Police Department

By Kaye Wenker, Retired Police Chief Jerry O’Driscoll and Police Chief Jim Hughes

During the first 53 years of Sartell’s history, the village was policed by constables, town marshals, part-time officers, and the County Sheriff’s departments. In 1960 a full-time Police Department was established by a referendum vote.

Daryl Hurd served as Police Chief from 1960 thru 1962. Alvin Johnson was Police Chief from 1963 to 1964. In December of 1964, Jerry O’Driscoll was hired as a part-time police officer, at that time he was the only member of the police department. In May of 1965, he was appointed as Sartell’s Chief of Police. Chief O’Driscoll had a long history of law enforcement before being appointed Police Chief. He was with the military police, a deputy sheriff, a part-time police officer and he worked at the state reformatory as a correctional officer. In the Spring of 1965, the Police Reserve Program was established after the flooding of the Mississippi River. In the late 1960’s , officer Chester Borger joined Chief O’Driscoll in the Police Department. Chief O’Driscoll served Sartell as Police Chief until mid July of 1992. At that time he was promoted to Senior Public Safety Advisor until his retirement in December of 1992. By proclamation, Governor Arnie Carlson declared December 12th as Chief Jerry O’Driscoll Day in the State of Minnesota.

The first police station was located in the basement of the original Village Hall located on Riverside Avenue North.

Excerpt taken from “History of Sartell, Minnesota Lumber, Paper, Valves, And Progress a Century of Progress, Welcoming a Century of Promise. Page 47