By Bruce Karnick

The Hastings Police Department and Dakota County Sheriff’s office are both tasked with helping keep people safe and enforcing the law when people decide to break it. They also do their best to be proud community partners, sometimes it is through specific community service projects, other times it is helping with fundraising and sometimes it is through a little humor on social media.

Fundraising With October being Breast Cancer Awareness month, agencies across the United States participate in fundraising through the “Pink Patch Program”. Special patches with pink stitching have been created for both the DSCO and HPD, and HPD has some additional items with pink logos on them. All these items can be purchased by the public and the proceeds are donated to the American Cancer Society. There are 15 agencies from Minnesota participating, including Cottage Grove.

For details on the nationwide program, and to get all the details for each of our agencies participation, visit pinkpatchproject.com. At the top of the page, you will find the “AGENICES” tab, then Minnesota, then H for Hastings or D for Dakota County. Each of their pages gives full details on how to order.

For Hastings PD, you can purchase a patch, pin, or pint glass in person at the Department office in City Hall, or by paying with PayPal. Using the “Send to a Friend” option, enter [email protected] gmail.com. Please include in a message the items being purchased with the exact amount, including shipping, and the address the items are to be shipped to.

Patches – $10 (each + fees if shipping), Pins – $2 (each + fees if shipping), Pint Glass – $10 (MUST PICK UP IN PERSON). Shipping and Handling Fees: One (1) – four (4) patches – $2, Mixed items or more than 4 patches – $3 (unless over 13 oz, then $5) For Dakota County. You can stop by the Sheriff’s Office to purchase a Pink Patch at these two locations.

Law Enforcement Center, Gun Permit Window, 1580 Highway 55, Hastings, MN 55033 Western Service Center, Gun Permit Window, 14955 Galaxie Ave, Apple Valley, MN 55124 We also have online sales through PayPal and Venmo ending on October 31st. See below for pricing and shipping information.

See Law Enforecment Page 7

Deputy Klug and Conservation Officer Kulhanek’s find in rural Dakota County created quite the discussion on the DCSO Facebook page last week. If this property is yours, they would like to have a chat with you about your green thumb. Photo Courtesy of the DCSO Facebook Page. Law Enforcement

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Patches – $10 (each + fees if shipping), Shipping and Handling Fees: One (1) – three (3) patches – $2 If paying by PayPal: [email protected] gmail.com Please choose the Send to a Friend option. If paying by Venmo: @DCSOPinkPatch For both methods, please include a message with the number of items being purchased, the exact amount including shipping, and the address the items should be sent to. Cash or checks made out to the “American Cancer Society” are also welcome. Please send those payments to: #Pink-PatchProject Dakota County Sheriff’s Office, 1580 Highway 55, Hastings, MN 55033 Mix in a little humor Friday October First was the humor when the Dakota County Sheriff’s Office put a post on their Facebook page regarding a recent find made by their staff.

“If you’re looking for your weed in rural Dakota county don’t worry, Deputy Klug and Conservation Officer Kulhanek found it and are keeping it safe. Please contact the sheriff’s office to claim your found property. We would also love to ask about your green thumb.”

When sifting through a portion of more than 1,000 comments, many people were questioning if it was indeed marijuana or just a hemp plant, as both plants look very similar. Regardless of what plant it was, the post and accompanying picture gave many people a brief chuckle from a source you would not expect one from.

#PinkPatchProject is a fundraising campaign through Law Enforcement Agencies across the United States. Both the Hastings Police Department and The Dakota County Sheriff’s Office are participating by selling pink patches like the ones depicted here.

Photos Courtesy of PinkPatchProject.com