Hennepin County Has A Bunch of New Deputies

Hennepin County Sheriff Rich Stanek swore in 27 new detention deputies and 30 new deputy sheriffs Monday night, according to a news release from the sheriff's office.

Deputy Haissan Hussein was among those who received their badge. "He is the first Somali American to be sworn-in as a deputy sheriff in Hennepin County," according to the news release.

“We want Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office personnel to reflect the communities we serve and Deputy Hussein is an asset to public safety and our efforts to work in partnership with the Somali American community in Hennepin County,” Stanek said in the news release.

The night also included an awards ceremony.

“Many of the award winners performed life-saving acts while others are receiving honors for their highly professional and dedicated work in public safety," Stanek said.

Here are some of the awards presented:

• The Mound Fire Department received an .
• A deputy and a Richfield police officer responded Dec. 18, 2012, to the report of a person who was about to jump off the Portland Avenue Bridge in Minneapolis. They kept the person from jumping.
• The Communications Division of the Sheriff's Office received a Unit Citation. They added the city of Hopkins to the 911 services in "less than half the time compared to other similar projects," according to the news release.

Citing safety concerns, the Sheriff's Office did not provide all the names and hometowns of the new detention deputies, deputy sheriffs and award winners.