ENM honors one officer, welcomes newest

By: 
Patrick Fisher, pfisher@newpraguetimes.com

Lauren Irwin, left, pins the officer badge onto her husband Derrick Irwin as he became Elko New Market’s newest police officer during a Thursday, Jan. 12, ceremony. (Patrick Fisher photo)

The Elko New Market City Council honored former police officer Steve Hotaling and welcomed new officer Derrick Irwin to the police department during the council’s Thursday, Jan. 12, meeting.

More than 30 people attended, with several family members and friends of Hotaling and Irwin, plus members of the Elko New Market Police Department.

Steve Hotaling

Elko New Market Police Chief Brady Juell and Acting Mayor Amanda Novak honored former officer Hotaling, who served with the department from May of 2019, until November of 2022, when he left for another department.

During the ceremony, Novak mentioned before coming to Elko New Market, Hotaling volunteered for many years as a volunteer police reserve officer for Cottage Grove. He also served as a security officer for more than a decade, including protecting the state capitol as an officer for the Minnesota State Patrol Security Division.

“During his time here in Elko New Market, Steve took on many additional above-and-beyond duties,” Novak said. Among them was being a Taser instructor and program coordinator, the DWI grant manager and scheduler and trained in new officers as the field training officer.

Welcoming a new officer

Juell presented Officer Irwin with some history. Raised in the Mankato area, Irwin is a graduate of Mayer Lutheran High School. He attended Minnesota State University where he met his future wife, Lauren, while both were taking law enforcement classes. A decade, and five children later, Lauren was a Scott County dispatcher and Irwin was a jail deputy. Lauren heard Elko New Market was looking for an officer. She told Irwin and thought the ENMPD was the department for him. Juell said when Irwin applied, he was easily the top candidate.

“In the time I have spent with Derrick, he possesses all the qualities we look for in an officer for our community,” said Juell. “He is slow to anger, passionate about helping others, listens well, is very intelligent, and probably most important, always in a good mood.”

Juell said Irwin listed as his favorite thing to do is “spend time with his family and raise his kids,” although when he does have some free time he enjoys working out at the gym.

Lauren pinned the officer badge on her husband’s uniform and Irwin took the oath of office from Novak.

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