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First Cop Class of ATCC (Feature)

Writer's picture: thalen Zimmermanthalen Zimmerman

Published by Forum Communictions' Echo Press on Nov. 25, 2022


ALEXANDRIA — A private room at Traveler's Inn in Alexandria was filled with laughter and memories during the late morning of Monday, Nov. 21.


10 classmates from Alexandria Technical and Community College's first and second law enforcement classes — the classes of 1969 and 1970 — met over brunch at the inn along with a retired law enforcement instructor.


Some became police officers and eventually chiefs of police. Others became deputies and eventually sheriff. Some stayed patrolmen who rose through the ranks and others took an entirely different career path.


Some had not seen each other in over 50 years.


Once they all arrived and settled in, one by one they got up and re-introduced themselves. They told each other about their life after school, where they worked, who they married, and how many kids and grandchildren they have while reminiscing about the days of their youth as students in the infancy of ATCC's law enforcement program.


Keith Winger of Bemidji got his start with the Alexandria Police department where he stayed for nearly 20 years, eventually making his way to sergeant. He then went on to be chief of police in Warroad then sheriff for Beltrami County.


Gary Poslusny of Big Lake left school early for the military but graduated thanks to credit for military time served. He went on to work for the Big Lake Police Department and ended his career as an investigator for the Sherburne County County Sheriff's Office.


Dennis Boser of Onamia started with the Todd County Sheriff’s Office before he was drafted into the Army and worked as a military police officer. He went on to work in Cambridge and then Mille Lacs County where he worked as a patrolman for 28 years. There he helped develop a welfare fraud program and eventually became sheriff.


Gabe Pipo of Garfield started as a police officer in Springfield but then came back to work for the Douglas County Sheriff's Office until his retirement. From 1989 to 1992 he was the county's DARE officer. He even spent some time as a member of the Alexandria Veterans Memorial Park Committee.


Mike Dann of Montevideo worked as a police officer in Clara City out of school. He then went on to become a chief deputy and then sheriff for Chippewa County.


Greg Hayes of Dunvilla also got his start with the Todd County Sheriff's Office but then went on to become the first state trooper to come out of ATCC's Law Enforcement program. He even helped develop a program that helped the trucking industry build trucks that could haul more weight without damaging the roads.


DeWayne Bisek of Nelson is not a graduate from ATCC but did work for both the Alexandria Police Department and the Douglas County Sheriff's Office. He taught as a law enforcement instructor from 1971 to 2002 at ATCC and went on to develop a scholarship for law enforcement students.


Mark Hedner of Alexandria worked for the Benson County Sheriff's Office before joining the Pope County Sheriff’s Office.


Ray Doering of Litchfield spent one year in law enforcement before taking over his father's agricultural construction business, Systems West. Today it is owned and operated by his twin boys, Eric and Mike Doering, and he spends his time hunting and fishing across the country.

Jay Moe of Glenwood was hired as a deputy for Waseca County before he graduated. He went on to become a sheriff for Pope County.


Mark Hirman of Litchfield also got his start in Springfield and then worked for the Litchfield Police Department. Later, he became sheriff of Meeker County.


The room was nothing but smiles and laughter as the memories drifted around.


"You may remember that I had a fox living in my dresser," said Hayes said during his stand-up. He recalled how the landlord was not too pleased when she snooped through his things while he and his roommates were gone. "Imagine the look on her face when she saw it."


One remembered how Moe was the only one who could beat him at arm wrestling. Hirman followed up about how great a card player Moe was and Moe said it was because he cheated and Hirman taught him.


Bisek confessed he often had to cover for another instructor so he could go by more Copenhagen. Bisek said that the instructor admitted to chewing 24 hours a day. He chewed all day, put a pinch in before bed, woke up at 2 a.m. for another pinch and refreshed again when he woke for the day.


Winger got the ball rolling on the reunion. He said it has been something he was thinking about doing for a while and after calling Pipo to see if he agreed that it would be a good idea, which he did, Winger got to work reaching out to the former students.


"It was really fun. I talked to people I haven’t seen since we graduated in 1970,” Winger said. “What’s amazing is, their voices sound just like they did in 1970 but when I saw them today, they looked much different.”


Winger estimates there were a little over 30 graduates from the first two classes combined.


“Thank you (Winger) for putting this together. This was long overdue,” said Doering.


After the brunch, the group dwindled down. Those who remained met at the lobby of ATCC's law enforcement building for a scheduled tour of the upgraded facility.


Kristie Brezina, law enforcement office specialist at ATCC, guided the remaining retired law enforcers through the school's law enforcement center. They saw all the amenities of the school's program from the indoor firing range, the dispatch training center and the use-of-force gym to the tactical warehouse for on-the-street scenarios and the under-construction "outhouses," which will be used to simulate calls at houses, apartments and a bar.


The group was amazed by the progress made by the school and compared how different their education was due to what they had at the time.


“It’s amazing what they have here compared to what we had,” Winger said, who added that the biggest difference in the program is the facility and technology. “We had almost no technology. A handheld radio that would be about it."


When asked about the future of law enforcement, Pipo says he is hopeful.


“When (him and Winger) got into law enforcement, it was the hippy years. (the political climate) was a lot like it is now, but over time things swung around,” he said. “In Douglas County here, law enforcement has wonderful support.”


Winger hopes those looking to get into law enforcement are aware of the risks and can prevent some of them from happening. He added that “The respect you earn in your community is worth a million bucks."


Pipo said when he was in second grade, he and his brother were accused of breaking into sheds. The sheriff came to school and interviewed him without his parents present. When the interview was over, the sheriff gave him and his brother a nickel for the candy stand. From then on out, he was Pipo’s best friend. That impression stuck with Pipo and he knew what he wanted to be when he grew up.


“All through high school, kids would go out to parties and things like that. ‘I’m not going out there and getting arrested. I want to get into law enforcement,’” Gabe said.


According to Pipo and Winger, the favorite part of the day was seeing their old friends and getting a glimpse at the future law enforcers.

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