Between the aftermath of an EF-3 tornado and more than one unthinkable tragedy, the last year has presented challenging situations for the Marshalltown Police Department. The officers and leaders in the MPD have all stepped up to keep the community safe and give residents peace of mind.

Each week, the department responds to about 530 calls for service. Some, of course, are harder than others. As part of their job, police officers regularly see people on their worst days and sometimes have to deliver tragic news to families about their loved ones.

While many violent crimes are not prevalent in the community, the police respond to drug and domestic violence calls on a regular basis. These types of calls require a great deal of time, patience and consistency. As we witnessed this past weekend, when a violent crime does occur, the department steps up to investigate the crime and locate suspects.

Beyond the typical crime residents may think of, police officers are often asked to step in as social servants. Whether it be a custody dispute, a mental health crisis or neighbors arguing, police officers are asked to remedy many situations that are not criminal at all. They rise to the occasion.

The police department, Marshall County Sheriff’s Office and other local agencies are well connected to provide residents with services they need. Because of a good working relationship, the departments work together to keep our city safe.

Police Chief Mike Tupper and other department leaders serve in a variety of volunteer roles in Marshalltown. The agency not only believes in community policing, but they show it with programs like Coffee with a Cop and the Citizen Police Academy.

In a January column after the news that 13-year-old Corey Brown had died, Tupper wrote the words many community members needed to hear: sometimes tragedy just happens. We all want answers, but sometimes there’s simply no one to blame.

“Tragedy can, does and will affect all of us at some point in our life. None of us are immune. How will you want people to treat you? Will you hope for a compassionate response?” he wrote.

Tragedy is often the reality our police officers see every day while they do their job. Like all organizations, MPD strives for improvement, but the work they are already doing — especially in the last year — has made a significant impact in Marshalltown. Thank you for your service.