JAMESTOWN – Jamestown Chief of Police Scott Edinger received the 2024 Sworn Member of the Year Award from the Police Chiefs Association of North Dakota on June 25 in Minot.

The award was presented at the organization’s conference in Minot.

The Sworn Member of the Year Award is given based on continual, exceptional performance of duty, clearly above that normally expected which has contributed to the success of their department, according to the Police Chiefs Association of North Dakota website,

https://policechiefsnd.org/

The award criteria: the recipient’s conduct is significantly superior, exhibits conduct which would tend to establish a positive role model for others, is cooperative and productive to significantly further police missions and demonstrates positive personal initiative and expertise, according to the website.

“His life is full of service and helping others,” said David Peterson, chief of police in Williston, North Dakota, and a member of the selection committee that chose Edinger for the award.

“I’m proud of the selection and happy for Chief Edinger,” Peterson said.

The Police Chiefs Association of North Dakota is made up of members who are hired by municipalities across the state of North Dakota. Membership includes command staff-level members from over 60 cities and towns in North Dakota. Non-command staff can be associate members of the organization.

“I certainly didn’t expect this,” Edinger said of receiving the award. “Anytime something like this happens, it’s hard to take credit for anything like that because in my position it’s so dependent upon everybody that I work with  — everybody that works at the police department from command staff to patrol to the clerical staff, elected officials and support of the community. … nothing that I do is possible without that.”

Maj. Justin Blinsky, assistant chief of police for the Jamestown Police Department, nominated Edinger for the award.

“Chief Edinger’s nomination was based not only on his current work product but also a culmination of his career,” he said.

Edinger is a native of North Dakota who grew up in Lusk, Wyoming. He worked for the Niobrara County Sheriff’s Office in Lusk for about three years before returning to North Dakota and joining the Jamestown Police Department in 1994, where he has served for 30 years.

Edinger began his work at JPD as a patrol officer and after several years was chosen for the Stutsman County Drug Task Force, where he served for many years. He was promoted to corporal during that time and after completing his task force assignment was assigned to the detective division. Edinger was recognized for his work on the task force and detective division in several large-scale investigations and successful prosecutions, Blinsky said. While serving in the detective division, he was promoted to sergeant.

He was selected for Jamestown chief of police in 2012.

In his nomination of Edinger for the award, Blinsky wrote that he is a “leader, mentor, and works hard for the betterment of each police department employee. He clearly enjoys coming to work each day.”

Blinsky noted Edinger’s cumulative work, saying it exhibits “exceptional performance of duty that has a direct impact on the continued success of the Jamestown Police Department.”

During Edinger’s tenure as chief, numerous changes have been implemented to ensure the police department is “as efficient, modernized, employee-centric, and structured as possible, while balancing the interests of the City of Jamestown,” Blinsky wrote.

Blinsky said Edinger is willing to listen to new ideas or reasoning for changes while keeping a “big picture” perspective on how changes can have unintended consequences.

Edinger also relates well with citizens and shows compassion and humility, Blinsky said. He has been recognized by department employees, citizens, social groups, attorneys, judges, advocates and even some individuals convicted of crimes that he investigated for his work product and personal attributes, Blinsky wrote.

Edinger has received the following awards/commendations in his career from the Jamestown Police Department: Medal of Honor award, five Honorable Service awards, seven Exceptional Duty awards, four unit citations and Officer of the Year 2005. He was also recognized for his participation and response multiple times to assist Morton County during the Dakota Access Pipeline protests in 2016-2017.

Edinger oversees 29 full-time sworn, three part-time sworn and four civilian staff at JPD.

Edinger served two terms as president of the Police Chiefs Association of North Dakota and is currently past president. He has provided testimony and insight to state legislators to help guide them through changes in state laws and procedures and also served on several advisory committees and community boards, Blinsky said.

Edinger said the award he received is a Jamestown Police Department award, noting the quality of the people who work there.

“Because of that, it makes everything that I do so much easier,” he said. “I guess I look at it as part of my job is to fight for those employees and look out for their well-being and I think that’s probably why that it (the award nomination) got submitted.”

Kathy Steiner has been the editor of The Jamestown Sun since 1995. She graduated from Valley City State College with a bachelor’s degree in English and studied mass communications at North Dakota State University, Fargo. She reports on business, government and community topics in the Jamestown area. Reach her at 701-952-8449 or ksteiner@jamestownsun.com.