LESTER PRAIRIE, Minn. – Bob Carlson has been Lester Prairie’s police chief for more than 20 years, but when he’s off, you can find him on the right side, still keeping people safe.
“In my profession, I deal with some of the worst things. We deal with suicides, we deal with people on some of their worst days,” Carlson said.
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He served the approximately 2,000 members of his community for 22 years. But in the last eight, he has tried to take his talents in law enforcement and marry them with another job that brings him nothing but joy.
In 2016, he started working as a security for the Twins at Target Field and for the past two years he joined the Timberwolves security team at Target Center.
He joined the Wolves at the right time and saw this team play at their peak. And there are some benefits to it, like seeing more big names on the court. And an unexpected bonus: he recently got his own sweater.
In March, Carlson and five others were honored for their hard work to make the fan experience safe and fun.
“I was just blown away because I was like, just do my job! What is this, you know?” he said.
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It takes Carlson almost an hour to get from Lester Prairie to Target Center and he sometimes works back-to-back shifts. But for him, the ride is worth it.
“I remember arresting someone one day on a home visit and hours later I was at Target Center enjoying watching one of the best basketball teams play. So it’s nice to be able to go to something that’s hard , to something that’s fun to do,” he said.
The countdown clock is counting down to Carlson’s retirement. In a year, he will exclusively ensure that Twins and Wolves are safe every year.
“I plan on doing that until they tell me I can’t do it anymore,” he said.
Marielle Mohs
