Local man earns top State Patrol award

• Sgt. David Anderson receives award

River Falls native Sgt. David Anderson (middle) received on April 30 the Minnesota State Patrol’s Trooper of the Year award. Standing with him are (left) Dept. of Public Safety Commissioner Mona Dohman and (right) Colonel Kevin Daly, Chief of the Minnesota State Patrol. Submitted photo.

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River Falls native David Anderson graduated the local high school in 1975, not sure what direction life would take.

It turned toward law enforcement, resulting in a 32-year career and as of April 30, the honor of being named as the 2011 Minnesota State Trooper of the Year.

Anderson received the award plaque at an awards lunch, where he says many deserving officers received honors.

Peers or supervisors can nominate a trooper for the award then a statewide committee decides the winner.

The award comes just in time to recognize Anderson before he retires in September.

“I don’t know what I’ll do,” the 55-year-old says with a smile about retirement, though he guesses he’ll find something that doesn’t pertain to law enforcement.

The statewide panel cited his commitment to traffic safety and dedication to the mission of the State Patrol and the people it serves.

Read more about Anderson and his accomplishments in the May 10 print edition of the River Falls Journal.

Tags: river falls, news, crime, police