Newspaper Clipping - Newspaper Clipping Scan - Chief Martin DesLauriers Leadership grows with city - 4/20/1978 DAKOTA COUNTY TRIBUNE, 20 April 1978
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By KAREN GROTE
Staff Writer
EAGAN -- At the age of 21,
Martin DesLauriers decided to
run for the post of town constable
rather than follow in his father's
footsteps and be a milk hauler.
So. DesLauriers was elected to
the post in the farming communi-
ty in which he had lived his whole
life.
The community of Eagan was '
small then - about 300 people v �
and DesLauriers didn't have too
many tough duties. He drove
around in his own car settling dis-
putes over fence lines, handled
occasional traffic violators and
tracked down illegal hunters
when necessary. The biggest ; ,
I� commotion then was an oc-
K.:.
casional fight at the area's only "`°"
I
' bar,The Halfway House.
Today, 25 years later,
DesLauriers has grown with his
job. He efficiently heads a
modern police department in a
growing community of 20,000
people. Under him are 18 full-
time officers, .two part-time of-
ficers, one cadet, three dis-
patchers and office personnel. _
DesLauriers and his staff are
now geared to handle murders, AMART'IN DesLAURIERS sits back in his chair in his office at
burglaries, robberies, domestic Eagan's police station, remembering the days when his own r
squabbles and whatever else car was the squad car and the biggest offender was a lost
may turn up in a typical day in a steer.
modem city.He seems comforta- trust. and confidence of their use the minister he has on call to
ble in his,post and says he enjoys chief. counsel the men and their
the administration part now. To further utilize the force in families.
The officers who work with him the best way possible. Recently,the officers and their
have nothing but praise for him, DesLauriers started the team wives were invited to attend a
and he is credited for the good at policing concept in January of session that dealt with com-
mosphere and high morale of the 1976. To better cover the large munication between themselves
department. As proof, no one has area of Eagan, the chief divided 'and their wives.
quit the force except to accept an the area into two geographical DesLauriers and his wife,
offer from another community of sections, with one team covering Marie, are living proof that a
a higher police position. each.This way,the police can get policeman can have a successful
The reason for this is probably to a crisis more quickly because home life. Their three children,
the respect DesLauriers has for one team is close by. Paul, 20, and now a CSO for the
the officers. -I don't know of any Each year, the teams elect a Burnsville Public Safety Depart-
personnel," DesLauriers stated leader and an investigator. This ment: and twin girls, 17-year-old
with pride, "that work as hard as year one team is headed by-Ken students at Rosemount High
they do.When they are on a case, Azman, with Bob O'Brien as School, are proof that a
' they will work for 36 hours team leader and Dale Brute as in- policeman's children can do wel;
without going home. They have vestigator. In Pat Gegen's group, also.
pride and satisfaction in what Roger Slader is team leader and The police department is,soon
they're doing." Peter Poppler is investigator. moving into its new quarters
Part of their pride comes from Next year, the men will shift across Pilot Knob Rb. from the
knowing what they are doing and responsibilities. present one and it is sure to keep
having the training to do it well. - DesLauriers is proud of the of- expanding. DesLauriers is look-
Each officer spends at least 50 ficers and is the first to point out ing forward to the move and the
hours a year in formal training that the life of a policeman isn't modern equipment they will have
for the job. When they join the easy on him or his family. The to deal with Eagan's growing
police department, the men must men's schedules make it nec- population and new problems
go through a 40-hour crash essary for them to work holidays, such as the zoo traffic.
emergency medical treatment nights, weekends and often Anyone who knows him or de-
(EMT) course. For that reason, around the clock. als with him knows he is capable
each man knows what to do if he -When a man joins the force," of growing and dealing with
is first on the scene at any DesLauriers said. "I warn him anything that comes along - just
emergency situation, according that in a couple of years, he will as he has for the last 25 years.
to the chief. lose the close' friends he now - -----
DesLauriers believes in good has." DesLauriers explains that
pining n a�aK ,lg ti
ie �flepart ;t ;�n r bs due to he man no, lik-
_nt �,,o k the most efficiently. ing them anymore. It's just that
Each man knows how to handle when the friends learn they can't
every situation, rather than hav- count on him for cards on Satur-
i ing their specialties-such one `day night anymore or for the an-
trained in handling domestic nual 4th of July picnic or
squabbles, one trained in handl- whatever,they drift apart.
ing drug problems,one trained in This is why the officers become
handling traffic. friends with each other. Through
"Each man is trained to handle their comradeship on the job and
everything and anything. If an of- their understanding of the com
ficer is first at the scene for a mitment each of them lias made.'
murder, DesLauriers or another they-are drawn together.
officer doesn't step in and take "It's not easy on the families,
over. It's the first officer's case especially when the kids are
from beginning to end. This is young," DesLauriers admits. To '+
probably a major reason why the help officers and their families
members of the force take pride deal with any problems.
in their jobs. They have the total I DesLauriers encourages them to