HomeMy WebLinkAbout2017 08-14 New Maplewood director of public safety begins work MAPLEWOOD REVEIW
New Maplewood director
of public safety begins
work
Submitted by admin on Mon, 08/14/2017 - 10:14am
Scott Nadeau
Newly appointed Maplewood Director of Public Safety Scott Nadeau jumped into his role Aug. 7.
Nadeau, 51, replaced Paul Schnell, who retired in June. Lt. Kerry Crotty was acting police chief in the interim.
“It’s been a bit of whirlwind so far, but I’ve enjoyed it,” Nadeau said the third day on the job.
Nadeau, who was previously police chief in Colombia Heights, said his plan is to spend the next few months getting
to know the people of Maplewood, both in the department and in the community.
Nadeau said that although he believes people should always be looking for where they can make improvements, he
doesn’t plan to make any initial changes to the police, fire or EMS departments.
“The first order of business, really, is to come in with that fresh set of eyes, and look at how public safety is operating
in Maplewood, and look at what are those things that are really going well and how can we capitalize on those
things,” Nadeau said. “My sense is, there’s great things happening here.”
City Manager Melinda Coleman said in a statement that Nadeau was ready.
“Scott’s experience as a chief in Columbia Heights has prepared him well for Maplewood,” Coleman said. “He’ll be
able to continue the many advances that have happened recently in our department, but will also be able to bring his
own energy and vision.”
Nadeau said his vision includes prioritizing community outreach and working closely with community partners, which
could be landlords, schools, business owners or neighborhoods.
“Crime is not just an issue for the police, but crime is an issue for everyone in the community,” Nadeau said. “We
need to work together to make sure that we’re taking the most proactive and collaborative approaches.”
From CSO to chief
Nadeau began his law enforcement career at Brooklyn Center when he became a community service officer at 18
years old. At 21, he became a police officer and began taking on various roles, including training officer, SWAT team
member and hostage negotiator.
He moved up the ranks to supervisor, sergeant, lieutenant and then commander. In 2008 he became the police chief
of Colombia Heights.
“This is my third community and it’s always exciting to come in to a new city and work on building those new
relationships and see how they’re doing the job of law enforcement,” Nadeau said.
Nadeau holds a Master’s degree in public and nonprofit administration from Metropolitan State University and is a
graduate of the FBI National Academy’s 257th session. He teaches law enforcement leadership in the master’s
program at the University of St. Thomas and community policing at Metropolitan State University.
Nadeau currently lives in Rogers with his wife and two adult sons. He and his family are considering moving to
Maplewood or one of the surrounding communities so he can be closer to his new position.
He explained he pursued Maplewood’s top public safety position because he sees Maplewood as an “interesting and
progressive city,” and because he has not overseen a fire or EMS department before. He said the position provides
an opportunity for him to “learn and grow as a person, and professionally.”
The hiring process consisted of multiple phases in order for the city to thoroughly evaluate the profile and strengths of
each candidate. In addition, the process included input from residents, department heads and members of the
Maplewood Police Department, as well as the mayor and city council members.
“I really liked the \[hiring\] process that Maplewood used. There was a lot of citizen input and I think that that speaks to
the level of citizen involvement in this community,” Nadeau said. “The fact that the city is so solicitous of the thoughts
and opinions of the people that live here, I think is a great and progressive way to run a city.”
Aundrea Kinney can be reached at 651-748-7822 or akinney@lillienews.com