by MaryAnne Block
Raised in a family of St. Joseph meat processors, Dwight Pfannenstein was the first to break from that profession to join another “family” of sorts – local law enforcement.
St. Joseph Police Chief Pfannenstein said he has a passion for his work, for his staff and for the residents of the city.
Born and raised in St. Joseph, he has worked with its police department since starting as a patrol officer in 2002. By 2007, he had been promoted to sergeant, and the city council chose him to be the chief in 2018.
“My family was all meat-cutters, so I was the first to break from that to get into law enforcement,” he said during an interview with the Newsleaders. “St. Joseph has a warm family atmosphere. It is a great place to work and to live.”
Throughout the years, he said he has seen a lot of improvements and growth. When he started in 2002 there was a staff of six officers, including the chief, one sergeant and four officers. Because the city has grown so much during the years, the department has now expanded to a total of 14 to provide 24-hour coverage. The staff includes the chief, two sergeants, nine officers and two office staff.
When Pfannenstein became chief, he changed the officer scheduling. Previously, each staff worked a straight eight-hour shift so all staff were starting and ending their shifts together, with no overlap. Historically, one of the greatest costs is overtime. By changing the shift schedule, the overtime costs were greatly reduced, allowing for the hiring of another officer.
The day shift starts at 6 a.m., slightly overlapping the night shift (9 p.m. to 7 a.m.). The power shift arrives at 11 a.m. and works until 9 p.m., being available during the typically busiest times of the day. The evening officers arrive at 4 p.m. and are scheduled until 2 a.m. By having staggered shifts, there is 24-hour coverage for the city.
Pfannenstein said he knows in order to provide the best protection for residents, he needs to have healthy officers. A good mental outlook, he said, is necessary for officers willing to put their health and safety – and even their lives – on the line each time they are on duty. Part of that comes by ensuring adequate time off when an officer needs it. As chief, he said he does his best to grant time off when requested. That enhances home life and job satisfaction, thus better performance of duties.
Scheduling for 24-hour police coverage can be a balancing act. Pfannenstein handles the scheduling of his employees. Each October the officers are allowed to bid/request their shift preference for the coming year. Seniority is considered when deciding and assigning shifts.
“We have a great group of officers here in St Joseph,” he said. “We have healthy internal networking among the employees. If we need extra help, we have a good relationship with other police departments, plus the county sheriff and the state patrol if necessary.”
In June of this year, the city purchased all new “Axon” body cameras for each member of the police force. Federal funds, received through a grant written by Pfannenstein, helped pay part of the cost, with matching city funds. The amount over and above that is payable throughout the course of five years, with Axon providing one completely new set of body cameras during that five years.
Fall is when all city departments look into budgeting for the future. One item that is a high priority for the chief, he said, is to update the squad-car cameras, which were installed in 2016.
“Technology is improving at such a rapid pace,” Pfannenstein said. “I am writing another grant to help with funding for in-squad (car) camera upgrades that will be able to interface with body cam footage. Like having referees on a football field, this will allow multiple views from all officers at any event, to get a more complete picture. Seeing an event from different angles increases accuracy.”
Another consideration for the fall budget request is for a deputy chief position, plus a person to deal with records. The amount of paperwork is growing as well, not just in reporting and filing, but also in preparing for court appearances and more.
He said he anticipates extra vigilance with winter weather approaching and detours for the removal of the CR Hwy. 75 bridge between St. Joseph and Waite Park. He is not yet sure of the impact the probable roundabout at CR 75 and CR 133 (12th Ave and Hwy. 75) will have.
In closing, Pfannenstein said, “Like I already said, St. Joseph is a great place to live and work.”
St. Joseph Police Chief Dwight Pfannenstein
