The City of Fergus Falls, Minnesota invites your application to become the City’s next Police Chief. Fergus Falls offers a unique blend of natural beauty, rich history, and small-town charm, making it the perfect place for you to call home. While we love this community and call it home, Fergus Falls is a tourism destination. We are located three hours from the Twin Cities and a short hour drive to Fargo, North Dakota. Rich farmland stretches to the west while a fantastic lakes region can be found to the east of the community.
With 14,000 residents, Fergus Falls is small enough to feel like home, but we have enough amenities to never want to leave. We have a fabulous public library, a community ice arena, the new Spies Riverfront Park and Pavilion, Otter Cove Children’s Museum, an accessible playground and the new downtown splashpad. More community excitement will arrive in the summer of 2025 with the addition of an aquatics center and improvements to the DeLagoon Campground and ballfields. Otter Tail County has more than 1,100 lakes that offer opportunities for open water and ice fishing, boating, and beautiful sunsets meant for relaxing pontoon rides. Hunters can find numerous varieties of birds, deer, and wild game in the nearby fields and wooded areas. Paved and rustic biking and hiking trails wind through scenic wooded and prairie destinations. The city has 28 parks spanning nearly 600 acres of parkland. The Prairie Wetlands Learning Center is a jewel to the community with an expansive property known as the duck factory as it is home for nesting waterfowl and outdoor recreation areas.
Fergus Falls has vibrant arts and cultural scene, with galleries, theaters, and historic sites like the iconic Fergus Falls Regional Treatment Center. The downtown area boasts local shops, cozy cafes, and welcoming restaurants that make every visit feel like a warm escape. Fergus Falls is a family-oriented community with a great public school system, private K-12 school and the M-State college. Housing is affordable, healthcare is readily available, the job market is strong, and the town has been full of friendly faces. We would like to see yours join us!
For full details about the position, please review the position brochure at Mercer Group Associates Current Searches: https://mercergroupassociates.com/current-searches/
About The Organization
The City of Fergus Falls operates under a Home Rule Charter. The Charter prescribes a Mayor-Council form of government in which the City Council serves as the City’s legislative body and determines all matters of policy.
About The Police Department
The Fergus Falls Police Department is authorized for 24 sworn officer positions in administration, patrol, investigations, school resource officer, and drug task force support with an operating budget of approximately $5M. The department employs five full-time and one part-time support staff members. The Fergus Falls Police Department provides community-oriented policing with a fully staffed, cohesive team that enjoys a high degree of camaraderie in the Department’s balance of mid-career, long-term, and new officers and the civilian staff
Education And Experience
Graduation from a four-year college or university with a degree in police science, law enforcement, criminal justice,
public administration or a closely related field; a master’s degree is preferred; and ten (10) years of experience in police work, seven (7) years of which must have been equivalent to police sergeant or higher; or a two-year degree with 20 years of service and at least 10 of those years at a rank of police sergeant or higher; or any equivalent combination of training, experience and education that provides the requisite knowledge, skills, and abilities for the position.
- Must possess a valid Minnesota driver’s license or the ability to obtain one.
- Ability to meet the department’s physical standards.
- Must be or be able to become Minnesota P.O.S.T. Board Certified.
Compensation And Benefits
The expected starting salary for this position is $135,500 to $162,600 depending on qualifications. The City offers highly competitive benefits which include:
- Vacation
- Sick Leave
- Paid Holidays:
- Medical, Dental, Vision Insurance
- Health savings account (HSA)
- Flexible Limited Spending Account
- Flexible Spending Account
- 457(b) Deferred Compensation Plan
- PEHCSP – Post Employment Healthcare Savings Plan
- Basic Life and AD&D
- Voluntary Life and AD&D Insurance
- NCPERS Life Insurance
- Long- Term and Short-Term Disability
- Accident Insurance
- Critical Injury Insurance
- Group Hospital Insurance
How To Apply
Please submit a cover letter, resume, a list of five job-related references (with email and phone numbers), as well as
salary history to jeffhale@localgovhrs.com no later than June 7, 2025.
The City of Fergus Falls, Minnesota is an Equal Opportunity Employer
For Questions Please Contact
Jeff Hale, Mercer Group Associates
jeffhale@localgovhrs.com
706-371-6126
