Meet a member: Brady Lieuwen
Brady Lieuwen has been an officer with the Sioux Falls Police Department since 2005. He currently serves as a Community Resource Officer (CRO), a role that allows him to focus on building relationships within the community on behalf of the SFPD. Brady and his fellow CROs can regularly be found attending parades, festivals and other community celebrations.
Born and raised in Sioux Falls, Brady is passionate about this city. He volunteers as a middle and high school football coach and fills several volunteer roles in his church. A die-hard Green Bay Packers and New York Yankees fan, Brady also enjoys hunting, fishing and traveling with his wife, Sarah, and children Ella and Aaron.
1. How did you choose your profession?
I had several people in my life that were officers for the SFPD and spending time with them and being able to see the influence they had on the city and my life meant a lot to me. The more I looked at the job of an officer and thought about being able to affect change in my community, not sit at a desk all day, have the thrill of being in challenging situations, and eat donuts, it really sounded like a career that I wanted to pursue. So, early in my high school years the desire to be a member of the Sioux Falls Police Department was very high on my career list.
2. What might someone be surprised to learn about you?
I never played a single day of football growing up but I went to college and played four years for the University of Northwestern-St. Paul. I also HATE chocolate!
3. What is a piece of advice you’ve received that has served you well?
I have had a lot of great mentors over the years and have been given a lot of good advice, but if I had to pick one piece I would say it was: “You were given one mouth and two ears, so listen twice as much as you speak.”
4. What is something you are optimistic about for our community?
That we can be the example of how a community works directly with its Police Department to promote the quality of life for everyone living in the community. I believe our Police Department and community do a great job working together, but I think that we can be the gold standard for other communities to look to when it comes to the relationship of policing and community.
5. What is one of Sioux Falls best-kept secrets?
There are a LOT of great restaurants in Sioux Falls (I would know I like to eat) and things to do, however I think that one of the hidden gems is Sioux Falls Canaries baseball games! These games offer great entertainment for the family, delicious concessions and the players are always willing to sign autographs and hang out with the kids after the games!
6. If you could try out a different job for a day, what would it be?
In my free time I love to be out in the country and the idea of being a farmer has always intrigued me. I would love to be a farmer for a day and drive a tractor.
7. How do you describe Sioux Falls to people who don’t live here?
It sounds cliché, but I describe it as a little, big (and growing) town. Maybe it is because I have lived here my whole life, but we have a lot of small-town values with a lot of larger city opportunities. I also tell people it has the world’s best police department!!
8. Name a tool you could not live without. Why?
On the professional side of things, I would have to say body cameras because they are beneficial for officers in being able to show what an officer sees during a scene that can change drastically in seconds. Personally, I would say an impact driver because when I need to drive in screws or remove them this tool is way more efficient than a standard electric drill.
9. If you could witness any event of the past, present, or future, what would it be? ?
I have though a lot about this question and a lot of events come to mind: Packers Super Bowl Wins, Yankees World Series Wins, the first baseball game after 9-11, but as a Christian I would want to witness the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. I don’t say that to be morbid, but to know the pain and suffering that should have been mine, then the extreme joy of the resurrection of Easter Sunday, I believe would be incredible.
10. What do you think is one of the biggest challenges facing our community today? And how should we tackle it?
From my professional perspective I would say that our growth, although a good thing, is one thing that is going to challenge us as a community. The bigger a city grows the more crime increases and I have seen increased call volume over my 18 years with the police department. I believe one way we tackle that is what I mentioned before and that is not losing the small-town feel. We need to continue to get to know who our neighbors are and get together for neighborhood picnics and look out for each other. The other thing that is important is voting in local elections, such as mayor, city council, county commission, school board, and sheriff just to name a few. While the larger national elections gain a lot of attention, local elections have a large impact on how our community is going to stay strong.
