Duluth Police Honor Officers, Civilians at Annual Commendation Ceremony

Duluth Police Chief Mike Ceynowa put a single number at the center of the department's annual Commendation Ceremony: over 89,000 calls answered last year by a force still fighting its way back from a prolonged staffing crunch.

The March 26 ceremony honored officers, civilian employees and community members for lifesaving actions, investigative work, merit and agency service performed in 2025. Newly hired community service officers and staff were acknowledged alongside civilians who provided significant assistance to the department during the year.

Commendations spanned several categories: lifesaving citations, officer of the year, investigator of the year, supervisor of the year and agency-service honors. Family members and community partners attended, and Ceynowa framed the recognition as a reflection of sustained public support. "This is a great profession and we do try to recognize people day in and day out. We receive tons of compliments from our community, neighboring agencies, other folks that we pass on to our staff on a daily basis," he said. "We want to celebrate your good work and that's what we're doing today."

The ceremony was also a public accounting of where the department stands on hiring. A recent winter recruitment cycle drew more than 40 applicants, well above the department's typical winter turnout, and six new officers from that group have already started. "We're still in this staffing crunch, you know, we're still trying to come back from that. But we've had a lot of promise in that round," Ceynowa said. As of Thursday, 15 job offers were extended for the fall hiring cycle, with the chief indicating plans to grow that number. For a department absorbing that call volume, service coverage across Duluth depends directly on how fast those positions convert to badge-carrying officers.

Ceynowa also highlighted recent investments in department technology, including drone programs, a first responder program and 3D-scanning cameras designed to expand investigative capacity, presenting those tools alongside the new hires as concrete signs of forward progress.

Duluth's recruitment struggle mirrors a national pattern, with municipal police departments competing for a shrinking pool of qualified candidates. The department said it will continue active recruitment and keep the public informed on both hiring progress and technology deployment as the fall cycle unfolds.