by Logan Gruber
operations@thenewsleaders.com
Newly-minted Sauk Rapids police officer Katy Davis said she feels very comfortable in town, ever since her first phone call with Police Chief Perry Beise.
“The chief was really kind and helpful, answering all the questions I had about the city and department,” Davis said in a Newsleader interview.
Davis’ comfort with police work in general likely stems from her childhood. Her mother worked for the Olmsted County Sheriff’s Office and Rochester Police Department as a dispatcher for nearly 30 years.
“I spent a lot of time with her at work, hearing the calls going in and out,” Davis noted.
She said law enforcement really caught her attention during her teenage years. She said she appreciated how police work can be different every day.
Davis pursued a two-year degree after high school and worked as a nursing assistant at an Alzheimer’s unit for Roman Catholic nuns while she studied. She also worked at a detox center for a time, where nearly 90 percent of her work included interacting with police.
After graduating with a degree, she started working part-time in Preston, near Rochester, as a police officer in January of this year. However, Davis’ boyfriend works at Camp Ripley, and she has family in Brainerd, so she decided to start looking for full-time work in the Camp Ripley area.
“I picked Sauk Rapids and went after it specifically,” Davis said.
While she said she applied for a few jobs, the Sauk Rapids position is the one she pursued the most. Davis loved the location of the city in relation to Camp Ripley, the size of it and after talking to the chief she was sold.
Davis said the interview process in Sauk Rapids is very well done.
“It was a really comfortable interview . . . it wasn’t like normal, where you’re extremely nervous,” she said.
Davis applied in May and began work in the city on July 14.
“So far residents have been really welcoming, and it’s been a great transition experience with the department,” Davis said.
Davis has a 2-year-old son, Carson. She currently commutes from Brainerd, but plans to move to the Sauk Rapids or Rice areas soon.
Officer Katy Davis began work with the Sauk Rapids Police Department on July 14. She previously worked part-time at the Preston police department near Rochester. Davis currently lives in Brainerd but plans to move to the Sauk Rapids-Rice area soon.
