Events

July 2011: A school bus full of 65 children went out of control on I-494 when the driver had a medical emergency. An adult chaperone on the bus steered it to safety. The chaperone received a Commendation Award for his bravery.

June 2012: The EPPD hosted the United State Police Canine Association Regional 18 Canine Trials with 78 teams competing over three days.

February 2018: Minneapolis hosted Super Bowl LII. The EPPD provided security in and around Winter Park and Flying Cloud Airport.

July 2019: The EPPD hosted its first Cops and Bobbers event with the non-profit organization Let’s Go Fishing.

March 2020: Arrival of COVID-19. The EPPD adjusted its staffing and response procedures to help keep our residents and staff safe.

May 2020: Death of George Floyd in Minneapolis and subsequent civil unrest. In an effort to increase transparency, the EPPD began publishing its policy manual online.

Crimes

May 2013: An Eden Prairie woman went missing and the only suspect died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. After an extensive search, the woman’s remains were found six months later in Stearns County.

2012: 70 businesses were burglarized in the metro area including Eden Prairie. EPPD investigators led the investigation and arrested one man who was responsible for all 70 crimes.

March 2014: Two men assaulted and robbed a man inside a fitness center locker room then fled to a residence where they assaulted another man. Both men were arrested.

2015: EPPD detectives investigated and arrested a man responsible for the theft of 180 catalytic converters in the metro area.

2015: The EPPD helped arrest the “theater burglar” who committed 42 home burglaries in six counties and 19 cities, including Eden Prairie. The suspect would commit the crimes while victims were attending theater performances.

2015-2016: Two Eden Prairie residents died of heroin overdoses when their heroin was laced with fentanyl. After an extensive investigation, the dealer was charged with 3^rd Degree Murder in both cases.

November 2016: EPPD officers responded to a pursuit out of Prior Lake involving three suspects who had just committed a homicide. The suspects eventually fled on foot and fired shots at responding officers. The officers returned fire and the suspects were safely apprehended.

October 2018: Four suspects committed a home invasion burglary during which a resident died of cardiac arrest. There were 15 other agencies in the Midwest with similar burglaries. The EPPD took the lead on the investigation and four suspects were federally indicted and sentenced to 30 years, 20 years, 10 years and five years respectively.

August 2019: Three people claimed to have been stabbed and robbed on an Eden Prairie walking path. Investigators determined the victims faked the crimes to gain U-Visas that would allow them to stay in the country legally. The ringleader of the scheme was arrested for scamming money from the victims. She was sentenced to six months in federal prison and deported.

Staff

2011: Part-Time Community Service Officers began staffing the PD’s reception desk for the first time.

2013: K-9 Jace joined the department with Officer Jen Ficcadenti.

2014: K-9 Riggs joined the department with Officer Scott Mittelstadt.

2015: The department’s first Civilian Employee of the Year was awarded to Investigative Aide Pauline Sager.

July 1, 2016: Chief Rob Reynolds retired and Deputy Chief Jim DeMann was appointed Chief.

September 2016: Father Tim Power died. He was one of the department’s original chaplains and had served the Eden Prairie Police and Fire Departments since 1992. The department now has an annual award named in his honor which is given by the Chaplain Unit to an employee who provides consistent care for people in the department and the community.

2017: Bob Mjolsness retired from the Reserves after 40 years and more than 8,600 volunteer hours.

September 2018: Chief Jim DeMann retired and Deputy Chief Greg Weber was appointed Chief.

2019: K-9 Gus joined the department with Officer Nate Eichman and K-9 Jax joined the department with Officer Brandon Carlston.

Equipment and Facilities

2011: The department purchased a Toyota Prius as the Chief’s car.

2015: The first squad car cameras were installed.

2018: The department purchased its first portable camera trailer.

Programs

2011: The Crisis Intervention Team was formed (its name was later changed to Mental Health Unit).

2013: The department hosted its first Senior Citizens Academy, a free six-week course where seniors could learn about policing and the EPPD.

2014: The Emergency Response Unit changed its name to SWAT (Special Weapons And Tactics) to be consistent with similar units in neighboring communities.

2014: The department began distributing home medication disposal bags as part of its fight against opioid addiction in the community.

2015: The department started providing crisis intervention training for all officers to help respond to people in mental crisis.

2015: Shop with a Cop program was started. The program is now called Holidays with Heroes and is done in conjunction with the Fire Department. It is funded by the Eden Prairie Crime Prevention Fund.

2018: The department created a video called “One Time is Too Many” to highlight the dangers of opioid use.

2018: The department purchased a pedal kart as a drunk-driving educational tool to be used in conjunction with impairment goggles.

2018: The department participated in the first Pop-Up Splash Pad event with the Fire and Parks and Recreation Departments.

2019: The Unmanned Aerial Systems (drone) team was created.

2020: The department received funding from the state to create an officer position that is solely dedicated to DWI enforcement, prevention and education.

2020: The EPPD started a program called Check-up from the Neck Up which requires every Police Department staff member to meet once per year with a licensed mental health professional.