Silver Bay police chief retires; new chief sworn in
Aug 11, 2019 08:31AM ● By Editor
By Teri Cadeau of The Lake County News Chronicle - August 9, 2019
After five years with the Silver Bay Police Department and 33 years in the profession, Silver Bay Police Chief Doug Frericks officially retired Monday, Aug. 5. New Police Chief Scott Kochendorfer, formerly of the Red Wing Police Department, was sworn in during the City Council meeting.
The council chambers were packed with friends and family members of Kochendorfer and Frericks, police officers and residents. Mayor Scott Johnson thanked Frericks for his service as chief.
"I want to tell you, you’ve done a wonderful job," Johnson said. "Our department is in better than it’s been in many, many years and we’re going to miss him. We were lucky to have him for the time that we did."
Frericks addressed the crowd, thanking the community for their support, his fellow officers for their dedication and his wife, Helen, for standing by his side.
"I knew at a very young age that I wanted to be a cop and I hoped at some point I'd be able to come back to my hometown," Frericks said. "By giving me the opportunity to come home, you fulfilled a lifetime dream. I don’t think there’s many people who can be fortunate enough to end their career in the town they grew up, the place they call home."
The former police chief offered advice for Kochedorfer.
"It's a marathon, not a sprint," Frericks said. "I'm excited to see the community and department grow under your leadership. We've come a long way, but we have so much further to go."
Kochendorfer recently relocated with his family to Silver Bay from Red Wing, Minn., where he served as the training officer for the Red Wing department. He was sworn in as the Silver Bay assistant chief of police July 1 and has been working with Frericks for the past month.
"When I came up here for a ride-along last year, I left thinking, 'I feel like I have something to offer this community,'" Kochendorfer said. "I appreciate the opportunity to serve and the welcome of the community."
To read the original article and see related reporting, follow this link to the Lake County News Chronicle website. https://www.lcnewschronicle.com/news/crime-and-courts/4559622-Silver-Bay-police-chief-retires-new-ch...
