Officer Jim Hansen named Duluth Police Department public information officer

Perspectives from Lincoln Park Patrol

By Pam Kleinschmidt

Last month I wrote about the departure due to reassignment of Officer James Hansen from his 13-year role as Community Oriented Police (COP) Officer for District 25. Chief Gordon Ramsay began a new rotation policy in order that more officers could have the valuable relationship-building experience that the COP position affords those who serve in it. Officer Hansen, one of the first to be moved, has now assumed the office of Public Information Officer for the Duluth Police Department.

Hansen brings an approachable and knowledgeable persona to his new assignment. “ I will use my skills learned in 25 years in law enforcement to continue to strengthen our relationship with the public and the media by providing timely and accurate information,” Hansen said. “ I will continue to work very hard to maintain the trust and confidence this community has in the Duluth Police Department.

“The DPD currently has a page on Facebook, and we are exploring new ways to get our information out quicker and to a broader audience by looking to set up a twitter account as well as additional social media. We realize this is the wave of the future and want to be ahead of it.

“Along with the Public Information Officer position I have a dual role as our department’s Extra Duty Job Coordinator in which I will assign Duluth police officers extra-duty overtime. I will be working with individuals, business owners and promoters to make sure we have an adequate police/security plan to provide a safe environment and assign officers in an overtime capacity to ensure that. I am looking forward to the challenge of learning these new positions and glad that they both provide direct interaction with the community.”

To sign up to automatically receive press releases from the City of Duluth, go to www.duluthmn.gov. and click on the yellow tab on the left side of the homepage To find the DPD page on Facebook, search for Duluth Minnesota Police Department.