Today’s speaker is Brent Johnson, Chief of the Hopkins Police Department

Brent is also a Rotarian, with the Hopkins Club, and 21 years in law enforcement. His overall plan is on improving relationships with the community, through C.O.R.E.

One major project with his Rotary Club, Restwell Mattresses (Go Cathy!) and other sponsors is Beds for Kids.  They have a strong focus on youth, and feel that a good night’s sleep is essential for school success. They are always looking for volunteers to help with delivery, and storage, of the beds. (Go Jerald!)

 

The Police Dept. is very aware of families needs, as they make over 27,000 services call per year. To date, they have delivered 72 beds to families chiefly in the Hopkins School District.

 

Partners like our club have supplied the linens, a senior group makes quilts, and Resource West takes care of many other needs.

 

The HPD also works on strong, positive mentorship. They have several programs, such as, Target Gift Cards, where the kids buy things for their families, Big Brothers Big Sisters, and summer camps.

 

Chief Johnson discussed the overall Hopkins PD, where they coordinate well with neighboring PD’s, and Hennepin Co. They now share a social worker, who works side by side with the police, especially in the mental health cases. They also use multi-cultural liaisons. The Hopkins population is near an all-time high, at 20.000. More people need more police, and retaining quality officers can be a challenge.

 

Thank you, Chief Johnson, for spending time today with us today. Your far-reaching approach and community connections will go a long way in our Minnetonka and Hopkins cities.