Goodhue County deputy says weekly 'blotter' uses humor and compassion to build community trust

A deputy with the Goodhue County Sheriff's Office told a public meeting that the office’s weekly “blotter” — a summary of calls for service — uses humor and compassion to make law enforcement more approachable and to educate residents.

The deputy said the office had 424 calls for service in one recent week and that the blotter highlights incidents, safety tips and community reminders while deliberately omitting or redacting sensitive material. “Almost every week, we come up with a weekly blotter, which is basically just a brief of what our deputies have been doing during the week,” the deputy said, describing the mix of incident summaries, light-hearted comments and educational notes.

The practice, the deputy said, aims to humanize officers and open lines of communication with the public. The blotter’s entries range from a reported suspicious vehicle in Hay Creek Township to a theft of 10 birdhouses from a nonprofit in Red Wing, a lottery-scam case in which a victim sent $500, and a DWI stop involving a 22-year-old driver who was arrested and had two juveniles in the vehicle.

The deputy described a deliberate editorial approach to protect privacy and avoid re‑traumatizing victims. She said the blotter does not include juvenile-abuse cases, certain assault cases, deaths or self-harm incidents, and that deputies can request information be withheld at the request of victims or others involved. When cases have active reports, she said she reviews reports selectively and consults deputies for details before posting.

The deputy also highlighted entries meant to show compassion. She described a call in Pine Island Township in which an adult, reportedly using meth, experienced psychosis and was taken to a hospital to keep everyone safe — an example she said illustrates the office’s effort to show it will seek help rather than only pursue arrests.

Education is another stated goal: the blotter uses accessible language and recurring features to draw readers back so deputies can share safety guidance. Speaking about Internet safety, the deputy advised students: “If you don't want your grandparents to see it, then do not send it.” She said the blotter also reminds residents to keep walkways clear in snowstorms so emergency responders can reach homes.

The deputy acknowledged that some recurring humorous elements — notably a running series of “goat jokes” that began after a call involving a goat — are intentionally light and help retain readership for the more serious safety information.

Overall, the deputy said the blotter is intended as a line of communication and a public‑education tool that balances transparency, privacy and community engagement.