Wise begins ‘dream job’
by Peter Bodley
Managing Editor
Brad Wise, Coon Rapids’ new police chief, calls it a “dream job.”
Coon Rapids Police Chief Brad Wise
Wise took over the Coon Rapids Police Department’s top job when former Police Chief Tim Snell retired effective June 23.
City Manger Matt Fulton had announced Wise’s appointment May 12 following an internal selection process that involved two other candidates.
Wise brings outstanding credentials to the position, Fulton said in making the appointment.
“Brad is a very effective and honest communicator and advocates for the success of others in accomplishing the very important work of public safety in the community,” he said.
What makes the police chief position even more special for Wise is that he has spent most of his life in Coon Rapids.
Born in Golden Valley and after spending time living in Madison, Minn., Wise’ family moved to Coon Rapids when he was in seventh grade.
He attended what was then Coon Rapids Junior High School and graduated from Coon Rapids High School (CRHS) in 1982.
At the high school, he was a member of the golf and downhill skiing teams, Wise said.
His path to a law enforcement career did not start right after high school and was rather convoluted, according to Wise.
Wise initially went to Hamline University, St. Paul, with the goal of earning a business degree and began work in hotel management while still going to school.
While working at what was then known as the Bloomington Embassy Suites, his job involved responsibility for hotel security, which comprised off-duty officers from the Bloomington Police Department.
“I got to know the people working for Bloomington Police Department and it seemed like a good career,” Wise said.
By then, Wise had left school because he needed a job, but when the hotel was sold he lost his job.
He decided then to pursue a law enforcement career and returned to school to get a law enforcement certificate through Metropolitan State University, Wise said.
His first job was as an emergency coordinator with what was then the Minnesota Department of Emergency Management, now Homeland Security, where he spent three years before he had the opportunity to start his career in the police service.
The opening came with the Robbinsdale Police Department, where he was for one year.
Then in 1995 a call came from the Coon Rapids Police Department and he had the opportunity to join his “home town” department in Coon Rapids, Wise said.
Back then, there was one testing program for law enforcement agencies in the metro area and once hired by one, officers were still given the chance to leave their names on the hiring list for other departments, according to Wise.
He whittled his list to just one department, Coon Rapids, Wise said.
“Coon Rapids was the only department that I would leave Robbinsdale for,” he said.
Wise began as a patrol officer for the city July 24, 1995 and was assigned as a detective/school liaison officer in August 1999.
In 2002, he served as a general investigations detective until May 2005 when he was promoted to patrol sergeant.
In January 2009, Wise was assigned as sergeant to the community oriented policing unit, then was promoted to captain of the detective division/community oriented policing unit the same year.
According to Wise, one of the reasons he applied for the police chief position was because he considered it a “dream job” in his home town.
As a police officer, it had been his goal to do a good job, help people and make a difference in a hands-on way, Wise said.
Wise brings to the job “a passion” for the success of the police department and Coon Rapids in general, he said.
“Most of my family live in Coon Rapids and most of my friends do, too,” Wise said. “This town means a lot to me.”
Over the years Wise said he has had good mentors, especially in his first hotel job where he was told that “if you help other people succeed, down the road they will help you succeed as well.”
Wise said his goal is for all those in the Coon Rapids Police Department organization to be successful and he wants to help them achieve that success, he said.
“My desire is to help other people be successful,” Wise said.
But there are challenges ahead for Wise and the police department, notably budget pressures on local government as a result of state government cutbacks, he said.
“Our mission is to reduce crime and reduce people’s fear of crime,” Wise said.
But with the budget constraints the police department has to realize more efficiencies and do things differently while making sure that Coon Rapids is a safe place in which to live, he said.
Wise does not foresee any fundamental changes to the department’s structure of having three captains.
“It has been successful,” Wise said.
And the appointment of a new captain to fill his spot will be handled internally, he said.
“There are too many good people here to look elsewhere,” Wise said.
Wise is a 2010 Command Academy graduate from the Minnesota Chiefs of Police Association and certified emergency manager from the Minnesota Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management.
Special assignments during his tenure in Coon Rapids include staff liaison to the Coon Rapids Safety Commission, internal affairs investigator, program manager for the Police Citizen’s Academy, predatory offender monitoring educator, Coon Rapids Assistant Emergency Manager and Coon Rapids Youth First Council member.
He also has a history degree from Augsburg College, Minneapolis, and received his master of arts in police leadership from the University of St. Thomas in December 2009.
Wise lives with his family in Coon Rapids..
Most of his spare time involves youth sports – hockey, baseball and gymnastics – including board member of Coon Rapids Youth Hockey Association, coach for Coon Rapids National Little League and law enforcement coordinator for Special Olympics.
But he also enjoys a round of golf and spending time relaxing on a boat on a lake, Wise said.
Peter Bodley is at peter.bodley@ecm-inc.com
