University of Minnesota Duluth Police Department swears in two new officers

The University of Minnesota Duluth Police Department swore in two new officers on Wednesday afternoon. Officers Timothy Battaglia and Joseph Zallar took their oaths during a ceremony in the Kirby Student Center Rafters. Campus Chief of Police Sean Huls said these new additions will replace one officer who left, while adding one more officer to the team. Huls also stated that having more members of the team can help offer more opportunities to those who work in the department and strengthen community connections.

“We can do different things. We can do different programing”, said Huls. “You know, this job is campus policing isn’t just about enforcement. We’re an institution of discovery and learning. We want our officers to be a part of that. We want to do educational pieces. We want to interact with our community. So having these extra bodies really helps us meet that mission.”

The University of Minnesota Police Force prides themselves on being unique in the state, saying they focus on community relationships just as much as protecting the campuses they serve. The UMD Police Department works directly with the Duluth Police Department and the St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office on incidents both on campus and in the Twin Ports communities.