Weinkauf named police chief

Dream

comes true for

veteran officer

By FRITZ BUSCH

Journal Staff Writer

NEW ULM -- For New Ulm Police Commander Erv Weinkauf, being promoted to police chief was a dream come true after 30 years of law enforcement experience.

New Ulm Mayor Arn Koelpin announced Wednesday afternoon that Weinkauf will become the New Ulm Police Chief effective Monday, Sept. 23. Weinkauf will replace Chief Howard Zins who will retire Sept. 22 after more than 37 years with the department.

Weinkauf will be sworn in by Brown County District Court Judge John Rodenberg at 8:30 a.m., Monday, Sept. 23 in the Brown County Law Enforcement Center Training Room.

Koelpin said he felt very comfortable about promoting Weinkauf to chief. He discussed the issue of naming a chief from within the department or looking elsewhere with the New Ulm Police Commission. It was agreed that Weinkauf's experience, training and education made him first choice for chief, Koelpin said.

"Erv, the policeman and the person, has proven himself to be a leader, and he has great community acceptance," Koelpin said. "I'm very pleased to name him chief."

Working in law enforcement was part of Weinkauf's upbringing. His father Erv Weinkauf was a Brown County Deputy for seven years and sheriff for eight years, between 1966 and 1974.

To be sure, Weinkauf is qualified for the job of New Ulm's top cop.

After high school, Weinkauf, served with the U.S. Army Military Police for two years in Germany. After the Army, he began working as a dispatcher/jailer and deputy, serving 2 1/2 years in the Brown County Sheriff's Department. He joined the New Ulm Police Department in June of 1974.

After he was promoted to department head and shift supervisor, Weinkauf realized he wanted to get a college degree, to attend the FBI Academy and to become police chief.

His advancement can be credited to hard work and the department's benefit policy of reimbursing his college tuition and book costs after successful completion of college courses.

He earned two college degrees the old-fashioned, hard way, while working full time as a police officer. At times, he was carrying a 12-credit college load.

"There were times when my kids would ask me when I would be done with college, " Weinkauf admitted. "It's gratifying for me to become police chief. It took a lot of training, education and experience to get to this point."

After 19 years out of the classroom, Weinkauf went back to school in the fall of 1986 and completed an associate degree in law enforcement at Mankato State University.

He earned a bachelor's degree in criminal justice and law enforcement at Metro State University in St. Paul in January 1990. He attended three of 17 classes in St. Paul and completed the rest with independent study at home.

Three years ago, he attended three months of training at the National FBI Academy in Quantico, Va.

Last year, he received the Human Rights Award from the New Ulm Human Rights Commission.

Weinkauf is more than New Ulm's top cop to-be. He teaches law enforcement at Minnesota State University, Range Technical College in Hibbing and South Central Technical College in North Mankato. He also coordinates training in this part of the state for law enforcement students and veteran police officers.

"I get the best of both worlds, training vets and hopefuls," Weinkauf said. "It enables me to pass on my experience. It's gratifying to learn that my students have been successful in their careers."

Weinkauf's FBI training has helped himself and fellow officers because he passes that expertise to them and other officers he trains.

Weinkauf is a living example of the axiom that we should never stop learning, Koelpin said.

Weinkauf said that since he and Zins advanced to NUPD administrative positions, they have attempted to enhance training to help make the department the "best it can be."

"We've given officers opportunities to become better by sending them to training in their specific areas of expertise," Weinkauf said. "It's added incentive for them to stay here instead of working with us for three or four years and moving on to another agency."

Weinkauf said he feels fortunate that the current New Ulm police force is the best complement of officers he's seen. The staff has a mix of experience and youth. Two officer joined in the '60s, two in the '70s and '80s and the rest since 1990.

"We have a relatively young department, but we have a group of officers with good heads on their shoulders," Weinkauf said. "I'm anxious to get to work. There won't be a lot of changes right away, but some will be made in a timely manner. The officers are familiar with my style of doing business. As long as they do their job to the best of their ability, I'll stand behind them."

Weinkauf said he has worked hard to establish a good relationship with the media, school administration and to promote cooperation among officers working together. He said he plans to work hard to maintain a comfortable working relationship with the community.