Open Letter to Rosemount Residents and Community from Former Police Chief Mikael Dahlstrom
ROSEMOUNT, MINNESOTA — The following is an open letter to the Rosemount community from former Rosemount Police Chief Mikael Dahlstrom, which he posted on his Facebook page late Friday morning, December 5, 2025.
“To the Residents, Business Leaders, School Officials, Friends, Family, and the police department of the Rosemount Community.
After nineteen years of service with the Rosemount Police Department and six years as your Chief of Police, I am publicly announcing my resignation. This decision comes with a profound sense of reflection and gratitude for the journey I have been privileged to share with each of you.
Rosemount is not just the place I have served, it is the community where I grew up, attended local schools, and participated in the local sports. My lifelong ties to this city have shaped my commitment to public service and fueled my desire to give back to the place I have always called home.
During my tenure as Chief, our department faced unprecedented challenges. Together, we navigated civil unrest and the global pandemic, adapting and growing alongside one of the fastest-growing cities in the state. Through it all, we remained dedicated to diversifying our services and maintaining the highest standards of safety and community care.
I have cherished serving a community that consistently values and supports its public safety officials. Our officers worked tirelessly to reduce crime and deliver outstanding service. In a recent national survey, Rosemount residents cited safety as the top reason for choosing to live here, with over 93% expressing approval of our public safety services; an affirmation of the trust and partnership we have built together.
Over the last six years, our efforts in community engagement and officer wellness set new standards for policing in Minnesota. Supporting our officers has always been paramount. We became the first department in the state to implement the Sigma Heart Health program, helping officers identify early signs of heart disease—the number one killer among law enforcement. In recognition of these efforts and other wellness programs, we were honored with the League of Minnesota Cities, City of Excellence Award in 2023 for our commitment to officer wellness.
We were the first agency in the State to launch the Pink Patch Project, which has since inspired over fifty agencies to join this noble cause. Initiatives like Heroes and Helpers, a new K-9 program, the Guns and Hoses hockey game, Public Safety in the Park, and Cops with Kicks for Kids have strengthened our connection to those we serve.
From a mental health and crisis perspective, we were one of the earliest Departments to launch an embedded social work program that pairs officers and social workers to assist individuals in crisis. This initiative has provided vital resources and helped thousands of community members regain stability and health.
Our department’s commitment to excellence has been recognized at the state level, with officers honored as Female Officer of the Year and Juvenile Officer of the Year. In addition, several of our officers have been awarded Medals of Valor and Distinguished Service Awards from statewide associations, reflecting their extraordinary dedication, courage, and professionalism.
Further, we prioritized innovation and inclusiveness, empowering internal change agents to lead initiatives that transformed our department. Notably, we established a dedicated Crime Analyst position. This role has already delivered substantial benefits to public safety by leveraging data analysis to identify crime patterns and connect the dots between incidents, enabling our team to deploy more effective strategies and resources to keep our community safe. In addition, we designed a new standardized training and development program to ensure our officers and staff were equipped with the appropriate knowledge and skills tailored to their career stages, fostering ongoing professional growth and success. In our commitment to harnessing the latest advancements in technology, we deployed body worn cameras and automated license plate readers. These initiatives have allowed us to resolve crime more effectively, increase transparency, and enhance public safety within our community.
One legacy project that I will reflect on for years to come is the planning, design, and construction of the new Police and Public Works facility that consumed significant time for over four years; we moved into the new facility in December 2024. This state-of-the-art building was thoughtfully created to address our training, wellness, and space needs, ensuring that Rosemount’s public safety services are prepared to meet the demands of the next several decades.
While I reflect with pride on our accomplishments, I must also acknowledge how difficult it has been to endure what has evolved over the last couple of months. After nearly twenty years of dedication to Rosemount and my commitment to ensuring due process in the criminal justice system, I was taken aback by the vague and cryptic messaging deployed by the City Administration and Communications Department. A respectful and smooth transition, while I considered the City’s proposed separation agreement, could have included an automated email reply from my account stating I was on leave. Instead, and almost immediately, their widespread messaging to the media allowed for uncontrolled interpretation and public disparagement. Admittedly, being thrust into the negativity of the social media world without the opportunity to defend my position was a challenging and disheartening experience for me, my family, and friends.
It was especially disappointing that the basis for this separation stemmed from anonymous comments in a survey, with no official investigation, no chance for dialogue, and without a vote of no confidence from the union. While harmony and morale are important to the Department’s success, my responsibility as Chief was to make decisions grounded in three core priorities: public and officer safety, liability, and fiscal responsibility. Leadership often requires choosing what is right—even when it is difficult—over what is popular. To be on the receiving end of what felt like an unnecessary and unprofessional media blast was extremely demoralizing after years of devoted service.
Though my resignation comes earlier than I had anticipated, we have accomplished so much together, and I sincerely appreciate the hundreds of residents, business leaders, school officials, friends, family, and Rosemount officers who have supported me in recent weeks. Your encouragement—through texts, calls, emails, written letters, and messages on social media— has been both humbling and uplifting, and I am truly grateful for every word of support.
Thank you for allowing me to serve this remarkable community. I leave with great pride in our shared achievements, confidence in the department’s future, and heartfelt appreciation for the trust you have placed in me.”
With sincere respect and gratitude,
Mikael Dahlstrom
Former Chief of Police, Rosemount Police Department
