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The Minnesota Department of Public Safety’s Office of Justice Programs  dedicated a $2.5 million line item for  two phases of grants meant to attract additional candidates into law enforcement,  and from most accounts this program is turning out to be popular.  

The Office of Justice Programs plan — called ICPOET for Intensive Comprehensive Police Officer Education Training — is providing enough funding for 35 agencies who have already signed their initial wave of cadets.  (See map below.)

 The City of Wyoming Police and Chisago County Sheriff’s Office qualified for  this innovative and proactive program. Funding covers agency costs for salary while cadets attend school and  cost for their tuition, etc. 

The courses have a somewhat accelerated timeframe because these students already have associate or bachelor degrees. Cadets will be trained for passing the state POST exam and becoming certified.

Officer training starts in two weeks.  

When the cadets earn their certification the understanding is they will work initially  for the sponsoring agency.

In this story we meet Wyoming’s cadet Logan Strang, age 26.   He is enrolled at Hennepin Technical College.  The ICPOET regular police officer training course at this institution ends March 2025.  Another cohort of cadets is enrolled in Alexandria Technical & Community College and they finish in February 2025.

Strang says he’s actually looking forward to hitting the books again.  He attended college in Stevens Point, Wisconsin and has a bachelor’s in water resources.  Originally from Illinois he met his new wife at school and she’s from the Wyoming MN area so that’s how he ended up here. 

Strang explained that his water resources degree wasn’t positioning him for the types of jobs he really wanted.  He has a passion to serve a community and hopefully in a job that provides him with a sense of purpose.  

Strang was questioning if there’d ever be sufficient time or money to reboot his professional path, and then along came the ICPOET which was literally designed to facilitate the transition of qualified men and women into law enforcement.  

He’s still pinching himself, “A great opportunity,” he stated about being chosen.

And, the science background won’t go to waste. 

Chief Bauer said Strang’s ability to pay attention to detail and his lack of fear when it comes to data are already beneficial.  Strang has been taking on various in-house tasks supporting law enforcement.  Until he becomes ‘official’ next spring he will continue to input and analyze reports and statistics, do ride-alongs, assist at community events, and pitch in wherever he’s needed, while he attends courses.

Chief Bauer explains the Wyoming P.D. has two longtime personnel slated to retire in several months, just about the same time Strang is expected to complete the training.  Timing has been ideal, Bauer continued.  

The ICPOET application process called for essentially the same screening as Wyoming would have utilized in hiring a regular officer.  Bauer says he is confident Strang is a “fantastic candidate” and looks forward to when he receives his badge.

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