Eden Prairie Local News
    Facebook Twitter Instagram
    Saturday, March 25
    • About
      • About EPLN
      • Team
      • EPLN in the News
      • Policies
    • Contact
    Facebook Twitter Instagram
    Subscribe
    Eden Prairie Local News
    • Home
    • Schools
    • Business
    • Sports
    • Public Safety
    • City
    • Calendar
    • Donate
    • Subscribe
    • More
      • Construction
      • Outdoors
      • Politics
      • Health
      • Spirituality
      • Community Service
      • Legacy
      • Obituaries
      • Arts
      • Family
      • Holidays
      • Letter to Editor
      • Listen
      • Jobs
    Eden Prairie Local News
    Home»Public Safety»EP Police Chief Greg Weber Part 2: Diversity, COVID
    Public Safety

    EP Police Chief Greg Weber Part 2: Diversity, COVID

    By Vijay B. DixitMay 18, 2021Updated:May 18, 20213 Mins Read
    Eden Prairie Police Chief Greg Weber. Photo courtesy City of Eden Prairie

    Chief Weber seeking diversity on the EP police department

    Chief Greg Weber said he is a strong supporter of diversity in the EP police force. “We always look at diversifying the police department. How do we reflect the community we serve, not only from an ethnic background, a gender background but also mindset?”

    Diversity on the police force helps to bring a comprehensive set of strengths and perspectives to serving the community, according to Weber. “If we had 70 school resource officers we’d fail miserably. If we had 70 computer forensics officers we’d fail miserably. We need different passions and different strengths and interest levels within our organization to provide comprehensive services.”

    Weber said that he’s looking for young people who represent diverse communities who might have be considering a career in police work. He is interested in a diversity in his staff, and extends an open invitation to individuals from various ethnic communities to consider joining the police force in Eden Prairie.

    Advertisement
    Ad for Washburn-McReavy

    Chief Weber invited young people in the community to consider a career in policing starting with the Explorer Program. “We’ve got an Explorer Program where we can get kids interested, from a diversity standpoint. If you have young men or this young women with a desire to serve and are empathetic. They would be very valuable to us as an organization.”

    The chief continued, “One of the things that we’ve come to learn through the diversification process and our desire to make sure we have a diverse workforce is talking to our officers of color saying how does diversity breed more diversity. We’re learning that you can look at gender, you can look at ethnic background, but one of the critical things is the culture or the environment in which you grew up.”

    He maintained, “To get a person who feels that they could fit in as a police officer in Eden Prairie, their upbringing, almost needs to be in an environment like Eden Prairie, a suburban environment. You get more buy in or more of a desire or more of an investment of that individual to serve in the community.”

    Impact of COVID on police

    On the one hand, people in Eden Prairie may well find getting stopped by the police an unwelcome experience. On the other hand, Chief Weber noted that during the COVID-19 crisis the EP police department staff drive to work daily, and don’t have flexibility to work from home. They frequently encounter lack of social distancing, drivers without masks during traffic stops.

    The chief explained, “When people don’t feel well they call 911, and my staff responds. The caller might have the Coronavirus but the staff provides patient care to them, and all things they need to do, and they are happy to do.”

    The exposure to the general public and varying attitudes about the COVID pandemic though, can put a strain on officers and their families, noted Weber. After the officers work with the public for 8-10 hours they return home to their families, noted Weber. The family member’s response may well be “You just went to work for 8-10 hours, you were exposed to how many people?” he said. “That can put a strain in that family.”

    See here for Part 1 with Police Chief Greg Weber speeding and distracted driving

    Editor’s note: Vijay B. Dixit is the chairman of the Shreya R. Dixit Memorial Foundation which promotes distraction-free driving educational programming and legislation.

    Be Informed
    Sign up for the FREE email newsletter from EPLN
    Subscribe

    Comments

    Comments aren’t allowed on our site, but we do offer several ways to provide feedback, and have your voice heard. If you believe the story has an error, or would like to get in touch with the author, please contact us. If you would like to respond directly to this article, we welcome and encourage Letters To the Editor. You can find details on how to submit a letter on our contact page.

    Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email
    Previous ArticleEden Prairie Black Student Union offers ‘a sense of community, belonging’
    Next Article Stoltz departure leaves vacancy, petition started and school board to consider next steps

    More to READ

    1 Min Read

    EP man seriously injured in Stearns County crash

    March 23, 2023
    3 Mins Read

    City eyes larger space for police

    March 22, 2023
    2 Mins Read

    Pedestrian killed crossing Highway 5

    March 20, 2023
    Subscribe to get EPLN in your inbox for FREE!
    Recent Articles

    Highway 101 to undergo pavement resurfacing in 2024

    March 25, 2023

    Noble Hill court case dismissed

    March 24, 2023

    Dean Phillips visits dad’s Vietnam War crash site; rubs elbows with South Korean stars

    March 24, 2023

    EP man seriously injured in Stearns County crash

    March 23, 2023

    EP accepting nominations for 2023 Heritage Preservation Award

    March 23, 2023
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Instagram
    Eden Prairie Local News is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization EIN 85-4248265 | Copyright © 2020-2023
    • About
    • Policies
    • Jobs
    • Contact
    • Advertising
    • Subscribe
    • Donate

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.