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Charles City schools have a new community resource officer

  • Officer Duane Ollendick, the new community-oriented police officer at Charles City schools, stands next to lockers at Charles City High School. Press photo by Thomas Nelson.

  • Officer Duane Ollendick, the new community-oriented police officer at Charles City schools, walks down a hallway at the Charles City High School. Press photo by Thomas Nelson.

  • Officer Duane Ollendick, the new community-oriented police officer at Charles City schools, stands next to a poster board that says #WeAreCC. Press photo by Thomas Nelson.

By Thomas Nelson, tnelson@charlescitypress.com

There’s a new face at Charles City schools and he has a badge and smile. Officer Duane Ollendick is the Police Department’s new community-oriented officer.

Ollendick took over the position in the beginning of February for Bill Vetter, who retired in 2017.

He’s been with the Charles City Police Department for 2½ years and has lived in Charles City for about three years.

“I started in the conservation field, actually,” Ollendick said. “Back in the early ’90s I was a park ranger for approximately six years.”

He served as a ranger at Lake Hendrickson in Riceville. From there Ollendick worked as a deputy sheriff for five years in Howard County.

All of his previous positions have involved some form of law enforcement, just with more people per acre.

“I got out of law enforcement in 2005 and took a break,” Ollendick said. “I got my kids through school, then I decided to go back to it.”

When the position of community-oriented officer came up he decided to apply.

“I was just looking for a change of pace in my career,” Ollendick said. “I’m always looking to try to better myself, and better the community.”

As the community-oriented officer, Ollendick won’t be on the street as much as he was.

“I’ll be doing more public relations work,” he said.

Students will see Ollendick at school functions and occasionally in classrooms.

“I think we’re going to start up a D.A.R.E. program,” Ollendick said, referring to the national Drug Abuse Resistance Education program.

Ollendick said he hopes to create a relationship with the students.

“Make them feel like they’re in a safe environment,” Ollendick said. “For me the biggest challenge is, I’m not from the area so people don’t know me. So I want to get myself out there and make myself more visible.”

Ollendick wants to do the same thing for the Charles City Police Department.

“Everybody sees the cars driving around, but they don’t see the people behind the windshield,” Ollendick said. “I want for people to feel that they can come to us with their problems and not be scared.”

Getting out in the community and having a face-to-face conversation is Ollendick’s goal.

He also wants to get the Charles City Police Department’s bike program rolling.

“I want people to know if they want an officer to come to a function to give me a call, and we’ll try,” Ollendick said. “If there’s something going on let us know. We want to be there.”

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