MESSAGE FROM
THE CHIEF
I'm so proud of the men and women of this organization and of their dedication and tenacity in 2020. After a difficult 2019, I had hoped we'd have time to catch our breath and refocus ourselves in 2020, but that didn’t happen thanks to COVID-19. We were tasked with a lot of issues in 2020 that we weren't used to. The pandemic, the civil unrest, and the general state of uncertainty are things we faced day-to-day. These events tested our officers, our staff, and our community. I'm happy to say this was a test we all passed incredibly well. I was overwhelmed by several things this year. I was very impressed by how our community rallied around our department. The constant letters of gratitude and support, and the occasional treats we received, really helped keep our spirits high. More importantly, the fact our community and elected officials let us know how much they cared for and supported us during the time of public unrest elsewhere proved to us we were doing things the right way. We truly appreciated it. I was also impressed by the performance of the men and women of this department. While most people had to avoid contact and shelter in place at the beginning of the pandemic, our officers were still out there doing their job. They were worried about their safety and their families, but they came to work every day. Additionally, they found ways to continue to engage positively with all the new restrictions. Our birthday parade program was a huge success. Not only did our residents enjoy having our officers’ parade in front of their homes to wish them a happy birthday, but our officers enjoyed it, too. I'm very proud and honored to be Merriam’s Chief of Police. Thank you all for coming together and making 2020 a success despite all the problems we faced together. Sincerely, Darren L. McLaughlin Chief of Police
PATROL COMMANDER Capt. Todd Allen INVESTIGATIONS COMMANDER Capt. Troy Duvanel SUPPORT SERVICES COMMANDER Capt. Chris Brokaw
2020 ANNUAL REPORT | 3
