Sidney Police Department is now fully staffed and ready to step in and keep the peace in Sidney. Pictured are, top row (L-R) Chaplain Michael Backhaus, Officer Brett Norby, Lt. Gabe Zeiler and Chaplain Paul Tureck; middle, (L-R) Officer Max Fletcher, Officer Tanner Gomke, Chief Mark Kraft and Corporal James Fletcher; bottom, (L-R) Officer James Drager, Corporal Dan Nieman, and Captain Travis Rosaaen. Not pictured is Officer Jonathan Ryal, Officer Tyler King, Officer Joel Rosales and Ringo. (Photo submitted)
The Sidney Police Department has been serving the City of Sidney since 1915. 108 years later the officers are still protecting the lives and property of the city's citizens.
According to Chief Mark Kraft, "The fundamental duty of all law enforcement in the state is keeping the peace." This gives them many tasks. Besides the usual traffic control, keeping the peace, and apprehension of criminals, Sidney's officers also do welfare checks and patrols near the schools, businesses, and housing areas during the day and after dark. Since Sidney does not have an animal control separate from the police, they also pick up stray pets and handle other tasks an animal control officer would handle in another town.
The officers also participate in community outreaches such as the Cool Off With Cops and Cookies With Cops events put on by Drug-Free Communities and the Richland County Housing Authority. Officers are even asked to do talks in Sidney High School's government class.
Sidney Police Department is now fully staffed with a force of 12 human officers and one canine officer. They were recently approved by the city council to add a drug task force officer, which will bring the number of human officers to 13. In 2022, they welcomed officers Joel Rosales, Tyler King, James Drager, and K9 Ringo to the force. Future men and women officers are trained in Sidney before going to Helena for the police academy. Ringo, on the other hand, went to a kennel in Pennsylvania with his future partner, Officer Gomke, for his training.
Chief Kraft does what he can to recognize the officers under him for the hard work they do. In October 2022, Chief Kraft nominated two of his officers, Brett Norby and Jonathan Ryal, for awards at the Montana Association of Chiefs of Police (MACOP) conference recognizing their performance during events that happened in 2021. Officer Norby was awarded the 2022 MACOP Officer of the Year award and Officer Ryal was awarded the 2022 MACOP Lifesaving Award. In 2023, Chief Kraft awarded Corporal James Fletcher, with the Sidney Police Department Officer of the Year award at the Sidney Chamber Annual Banquet and New Business Showcase in January. Chief Kraft said, "It's an honor to lead the officers that we have and to guide this department in a way that will benefit the Sidney community."
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