Morrison County Sheriff Shawn Larsen gave his annual report to the Morrison County Board of Commissioners at its meeting on Tuesday, April 23. Larsen provided a comprehensive overview of the activities of the Morrison County Sheriff’s Office over the past year.
Larsen reported that the number of complaints received by the sheriff’s office in 2023 was 11,289, down slightly from 11,599 complaints in 2022. He noted that factors like traffic stops, carry permit applications and gun purchases all contribute to the total number of complaints. DUIs in the county were steady at 116 in 2023 compared to 113 in the previous year. However, Larsen highlighted a concerning increase in DUIs involving drugs, with 37 such cases in 2023 up from just 10 in 2022.
Larsen discussed programs offered at the county jail, including drug addiction classes, Bible study and peer support groups. He said these programs aim to help inmates through a difficult transition and possibly change lives.
“We have Residents Encountering Christ, which is two weekends a year where we bring our 40 volunteers that come in to share the Word and to work with our inmates,” Larsen said. “We found this to be just a great program because these volunteers can share their life stories, and some of them have been in our facility before. Some of these people have hit rock bottom, and they’re sharing the Holy Spirit with their inmates. My belief is if we can change one or two inmates, even if it’s out of 20, we’re still doing good.”
Larsen also updated the Board on the new Tek84 Body Scanner, which identifies drugs, weapons, cellphones and other contraband. Although the body scanner was received in late 2023 and jail staff were trained on how to use it, the Minnesota Department of Health has yet to approve its use. Larsen said staff will be retrained on its use once approval is received.
When asked about risks to officers, Larsen reported that some jail staff members needed to go to the hospital to make sure they weren’t exposed to harmful chemicals in February 2023 following drug overdoses from inmates.
Remarkably, the number of deaths of Morrison County residents from drug overdoses in 2023 was zero, down from 12 deaths from drug overdoses in 2022. Larsen credited education and training for how to administer Narcan, a medication that can reverse an overdose from many opioids, for reducing overdose deaths in the county to zero last year. However, the medical examiner’s report showed fentanyl and methamphetamine remain prevalent issues statewide.
“I can’t pinpoint what happened. I’d like to say a lot of it is from our staff, the education in our schools, ‘Coffee with a Cop,’ where we work with different law enforcement agencies within Morrison County. And then, of course, a lot of this is because we carry Narcan.” Larsen said. “Although I don’t have that number in front of me, I can tell you that there’s multiple calls during the year where we get calls where someone’s had an overdose or unconscious, not alert, but they had a heartbeat. And we go there and our deputies are utilizing Narcan and reviving them. So that’s part of it as well. But I think it’s it’s it’s a breath of fresh air for us just to realize that zero deaths in Morrison County were due to drug overdoses. That’s huge. And that speaks volumes on all of us at the government center and law enforcement that we’re doing something right.”
Larsen discussed the sheriff’s office Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) armored vehicle, used for high-risk warrants and training. He said partnering agencies can also utilize it when additional protection is needed. Highlighting the importance of having the MRAP armored vehicle in case of extreme emergencies, he noted that in the Burnsville shooting in February where a gunman killed two police officers and a firefighter, a similar armored vehicle withstood over 100 rounds in a past officer-involved shooting.
Overall, Larsen’s detailed report showed the many facets of keeping Morrison County safe through law enforcement, while also addressing the complex issues of drugs, mental health and rural broadband access in the community. The Board thanked Larsen for his service and informative presentation.
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