Submitted photo the easement is placed. This easement New Ulm Police Commander Dean Barstad passed the 30-year mark at the police department recently. He said he has no plans to retire.

NEW ULM — New Ulm Police Commander Dean Barstad recently passed the 30-year mark with the department and doesn’t plan to retire anytime soon.

“I plan to keep showing up, staying with the good people I work with and doing what I do,” he said. “It’s been a great run. It’s hard to believe its actually been that long. When I look back, it seems like I started a short time ago. I’ve worked with some great officers and city personnel that have been great to work with. Partnering with them to establish great relationships has made it a lot easier.”

Barstad said New Ulm police work these days is much different than it was when he began working here in 1995.

“We used to respond to lots of bar fights. Those things have been greatly reduced, but we deal with more mental health and substance abuse issues on a regular basis now,” he said.

Barstad said modern technology has also changed police work greatly.

“When I started police work, our office had two computers used by clerical personnel,” he said. “Now we have computers in squad cars and offices and cameras in squad (vehicles) and on officers, which has been a true game-changer for the profession.”

Barstad said police work looked interesting and offered variety to him when he was young.

“I wanted to get into a line of work that is different every day. I wanted a job with a level of excitement about the job,” said Barstad. “What’s most rewarding is not knowing when you have an opportunity to have a profound impact on someone’s life.”

He earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology and communication at the University of Minnesota Duluth before taking law enforcement training at Range Technical College.

Barstad said he got involved in many community organizations including playing softball, coaching youth softball, baseball, football and hockey teams. He has served on the New Ulm Hockey Association Board of Directors, New Ulm Youth Softball Association and Lafayette Charter School Board.

He enjoys hunting deer and turkey and fishing.

“I’m trying to get into golf. I’m not very good, but I try,” said Barstad.

His wife Alli is plant manager at Ilpea Industries. Their oldest daughter Brenna is a marketing director in Duluth. Another daughter, Alexa, is studying occupational therapy at the University of South Dakota. Their son Landon is studying business at the University of North Dakota.