Bemidji Pioneer
Beltrami County Sheriff’s Investigator Danelle Haugen has been named the Minnesota Association of Women Police’s 2010 Excellence in Performance Award winner.
She was introduced to the County Board on Tuesday night by Chief Deputy Mike Bakke, who read her nomination letter to commissioners. Her family watched as Bakke read.
“During every stage of her career, Investigator Haugen has demonstrated the utmost professionalism, competence, and a willingness to learn new skills in order to grow professionally,” Bakke wrote in in nomination to MAWP.
“She has developed a skill for interview and interrogation and is perhaps one of the most skilled interviewers and interrogators that we have working for our office,” he wrote. “Investigator Haugen has always demonstrated a tough-minded, determined approach to seeing to it that her cases are resolved successfully.”
Sheriff Phil Hodapp, meeting earlier with commissioners, agreed with Bakke’s assessment, saying she has a real skill for drawing out statements from people and her investigative work was instrumental in solving a murder case in Kelliher.
Haugen began her career in law enforcement in 2000 with the Beltrami County Sheriff’s Department. She was assigned to the Beltrami County Boat and Water Division. Haugen moved on to be a uniformed patrol deputy, DARE officer, civil process deputy, and was promoted to auto theft investigator in October 2006.
“Over the course of her career, Danelle has brought numerous felony cases to a successful end, working both independently and as part of a team,” Bakke wrote. “These cases include burglaries, thefts, auto thefts, sex crimes, child abuse/neglect, assaults and homicides.”
The award “is bestowed upon an officer who encompasses excellent day-to-day performance in their work assignment in the area of investigation and special assignments,” MAWP said.
Haugen was honored at an April 28 dinner in Roseville, Minn.
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