Incoming Plymouth Police Chief Lays Out Goals for New Role
Since 2004, Erik Fadden has been a fixture with the Plymouth Police Department. He’s been an officer, a sergeant, and most recently, deputy police chief.
“I’ve had a lot of great opportunities to do different things,” Fadden said.
But his ties to Plymouth go well beyond his service with law enforcement.
“I’ve been born and raised and lived in the Plymouth area my entire life,” Fadden said. “And the longer, and more invested I became with the city of Plymouth, and now I’m raising a family here, and have two kids that go to school here in the city of Plymouth.”
Now, after 17 years with the department, the deputy chief is planting even deeper roots.
Incoming Plymouth Police Chief Erik Fadden drives a patrol car.
‘Big Shoes to Fill’
On Feb. 1, Fadden will replace Plymouth’s longtime public safety director and police chief, Mike Goldstein.
“I am honored to have been given the opportunity to lead this department,” Fadden said. “I’m really excited. I know it’s going to be a lot of work. Chief Goldstein has left big shoes to fill, but I am extremely excited and ready to get to work.”
It’s work that involves trying to maintain a good relationship with residents following a summer of social unrest throughout the Twin Cities brought upon by the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police.
“Every member of the department understands the importance of maintaining those relationships and being very transparent with the community,” Fadden said. “We always have been. We will always continue to find ways to connect and find ways to educate and find ways to listen and have those conversations.”
One of Fadden’s other big goals upon taking the job is ensuring that the police and firefighters he will oversee are able to get through the pandemic.
It’s a process that began earlier this month when he helped coordinate a COVID-19 vaccine clinic for area first responders at Wayzata High School.
“No. 1 on my priority list is to get through as best we can, the pandemic,” Fadden said. “Making sure our police and firefighters, and all of our staff, are mentally okay and healthy; and making sure that we’re taking care of all of them so that they, in turn, can take care of everybody within the community.”
