, if there's any questions... Thank you."
