Eden Prairie is a wonderful place where nothing bad ever happens … most of the time. But on those rare occasions when reality here falls short of ideal, you can rest assured a true defender of the peace is close at hand. That’s because Eden Prairie is home to the Eden Prairie Police Department! There are 75 sworn officers – plus 35 other civilian staff, and upward of 40 volunteers – led by Chief Matt Sackett, who served Hopkins before switching over to our fair city’s force in 2002.
“My interest in joining the Eden Prairie Police Department was piqued after working a few investigations here,” said Chief Sackett. “It seemed to be a top-notch department which offered more opportunities to a young officer like myself at the time. I’ll forever be grateful for the move that brought me here, which marked the start of a long and rewarding progression up the ranks.
“That move also proved my initial impression correct. This department’s officers, support staff and volunteers are an amazing group of people, whose passion for law enforcement is unparalleled. From SWAT to drone piloting to domestic abuse response, our department comprises all the skill sets we need to fully protect our community.
“Every officer has to specialize in patrol before they can choose a secondary assignment. Much of that includes proactive traffic enforcement, which requires you to be prepared for every imaginable scenario. Sometimes that’s nothing more than handing out a voucher for free taillight replacement (which we thank ‘Lights On!’ for providing). Sometimes it’s something silly, such as the time I pulled over a man doing 100 in a 55 because he was attempting to recharge his car battery. Sometimes traffic stops are a delicate matter, as is always the case whenever we’re dealing with someone in the midst of a mental health crisis.
“I can’t praise our staff highly enough for their willingness to get out there and proactively enforce and resolve the variety of things that await them each shift. But good policing isn’t just about reacting to crime. It’s also about doing what you can to prevent it, which is why we focus so heavily on community engagement and outreach. That includes the time we spend connecting with our neighbors at events such as Night to Unite, Coffee With a Cop (an agendaless meet and greet presented courtesy of the Eden Prairie Crime Prevention Fund), and Schooner Days (our town’s biggest public event, which we also provide security for). It’s all about showing people who we are and what we do,and hopefully convincing some of them to become cops. We are always looking to add more to our roster.
“The City of Eden Prairie conducts a quality of life survey every two years. This year’s survey revealed that 94 percent of residents positively evaluate their overall feeling of safety. It also ranked our police department third out of 365 cities surveyed across the nation; first in the state of Minnesota. I thank everyone who thinks so highly of us, and for helping to make Eden Prairie such a great community to police in!” EdenPrairie.org/Police
- Facebook: @EdenPrairiePolice
- Twitter: @EdenPrairiePD
- Tipline: (952) 949-8477