Five-year veteran with Minneapolis Park Police recognized for superior work ethic, selfless and professional attitude, and efforts in training colleagues and new officers
Posted on 22 December, 2023
Caleb Koecher has been selected as the 2023 Minneapolis Park Police Officer of the Year. Officer Koecher is a five-year veteran of the Park Police Department and 2012 graduate of Moose Lake Willow River High School.
In 2023 he was assigned to nightshift patrol duties for parks located across Minneapolis and received at least 13 letters of recognition, mostly for outstanding arrests he was involved in throughout the year. Several of these arrests involved the illegal possession of firearms and narcotics.
“Officer Koecher has earned the trust and confidence of his peers, supervisors, and park staff through his work in leadership roles and consistently good patrol work,” said Park Police Chief Jason Ohotto. “In this capacity, Officer Koecher has worked tirelessly to ensure the Park Police values of Service, Community, Support and Dedication.”
Throughout 2023, Officer Koecher volunteered to take on additional assignments and responsibilities outside of his normal patrol duties, including instructing fellow officers on use of force tactics and taser operation and serving as a field training officer.
Several of Officer Koecher’s co-workers recommended him for this award.
“I have had the pleasure of working the same squad car with Caleb and learned a lot from him,” wrote one colleague. “I’ve watched him deal with stressful situations and I’ve observed him keep his composure and remain professional.”
“Officer Koecher has a great attitude and would help anyone with anything,” added one of his patrol supervisors. “He is a team player. His co-workers trust him.”
Another supervisor noted, “He (Officer Koecher) is very selfless when it comes to training and will often put in the extra time to make sure his work is well polished before presenting it.”
Park Officer Caleb Koecher consistently demonstrates a superior work ethic, a commitment to teaching fellow officers, immense dedication to the mission of the Park Police Department, and a positive attitude. The sum of these attributes is most deserving of this honor.