The Northfield Police Department is currently taking applications to fill an empty patrol officer position 
after a ten-year veteran of the force decided to leave the profession this summer and take another job in a different industry.
Police Chief Mark Elliott said that decision is not an unusual one for police officers in 2022. There have been many police officers across the country who have decided to opt out of police work, and it has become more challenging to hire new, good quality police as well. Between the current societal and political attitudes toward police, new police reform mandates, and the shrinking labor force, Elliott said hiring and retention of good employees is becoming a problem.
In an effort to be proactive, and knowing the challenges that are ahead, the department is preparing right now for the retirement of three supervisors in 2024. Elliot said that equates to 43% of the supervisory team within the department, so measures need to be taken immediately to ensure continuity and a seamless transition to new leaders when the time comes.
One of the ways they are preparing is by requesting a $140,000 increase to the 2023 budget in order to hire another new patrol officer, and then promote someone into a newly created administrative sergeant position.
The new position has become necessary, Elliott said, because of the new state and national police reform
initiatives.
“In the last couple of years, we’ve seen a lot of police reform measures come forward. That’s meant additional reporting requirements, training requirements and more accountability that has been placed upon us. So, it’s quite a bit of extra work that we need to take on in the Police Department to make sure we’re meeting all those requirements. The administrative sergeant position would fill some of those.”
Additionally, he said, there have been areas of need within the department for some time that required more attention than the department was able to give. Last year, the city’s Emergency Operations Plan was updated for the first time in twenty years. Best practices, he said, are to update that plan every five years. Likewise, the police policy manual was updated in 2020 and published online. That update was long overdue as well, and Elliott said the new position will see to the maintenance and updating of established plans and policies in a timely manner.
Elliott said the application process to fill the vacant patrol position will end on September 25th. If approved, the department will begin the hiring process for another new patrol officer at the beginning of 2023.
Jeff Johnson’s full conversation with Northfield Chief of Police Mark Elliott can be heard here
Urgent Care will be ‘helpful’ to the community
Yesterday, Northfield Hospital + Clinics returned walk-in medical service to the Northfield Area by opening 
an Urgent Care facility at 2014 Jefferson Road on Highway 3.
The hospital assumed control of the space last year. It had formerly been an urgent care clinic but closed during the Covid-19 pandemic. Originally there had been an intention to open the clinic in late February, but staffing issues delayed the process.
“Talk about delayed gratification,” said NH+C President and CEO Steve Underdahl. “We took possession of the space a year ago, but it has taken us that long just to get our staffing sorted out.”
Underdahl feels the Clinic is an upgrade from the Express Care Clinic they operated until staffing issues during the pandemic forced its closure as well. The Urgent Care is equipped with a lab facility and a brand-new X-Ray machine. There are five exam rooms in the facility and a procedure room, where providers can put a splint on a patient or stitch up a wound.
The convenience of having a walk-in clinic back in the community, he said, is going to be beneficial for several reasons.
“We think this is really going to be a helpful, helpful thing for the community. It’s a good, high quality walk-in clinic where people can go if they are sick today or have minor injuries that they want somebody to take a look at. It also provides an option for people that in the past maybe felt like the emergency department was their only option. And so, we’re hoping this decompresses our emergency department to some extent as well.”
Underdahl also mentioned the benefits of connecting the clinic to the wider NH+C network, which will offer patients the proper care, even if the Urgent Care is unable to completely fit their needs.
The clinic will be open five days a week. The hours are Noon to 7:30 Monday, Thursday and Friday, and 9am to 1pm Saturday and Sunday. It will be closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
Five new ambassadors set to represent Northfield
On Sunday night, during the finale of this year’s Defeat of Jesse James Day celebration, five new DJJD 
The 3 new Ambassadors are Ella Sollom, Kaillie Sorem & Julia Splichal. The 2 new Junior Ambassadors are Emelia Wagner & Joey Koktavy. The selection panel consisted of three judges who do not live in Northfield. The criteria they used in the selection process included communication skills, poise, and personality. In selecting the new ambassadors, the judges believe they have a team of five that will work together very well over the next year.
Julia Splichal also received the Golden Heart Award. The recipient is selected by the 14 ambassador candidates as the person who best displays the qualities expected of an ambassador, including selflessness, passion, integrity, a willingness to help others and act as a positive role model. The award came with a check for $250.
The outgoing 2022 DJJD Ambassadors, Amaya Monroe, Ella Pribyl, Hailey Malecha and Junior Ambassadors Elouise Jones and Maddie Malecha each spoke about how the ambassador program has been a positive experience. Amaya, Ella & Hailey were presented with a scholarship from Galen Malecha, the General Chair of the Defeat Committee. The Junior Ambassadors received gift cards in appreciation of their work over the last year.
The new ambassadors will make over 90 appearances around the state in the next twelve months, promoting Northfield, volunteering and growing into leadership roles.
Rich Larson is the KYMN News Director. Contact him at rich@kymnradio.net
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