Posted: 1/11/05
Chief Shefelbine adjusting well
By Jane Palen
Managing Editor
Caledoniaís new police chief says itís nice to finally see the light of day.
Randy Shefelbine, who accepted the position of police chief in December, worked the night shift as a deputy for the Houston County Sheriffís Office before joining the Caledonia Police Department. His hours there were 8 p.m. to 6 a..m., which are just about opposite of what his hours are now.
With less than two weeks on the job, Chief Shefelbine is adjusting well to the change and is looking forward to serving the people of Caledonia.
ìMy biggest concern is building a better relationship with the community,î said Shefelbine, adding that he hopes that the department is seen as a public service agency rather than just an enforcement agency.
Drug abuse prevention is another priority with Chief Shefelbine. His 26 years in law enforcement included one year as an undercover narcotics officer and several years on the drug task force.
Part of Shefelbineís plan to connect with the community involves education. He said he would like to have the department conduct drug education classes for parents and defensive driving classes for senior citizens.
ìWe want to be out there to help,î he said. When the public is involved, he added, it makes the job of the police easier because people are more likely to share information.
Chief Shefelbine said that he would also like to see the Caledonia Police Reserves reactivated to provide assistance to the city police. In years past, the reserves put on a bike rodeo, helped patrol on Halloween and during community events, and provided security for school dances.
Some of the plans will have to be put on hold until the department is fully staffed once again. Presently, only Shefelbine and Officer Jim Logan are working for the department full time; another officer is on administrative leave. Other shifts are covered by part-time officers, but staffing is hard because all the part-time officers also have full time jobs. Shefelbine said that he will be working days at the department as well as taking a few night shifts. He will spend his days work on budgeting, scheduling, and other administrative duties.
Chief Shefelbine is looking forward to working with the city council.
ìThe city has good community leaders. Iím fortunate to have this opportunity. They are very pro-law enforcement. Itís a privilege.î
Shefelbine said he decided to seek the police chiefís job because he wanted to give the community the benefit of his experience and training.
ìI really enjoy this type of work,î said the chief. ìYou canít just put on a uniform and be done after 8 or 10 hours. Youíre on duty 24 hours a day; I have no problem with that. This town has been good to me, and I see this as an opportunity to pay back.î
As chief, Shefelbine said he will actively seek grants to assist with training and obtaining equipment for the department. In fact, the department recently received a grant to purchase Tasers and will be doing training soon. He also hopes to work cooperatively with other departments in the county to provide training for law enforcement.
Shefelbine was born in Caledonia but moved out west and graduated from high school in Colorado in 1974. He and his wife, the former Cindy Steele, have four daughters: Dena and Erica are in college, Sara is a sophomore and Laura is in seventh grade.
Caledonia Argus
314 West Lincoln St.
P.O. Box 227
Caledonia, MN 55921-0227
507/724-3475
E-Mail: editor.argus@ecm-inc.com