In 2022, when Mike Ceynowa took over as Duluth police chief, the department was down 37 officers, he said, or about 23%. A News Tribune editorial referred to the “too-few officers and too-few applicants for law-enforcement openings” as a public-safety “crisis.”
Just four short years later, however, the Duluth Police Department is about to welcome its largest recruiting class in at least three decades. And once those 20 or so candidates complete their 11 weeks of academy training and four months of field training alongside veteran officers, our police force will be back to “very close to fully staffed,” according to Ceynowa.
ADVERTISEMENT
And that can only be seen as welcome news for Duluth, where our summer has been marred by criminals choosing to settle disputes with firearms in East Hillside, Harbor Highlands, and even tourism-heavy Canal Park; there also was an armed standoff downtown. Each incident has been a reminder of the need for a fully funded and fully staffed police force not only to protect public safety but to ensure each of us feels safe and can expect to be safe wherever in Duluth we go.
“We are catching up. We have made progress,” Ceynowa said in an exclusive interview this month with the News Tribune Opinion page. “Prior to this, the largest class we ever brought in was 16. We have done a tremendous job of recruiting. We have a sergeant … who travels statewide and hits all of the law-enforcement schools. My officers last year did over 160 ridealongs with potential (officer) candidates. We have pulled in some (recruits) from not only around the state but also from outside of Minnesota who want to be in Duluth. And we have a very supportive city administration and City Council right now. That makes a large difference.
“So does people wanting to come here. They like that we are engaged with our community. We often talk about how we work with and for our community. … We need our community to be part of the solution, providing us information. Even if they think it’s small, it might make a big difference in solving a case or locating a person. Or if they’re concerned about a loved one who has access to firearms (and) whose … mental health is slipping or drug use is increasing, those are things we want to know, too, because we want to prevent tragedies.”
The new recruiting class includes the son of City Councilor Roz Randorf, who represents the middle of the city. She has another son who already is a Duluth police officer.
“Police work is demanding, and I see firsthand the sacrifices officers and their families make,” Randorf told the Opinion page. “Returning to full strength with the largest recruiting class in years is great news for our community. … I’m proud of the men and women … who serve.”
The Duluth department is authorized for 156 officers. Its new class of recruits begins training in August and is expected to be fully on board around the end of March or beginning of April.
“We anticipate we’ll probably have to do another hiring run in the winter. … We obviously have some interest at some of these colleges, so we’re happily out there recruiting,” Ceynowa said. “We’re still very selective on who we bring in. We could just, based on pure applicant numbers, be restaffed several times (over). But our standards are very high. We want people of good character, ethics, integrity, all of those things. … We are seeing an increase in who is applying, so that’s solid; and we’re seeing more people enter the profession, so that’s good.”
ADVERTISEMENT
It’s a far cry from just a few years ago when the angry chants of protesters demanded we “defund the police” and “abolish the police” in response to the deplorable acts of a few officers. Public respect for and trust in police waned, and then so did interest in entering law enforcement. Duluth’s recent recruitment success suggests both are now on the rebound.
“There is no higher priority for a city government than strong public safety. Ensuring (the Duluth Police Department) has the resources and backing they need from the council is critical,” City Councilor Arik Forsman said in response to the Opinion page. “This incoming recruiting class, which is the largest in years, is a huge win for Duluth and proof that our commitment to supporting local law enforcement is paying off. To keep every neighborhood safe and address the root of recent public-safety concerns, we need a proactive (police force) that has the capacity to answer the call and build trust across our city.”
Ceynowa, for one, feels that support regularly, both from City Hall and from Duluthians.
“As long as I stay away from social-media comments, I do feel tremendously supported,” he said. “I was off (recently, and) I spent several days playing tourist in Duluth. I had family up. And a lot of people stopped me and thanked us for the job that we’re doing. And that’s pretty routine from the people that I run into. I think it’s really easy to criticize from the internet. But when I have conversations with people, and sometimes hard conversations about our downtown or other things, I think people really do see us working on the issues and making a difference.”
WIth a full contingency of officers, Duluth Police has its best shot at making the difference our community needs and deserves. This summer has told us at least that.