About the Police Department
A Personal Message from the Chief
I am very proud of the men and women, their dedication, and their commitment to making our community safe. We reside within this community as well and make a personal investment in ensuring we have a safe community for all. Our staff are thoroughly trained and equipped to perform their duties well in serving our community. We are all affected when a person is victimized in our community and we are passionate about apprehending those who commit these acts so they answer for their crimes.
Our mission statement is our guiding philosophy and we work to develop relationships and partnerships to reduce or eliminate neighborhood problems through the provision of community policing services. We partner with surrounding communities to share important resources like the Red River Regional Dispatch Center, the Red River Valley SWAT Team, and the Red River Child Advocacy Center, to name a few, that allow us to provide state of the art services at a fraction of the cost through collaboration and pooling resources while developing professional services. We also collaborated with Clay County in building a Law Enforcement Center for the sheriff’s department and police department where we share approximately 40% of common space and work more efficiently with space to grow into the future. Further, we partner with the school district to provide full-time School Resource Officers embedded within the schools. About 24 citizens make up the Moorhead Police Volunteers and donate time to the police department with duties from assisting with parking enforcement to office work saving our city thousands of dollars.
Our community policing initiatives are a priority for us and we boast over 40 block clubs that are spread around the community who closely watch for criminal activity in their neighborhoods and report it us. On Night to Unite each August, we have nearly 100 block parties across the city where neighbors get to know each other while sharing food and community.
The Moorhead Police Department has 61 sworn officers and 17 support staff and respond to approximately 40,000 calls for service per year. Our patrol division responds to 911 emergency and non-emergency calls and work 24/7/365 within the four patrol beats of the City of Moorhead. The investigative division handles many of the more complicated or lengthy felony investigations while our support staff handle records, reports, parking enforcement, and animal control. We work closely with other city departments as one team to make Moorhead a quality place to live and raise a family.
Shannon Monroe, Chief of Police
Contact the Chief
About the Chief
Chief Shannon Monroe began his career in law enforcement in 1992 with the Mahnomen County Sheriff’s Office. In 1994, he began with the Moorhead Police Department.
Education/Experience
He worked as a deputy sheriff in Mahnomen County before becoming a patrol officer in Moorhead. He served in several internal positions including defensive tactics instructor, bicycle patrol instructor, field training officer, before being promoted to sergeant. As a sergeant supervising patrol, he became a member of the Red River Valley SWAT Team eventually becoming the assistant commander. He assumed command of the Investigative Division and was promoted to lieutenant where he attended the 229th Session of the FBI National Academy in Quantico, VA and completed Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) Management Series, the Minnesota Chiefs of Police CLEO Academy. He was appointed deputy chief and oversaw daily operations. During this time he earned graduate degree credits at the University of Minnesota Leadership in Public Safety Cohort #1 Program and completed the FBI Law Enforcement Executive Development Association (LEEDA) Program. He also has a Bachelor in Science in Management from the University of Mary.
Mission Statement
Our mission is to maintain peace and order through the provision of police services that are of the highest quality and responsive to the needs of the community. We will contribute to the safety and security of the community by apprehending those who commit criminal acts, by developing partnerships to prevent, reduce or eliminate neighborhood problems, and by providing police services that are fair, unbiased, judicious, and respectful of the dignity of all individuals.
Vision Statement
We, the members of the City of Moorhead Police Department, are committed to working together in a problem-solving partnership with the community to prevent crime and improve the quality of life for all.
- Safety - The protection of human life is our highest priority.
- Cooperation - We are committed to working cooperatively with the community and each other by encouraging open communication and active participation to achieve our mutual goals.
- Fairness - We strive to resolve conflict through impartial enforcement of the law. Everyone shall be treated equitably and compassionately.
- Crime Prevention - We will work in a partnership with the community through positive role modeling and education.
- Diversity - We appreciate one another's differences and recognize that our unique skills, knowledge, abilities and backgrounds bring strength and caring to our community.
- Professionalism - Our success depends on the trust and confidence of the community. We shall engage in respectful behavior that reflects the honesty and integrity of police professionals.