Ceremony Marks Police Department Promotions

Promotions of three Coon Rapids Police Department officers to sergeant were recognized by the Coon Rapids City Council in a ceremony at its March 7 meeting.

Sgts. Joe Neufeld, Tyler Brown and Gregg Nordby were given the oath of office by Mayor Jerry Koch and had their new sergeant’s badge pinned on them by their wives.

Police Chief John Stahnke said that the promotions of two of the officers will increase the number of patrol sergeants from six to eight to ensure 24/7 supervisory coverage, while the third is a replacement.

The sergeants oversee the daily operations of the patrol division and are the commanders for critical incidents and high priority calls for service.

“As first-line supervisors, you are the most influential leaders on the police department and tasked with carrying out its mission to support a safe community, while building trust through engagement, professionalism and compassion,” he said.

Stahnke introduced the new sergeants to a packed council chambers filled with family, friends and fellow police officers.

Neufeld grew up in Coon Rapids, joined the police explorers at the age of 14 and after graduating from Blaine High School, he was hired as a community service officer with the department in 2000 while he earned a bachelor’s degree in law enforcement from Metropolitan State University.

He was hired as a patrol officer in 2004, spending eight years as an explorer advisor, nine years as a field training officer and 12 years as a hostage/crisis negotiator.

Neufeld has received three awards of merit for exceptional service, the most notable for negotiating a peaceful conclusion with an armed barricaded suspect.

Neufeld, who Stahnke said has earned the nickname “Father Joe” for his calming demeanor and high ethical standards, and because his wife Lara are parents of two daughters, ages 13 and 8.

Brown grew up in Elk River, graduated from Elk River High School and earned a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Bemidji State University, while serving in the Bemidji Police Reserve for a year.

He was hired as a patrol officer in Coon Rapids in 2015 and has taught the DARE (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) program at Morris Bye and Hamilton elementary schools as well as serving as a field training officer and explorer post advisor.

Brown was promoted to detective assigned as a school liaison officer at Coon Rapids High School in 2019, then transitioned to general felony investigations in 2020, overseeing the monitoring of the department’s predatory offender registration program and earned certification as both a less lethal and active shooter instructor.

Brown represented the department at the Investigative Technology and Innovation Summit in Las Vegas, Nevada, where he presented a case study to investigators from around the country on a Coon Rapids attempted murder case he solved in 2020.

He has received two awards of merit, a Heartsafe lifesaver award and one letter of commendation.

“In the 30 years, I’ve worked here, there has not been an officer promoted to sergeant with less than 10 years of service,” Stahnke said. “Tyler has done it in eight.”

He and his wife, Rachel, are expecting their first child in June.

Nordby grew up in Blaine where he volunteered with the Blaine Police Explorer Post and was also a police reserve officer. He graduated from Spring Lake High School and studied woodworking at Hennepin Technical College.

But after a year he switched his career focus to law enforcement, earning a bachelor’s degree in law enforcement from Metropolitan State University while working as a community service officer for the Crystal, White Bear Lake and Brooklyn Center police departments.

Nordby was hired as a Brooklyn Center officer in 2013, where he was a member of the SWAT team, worked in the street crimes investigative unit, was a field training officer, explorer advisor and a member of the community outreach team.

He joined the Coon Rapids department as a patrol officer in 2020 and since then has been a field training officer, certified as a drone pilot and become a use of force instructor.

“Gregg was instrumental in the implementation of our new outreach initiative, ‘Cops and Cardinals,’ our mentorship program in partnership with Coon Rapids High School,” Stahnke said.

He has received three chief’s commendation awards and one medal of valor for putting himself in harm’s way to save the life of a critically injured citizen.

Nordby and his wife Jamie have an infant daughter, who was born Jan. 26.

SOURCE: Hometown Source