Deluth police lieutenant tapped to be new campus police chief www.privateofficer.com

 

Deluth MN June 29 2012 A likeable leader and lieutenant in the Duluth Police Department is taking his law enforcement skills to the University of Minnesota Duluth to serve as director of police on the 12,000-student campus.
Scott Drewlo, a 17-year Duluth police officer who was working as administrative affairs commander after serving as major crimes bureau commander, was hired over 15 other applicants. He will assume leadership of the 11-officer university department on July 9, holding the title of captain at an annual salary of $105,000.

“While I’m saddened at the prospect of leaving my city of Duluth friends and colleagues, I am excited to face the challenges and opportunities afforded by such a professional police agency,” Drewlo said. “I am also looking forward to maintaining the strong partnerships that I enjoyed at DPD with our community agency partners. It will be an honor to serve the university and surrounding Duluth communities.”

Drewlo, 49, lives in Barnum. He is a native of the Chisago Lakes area and a Marine Corps veteran. He’s held several important positions within the Duluth department. He worked as a field training officer, patrol sergeant, as a member of the tactical response team, where he was a counter-sniper, and as supervisor of the crime scenes investigation unit before assuming his two most recent supervisory posts.

“Scott is a leader,” Duluth Police Chief Gordon Ramsay said. “He was a Marine and he lives a lot of Marine values such as putting people first. People who work for Scott really like working for him. He’s a good guy. He has well-rounded experience running our major crimes (division) and as an administrative lieutenant. He’s been our right-hand guy on many of our technological advances and other projects.”

Drewlo replaces Anne Peterson, who retired as director of campus police after a 25-year career last June. Sgt. Sean Huls has been serving as interim director. Huls has been promoted to lieutenant for “his remarkably strong performance in handling the interim director duties,’’ said John King, UMD interim vice chancellor for finance and operations.

Drewlo has a bachelor’s degree from St. Cloud State University with a double major in sociology and social work. He spent the first four years of his law enforcement career working for the Minnesota Department of Corrections in St. Cloud and Moose Lake.

The new law enforcement leader was asked to describe his management style. “I guess I would say cooperative,” he said. “I like team building. I like trying to get different officers and crews and partners in the community to kind of pitch in and see what their part of the team is. I like to foster working partnerships with the community. My plan would be to engage the community around the campus in keeping with Chancellor (Lendley) Black’s strategic plan to engage the community and have responsible students.”

Judith Karon, director of UMD’s Department of Human Resources and Equal Opportunity, said Drewlo’s hiring is a “perfect fit between his talents and insights and our campus needs.”

Drewlo is an instructor at the Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College law enforcement program. He serves on the Minnesota Law Enforcement Memorial Association Board of Directors.

“His teaching experience at Fond du Lac College gives him a recognition and understanding of critical campus issues related to student health and safety,” Karon said. “Scott was able to articulate the importance of providing a welcoming environment on our campus and supporting our campus diversity initiatives.”

Source:Deluth News Tribune