Police administration includes the office of the chief, who oversees the entire department, and support staff that provide personnel and administrative support.

The patrol division provides proactive patrol, incident response and first response to medical emergencies.

Community service officers and police cadets

Community service officers and police cadets are non-sworn members of the police department who provide domestic animal control services, ordinance enforcement and assistance to patrol when requested.

Traffic enforcement

The traffic enforcement unit addresses community concerns about residential speeding and provides high visibility patrol, education and enforcement. The unit works with neighborhoods and other city departments to address concerns and identify possible solutions, promotes safe driving and accident reduction and conducts public education and prevention campaigns.

K-9 Unit

K-9 units – officers and dogs – are important assets to our police work, and are used for search and rescue, drug identification, suspect tracking and crime prevention. Minnetonka first enlisted K-9 units in 1976, and has had numerous K-9 officers and dogs, typically German Shepherds or Belgian Malinois.

The support and investigative services division includes investigations, school liaison officers, the community engagement officer and records.

The investigative unit provides follow-up investigation to criminal incidents and major cases, and presents cases to the city or county attorney for charging. Detectives specialize in retail and general case investigations and participate in the Southwest Hennepin County Drug Task Force. The division coordinates intelligence-led policing and compiles crime statistics.

The records team maintains all case reports, fingerprints and criminal history information and serves as the department’s front-line staff.

School liaison program

A school liaison officers is assigned to Minnetonka High School. Officers assist school staff with education, crime prevention and criminal investigations that involve students or occur on school property. Minnetonka Police officers also teach a five-week curriculum to fifth-grade students in Minnetonka focused on building self-esteem and drug and alcohol resistance.

Retail investigation

The department staffs a specialized group of detectives at a Ridgedale Center sub-station to help address the growing concerns of retail and identity theft. These detectives work closely with retail security officers and partner with the patrol or investigative divisions on complex cases.

Drug task force

The Minnetonka Police Department is a member of the Southwest Hennepin Drug Task Force, which also includes the Hennepin County Sherriff’s Office and the Eden Prairie, Edina, Hopkins and St. Louis Park Police Departments.

The task force investigates violations of the state’s controlled substance laws and is governed by the chiefs of the participating agencies.

SWAT team

The department’s Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team includes highly trained officers who use specialized weapons and tactics to handle high-risk situations. Examples include high-risk arrests and warrants, barricaded and armed suspects, hostage rescue, crowd control, dignitary protection and disaster response. SWAT is a secondary assignment for officers.

The Minnetonka Police Department is part of the Southwest SWAT Consortium, which includes Hopkins, Edina, St. Louis Park and Eden Prairie.

The professional standards division oversees training and professional development of police employees, policy development, recruitment and hiring, citizen complaints, as well as assuring the department remains in compliance with OSHA, FBI and other requirements.

Police Reserves

Police Reserves are non-sworn volunteers that assist officers with community service tasks and non-criminal police duties. They also assist during natural disasters and emergency situations that require additional personnel. Learn more or apply to join the Police Reserves.

Police Explorers

Minnetonka Police Explorers Post #884 is a youth organization that offers basic law enforcement training and exposure for young adults (ages 14-21). Members assist officers in daily duties and times of emergency, participate in community events and compete in law enforcement exercises at regional and national conferences. Learn more or apply to join the Police Explorers.

Chaplain corps

The department’s chaplain corps serves the community and people in emergencies. The program includes volunteer religious leaders from a variety of denominations. Chaplains are available on-call to provide a counseling service for human relations situations.

If you’re interested in volunteering with the chaplain corps, contact Officer Welbes at ewelbes@minnetonkamn.gov, 952-939-7663.

Juvenile Diversion Program

The Juvenile Diversion Program offers offenders between the ages of 10 and 18 a positive alternative to juvenile court. Young offenders work with adult mentors in a structured setting. Successful completion of the program keeps the alleged offense off the juvenile’s record. Failure to complete the program could result in prosecution.

If you’re interested in participating as a program leader, visit the Juvenile Diversion Program for more information. A background check and three-month commitment is required.