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With Albert Lea Public Safety Director JD Carlson retiring, the city of Albert Lea has announced a series of leadership changes within its police and fire departments, effective today.

The city promoted Deputy Police Chief Darren Hanson to police chief. Hanson began his career with the Albert Lea Police Department in 1995. He earned a promotion to lieutenant in 2007 and then to deputy chief in 2018. Hanson played a vital role in the department receiving the gold award for excellence in law enforcement police management for five years in a row.

“It’s an honor to lead the Albert Lea Police Department — a department that has invested in me and helped shape the leader I am today,” Hanson said. “I’ve learned a lot from those who came before me, and now it’s my responsibility to equip the officers who will carry this department forward into the future.”

Lt. Darin Palmer also moves up, becoming deputy police chief. Palmer started with the department in 2000 and was promoted to lieutenant in 2010. He graduated from the Northwestern University Center of Public Safety, School of Police Staff and Command in 2022. Palmer also served as the regional SWAT command leader for seven years.

“Darin has a proven ability to strengthen the operational effectiveness of every team he’s been part of. He understands how to bring people together, focus on priorities and get results. His leadership will be a great asset as we continue to grow and adapt as a department,” Hanson said. 

Deputy Fire Chief Jeff Laskowske now serves as fire chief. He joined Albert Lea Fire Rescue as deputy fire chief in 2014.

“We have such a good relationship with all the departments and work well with each other. I am excited for the opportunity and ready to get rolling with the new structure,” Laskowske said.

Capt. Bart Berven steps into the role of deputy fire chief. Berven joined the fire department in 2003 and earned a promotion to captain in 2018. He is a strong advocate for the reassurance program and has helped develop it into the Help Connect Community Alliance.

“Bart’s knowledge base is awesome. He and I think differently, have different mindsets, so it’s great to run ideas past each other and see different aspects of an issue,” Laskowske said.

With the promotions, the city returns to the model of separate departments with the police and fire chiefs both reporting directly to the city manager instead of the public safety model in place since 2012.