by Logan Gruber
operations@thenewsleaders.com
Eric Brutger has known St. Joseph his whole life. His grandfather, Fred Brutger, is a long-time resident of the St. Joseph area. So when he had the opportunity to volunteer as a reserve officer in St. Joseph, he took it. Through his hard work and dedication, Brutger was then offered a part-time, and just recently a full-time position in the police department.
Background
Brutger was raised in the St. Cloud/St. Augusta area, and graduated from Tech High School. Brutger has a wife and four children, ages 11, 9, 3 and 2.
He spent a number of years in other lines of work, even moving to Arizona for his wife’s teaching job, but always wanted to be in law enforcement. They returned to the area in 2004, and he opened a Culver’s in Waite Park with a business partner.
Brutger took law enforcement classes at North Hennepin Community College and Hennepin Technical College, both in Brooklyn Park, graduating in 2011.
He was able to become a reserve officer with the St. Joseph police department to gain some experience in December of 2012. Then in May of 2014, Brutger applied for and was hired as a part-time officer. And just last month he was hired full-time, which allowed him to stop working at Culver’s.
“I stopped applying to other places, hoping to get in [with the St. Joseph police],” Brutger said. “I’m really looking forward to going home at night and taking pride in my work . . . I love St. Joseph.”
New job
Brutger will be taking the 9 p.m.-7 a.m. shift. Part of the shift overlaps with Officer Shane Vernier’s shift, which runs from 5 p.m.-3 a.m.
“I enjoy working with Shane; he’s a very organized officer,” Brutger said.
He said even though it might get lonely during the remaining four hours of the shift, he’s never alone.
“There’s sheriff’s deputies and the Waite Park police . . . they back us up, and we back them up,” he said.
Brutger also said night-time is a very important time to make a positive impact in the community. Teenagers and college-aged people are out and about, and it’s a good time to connect with them and show the face of the police.
“[Chief Klein] is huge on community policing . . . the more people you have contact with, the better they will work with you,” Brutger said. “St. Joseph is completely unique. Most towns are hopping in the summer, but St. Joseph is quieter because the college kids are gone.”
Future hiring
With the hiring of Brutger as a full-time officer, a part-time gap is left in the deparment. Chief Klein says they have a pool of applicants and are doing background checks on possible replacements. There isn’t a timeline set at this moment.
Newly minted full-time St. Joseph police officer Eric Brutger watches traffic pass outside of the police garage at the end of his shift on 1st Avenue NW. Brutger is excited about his new career, and looks forward to taking pride in his work.
