HomeMy WebLinkAboutHeckert Hat Trick
City of Edina 4801 W. 50th St. Edina, MN 55424
Contact: Mia Vacanti, Communications Intern
Phone 952-833-9522 commintern@EdinaMN.gov www.EdinaMN.gov
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Officer Receives Recognition for ‘Hat Trick’
Edina, Minn., May 27, 2016 – Edina Police Officer Jake Heckert recently received recognition from the
Minnesota Department of Public Safety’s Office of Traffic Safety for achieving his fourth “hat trick,” a term
used by the department when an officer arrests three impaired drivers in one shift.
Heckert was hired in 2015 after the Edina Police Department received a four-year grant from the Office of
Traffic Safety in order to focus on DWI enforcement. From July to May, Heckert apprehended 145 impaired
drivers. In 2016 alone, he has achieved four hat tricks. Those arrests were made Thursday, Feb. 11; Thursday,
March 31; Saturday, April 16 and, most recently, Wednesday, May 18.
“It’s pretty difficult to get three in one shift because they’re so time consuming,” said Lt. Dan Conboy. “From
the time of stop, arrest and release, it can be anywhere from 45 minutes to three hours.”
Heckert is the first officer in Minnesota to receive four hat trick awards from the Office of Traffic Safety,
since the inception of its hat trick program in October 2014.
“On the first hat trick, the officer receives a hat and a pin,” said Shannon Swanson, Enforcement and Public
Information Coordinator at the Office of Traffic Safety. “On the second hat trick, they receive a hockey stick.
Since Jake has four hat tricks, he is the first person to ever receive three hockey sticks.”
Heckert is one of 12 DWI grant officers in the state. Nine of them work in the metro.
“I’m very impressed with Jake,” said Bill Hammes, Law Enforcement Liaison with the Office of Traffic Safety.
“Out of the nine officers [that I work with as a liaison], he is, without a doubt, the hardest worker. It’s hard
to imagine how many lives he has saved.”
“I love the position of DWI officer. I think it's a great asset to the department," said Heckert. “Just knowing
you're making the roads a safer place for everyone is rewarding.”
The grant to fund Hecker’s position is scheduled to end in 2019, but the Edina Police Department plans to
reapply for the grant as long as it is available.
For more information, contact the Office of Traffic Safety, 651-201-7065.
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