Entering my 5th month as a Policy Fellow at the U of MN, Humphrey Institute, I’m amazed at how quickly the time has passed. I’ve connected with, and learned much from, some incredible people who are working to make our communities better.
A large portion of this program is our group project. Two wonderful people have joined with me to develop a program in concert with Minnesota Teen Challenge (MNTC). MNTC is an organization that has been restoring hope to teens and adults struggling with drug and alcohol addiction for over 25 years. We hope to enhance graduate reintegration into society by giving them tools to obtain employment, which will lead to a lower rate of recidivism.
This is a tough time for any of us to find a job, but it’s certainly much more difficult for somebody that might have a criminal history. We want to help create a network of employers and business people willing to supply some level of assistance. Employment opportunities would be great, but help in the areas of job mentoring, internship opportunities, education or mock interviews would be tremendous.
My group partners and I have a passion for this project, but from different sources.
In my earlier post I described the role that my uncle played in my decision to become a police officer. As an officer, I’ve had contact with people before and after they have completed the MNTC program. It’s great to see the positive changes in many of them. My wife and I have been happy to donate to the program when a group visits our church, as we did just over a year ago.
On May 1, 2010, I was working during a beautiful Saturday morning, and around 6:45 am, I was listening to radio traffic on a metro-wide emergency channel. There was a large operation underway in St. Paul, and I was concerned that a police officer had been injured, based on the limited information I was hearing. A short time later, I learned that my uncle, my hero, Maplewood Police Sergeant Joseph Bergeron had been murdered while he was protecting his community. He was investigating a reported car jacking, and the two men involved ambushed him. While one distracted him, the other snuck around and shot him. Both had been using methamphetamine.
One of the men was killed later that morning after he attacked another police officer. The other man was later apprehended. The photos of these men were shown on the news programs later that day. The surviving man had been in the group from MNTC that visited my church just a few months earlier. I had given him money, and he repaid me by murdering my hero.
My feelings toward MNTC were certainly conflicted, and I didn’t know if I could support the program anymore. Then, I remembered what my Uncle Joe would do if he were still here. He would do his best to help somebody turn his or her life around.
It’s my intention, through this group project, to give graduates of MNTC hope. Hope – so that when struggles arise, they are less likely to fall back into their old lifestyle, and are more likely to make good choices.
~ Sergeant Mike Duzan is a guest contributor.
