Agenda Packet Cc - work session 6/9/2025

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Police Reserves The Orono Police Reserves worked many events this past year and took on new members. They worked many regular events such as Tour De Tonka, football games, Orono High School graduation, Polar Plunge, Holiday Train, Orono Tree Lighting, Gear West Half Marathon, Long Lake Fire 5k, Orono High School Forensics Day, Explorers, and many more events around the Lake Minnetonka area. We currently have 11 members that range from college students to business owners. The reserves donated around an estimated 500 hours to our communities. We had reserve officer Melissa Sorenson graduate from the Hennepin County Reserve School in 2024. Reserve officer Jonah Hamberger completed and also joined the U.S. Marine Corps. Congratulations to Melissa and Jonah! Police CSO-Cadet Program Pictured: Deputy Chief Wittke, Officer Slipka, Reserve Officer Peluf, Reserve Officer Bagan and Officer Sherman In recent times, it has been very difficult to recruit new officers into law enforcement. In attempt to remedy this issue, in 2023, the Orono Police Department created a CSO- Cadet program. The CSO-Cadet program's intent is to hire individuals before they go to college, employ them throughout college, give them scholarships towards their education and then retain them as police officers when we have openings. In the Summer of 2023, we were able to employ two CSO-Cadets, Izzy Bagan and Kohlton Beck. Izzy, a graduate of Orono H.S., is doing four years of work at St. Thomas University where she is double -majoring. Kohlton is the son of our Sgt. Kenny Beck and is a graduate of Delano H.S. He has invested in the two-year program at Alexandria Technical College and should finish in the Spring of 2025. We are in the second year of this program and it is going very well. Both CSO-Cadets have shown a ton of dedication to the program and even volunteered during their time off as Orono PD Reserves. E 55