Press Releases

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Garnavillo Mill Donates for Patrol Computer​

The Garnavillo Police Department would like to thank the Garnavillo Mill for their extremely generous donation which allowed for the purchase of a new patrol computer for the squad car. In this day and age, many of the duties of law enforcement are digital, and having a functioning computer in the patrol car has become increasingly important in the last decade for law enforcement to have the ability to access information quickly to better serve the community as well as for officer safety purposes. The Garnavillo Mill recognized the need to replace the existing nonfunctional computer that we had with a new one, and gave a generous donation so that we did not have to wait to budget the needed money in the next fiscal year. It never ceases to amaze me the amount of support that I see the residents and businesses give first responders in this city, including fire and EMS. It was one of the first things I noticed when I assumed the role of chief at this department. Prior to my tenure, I know other businesses, including Guttenberg Industries, have made similar donations to support the police department with other needed equipment like a new dash camera for the patrol car which was facilitated by my predecessor. I know this department could not exist without the support of the community. It is incredible to come work in a community where I feel that the citizens have our back. That is not always the case in the law enforcement world, and I would like to publicly acknowledge the support our department has felt as I think it is important to let the community know that we see it and appreciate it more than they know. I would like to point out that I did not approach the Garnavillo Mill to ask for the funds. Roger Balk heard the need for the computer and took it upon himself to approach me and ask if he and the Garnavillo Mill could help. Thank you to the Garnavillo Mill and all the other businesses and citizens who show their support for us in many different ways. It means the world to us. - Chief Eric Van Horn