Chief Chuck Rummel (2005 – 2011)
Chuck Rummel served as Chief of the Dickinson Police Department for six years. He began his career as a patrolman in 1978 and worked his way through the department over the course of his 33 years of service. He was promoted to Sergeant in 1986, transferred to Criminal Investigations in 1989, became Patrol Lieutenant in 1992 and later as CIU Lieutenant in 1993 before being promoted to Chief in 2005. Rummel, who is a Dickinson native, graduated from Trinity High School in 1973. He worked for his father’s business for several years before joining the police department. Rummel continued his education with Minot State University, Northwestern University, and the University of Phoenix. He was a graduate of the School of Police Staff and Command as well as the National FBI Academy.
He earned the “Yellow Brick Road” achievement at the FBI Academy, signifying the completion of a strenuous agility test.During his tenure as chief, Rummel continued to expand the transparency of the department. During the last few years, he managed over the resurgence of energy activity in southwest North Dakota and began preparing the department for the challenges it was going to face. He also displayed tremendous leadership during hard times; be it the 7-8-2009 Tornado, the unusual spike in homicides, or the missing DSU softball athletes. After each of these events, Chief Rummel led the department and the community through the tough times and into a renewed sense of security.Rummel is an avid bowler and was inducted into the Bowling Hall of Fame in 2010. He is a member of Rotary, and served on numerous community boards. He also enjoys riding motorcycle and spending time with his family. He and his wife, Helen, have five children.
Chief Gary Banyai (1998 – 2005)
Gary Banyai was appointed to chief by the city commission in May of 1998. He was serving as Captain with 22 years of law enforcement experience prior to his promotion.A Lefor native, Banyai attended college at Minot State University, Northwestern University, and the North Dakota State School of Science. Banyai continued the advancement of community-oriented policing that was established by past administrations. He knew the importance of public involvement and moving away from the “it’s us against them attitude.”During his tenure, Banyai also had to contend with the local impact of the terrorist attacks on 9-11-01. With help of funding from Homeland Security, Banyai and his administration began to establish a regional tactical unit as well as refine and perfect local response to a major incident.
Upon his retirement in early 2005, Banyai had been chief for 6 1/2 years with a total of about 29 years vested into law enforcement. He and his wife, Betty, have five children.
Chief Duane Wolf (1992-1998)
Duane Wolf served as Chief of Police for nearly 6 1/2 years. Prior to his appointment as chief, Wolf worked his way up within the department, starting as a Patrolman in November of 1960. He was promoted to Sergeant in 1964, Lieutenant in 1969, and Captain in 1989.Wolf is a native of Halliday. He served 4 years in the Marine Corps, which took him overseas to Korea and Japan. He received an associate’s degree in criminal justice from Minot State University and a bachelor’s degree in college studies from Dickinson State University in the fall of 1977.Wolf set two immediate goals for the department upon his appointment; maintain the professionalism of the department through community-oriented policing, and to educate other Dickinson police officers about the future they have in the department. He felt strongly about hiring/promoting within the department for new positions, citing it would help officers assume the natural progression from Patrolmen on up to Captain Wolf retired with a total of 38 years with the department.
Chief Paul Bazzano (1989 -1992)
Paul Bazzano has been one of the only police chiefs to be hired “outside” of the department. Before coming to Dickinson, Bazzano worked for the North Dakota Attorney General’s office as a special agent for the Drug Enforcement Agency in Fargo. He is a native of Connecticut. Bazzano is credited with bringing professionalism and progress to the department in the almost 3 years he was chief. He started numerous community-oriented projects and originated the philosophy of “community oriented policing”. Bazzano left the department to join the Peoria, IL police department as an assistant superintendent.
Chief Henry Weber (1987 – 1989)
Henry Weber was a career-long officer with the Dickinson Police Department. He began as an officer back in the late 1950’s and worked his way up through the ranks. Prior to his promotion to chief, he served as the Captain of operations under Chief Webb.
Chief Robert Webb (1984 – 1987)
Robert Webb took over as police chief in August of 1984. He was an Illinois State Police Sergeant with 26 years of experience in law enforcement before coming to Dickinson. He moved here from Peoria, IL.
Chief Gerald Barnhart (1963-1969 And 1972-1984)
Gerald Barnhart has been one of the longest serving police chiefs in department history. He served a total of 17 years; from 1963-1969 and 1972-1984. Between 1969 and 1972, Barnhart worked setting up law enforcement training programs at the United Tribes Training Center and at a training center in Glasgow, MT.During his time as chief, he set two goals, among others, to complete before he retired. One goal was to construct a new law enforcement center and introduce computers to police department records and documents. He achieved both goals. Barnhart began as a park service employee enforcing laws in the area’s parks. He then worked as a deputy sheriff under his father, who was sheriff of Billings County.
Chief Don Ehli (1969 – 1973)
Don Ehli served as an interim chief during the absence of Gerald Barnhart. He was one of the first officers to be appointed as chief by the current system of a civil service board. At the time of his promotion, he was the rank of Sergeant and had been serving the department for 10 years.
Chief Matt Zabel (1949 – 1963)
Matt Zabel was named chief after moving up to his position after a short time as an officer. At the time of his appointment in March of 1949, Zabel was literally the Dickinson Police Department; all other officers had resigned. The city commission felt confident in Zabel’s abilities and officially made him Chief that month. The department was fully staffed within a few weeks and operating normally. Other officers in his tenure included Joe Faller, who later worked for Stark County Sheriff’s Department, Henry Weber, who went on to become a interim chief in the 1980s, Don Hewson, Pat Lenhardt, Merle Bacon, Frank Wolfe, Fred Finger, Joe Kuntz, Robert Byers, and William Smith.
Zabel also went on to serve as a juvenile supervisor with the youth bureau in the 1970’s.
Chief Anton Zastoupil (1946 – 1948)
For a short period in the late 1940’s, Anton Zastoupil was appointed chief of police by the city commission. He had been serving as acting-chief since Alex Wolf stepped down on April 15th, 1946. Zastoupil served in the Army National Guard with the 116th Engineers. In 1918, he served in France and Germany. He returned to Dickinson, but re-enlisted in 1922, where he served the Army for 22 years. He retired from the Army as a Master Segreant. Zastoupil resigned as Chief in the spring of 1948. Patrolman Ernest Reiche served briefly as Chief between 1948 until he resigned in the spring of 1949.
Chief Alex G. Wolf (1942 – 1946)
Alex Wolf started his civic career in 1930, when he was elected to the county commission. He served one term lasting until 1934. He then became a deputy sheriff between 1937-1941 under I.W. Gerlich. He was hired as a Dickinson policeman on January 2nd, 1941. Wolf served as a policeman under Chief Cyril Drury for about 9 months until he was appointed Chief of Police in October 1942. Wolf had several officers under his command; Patrolman Joe Kessel, Ted Cornell, Charles Kenniston, and “South Dickinson” Patrolman George Hecker. After serving the city in the capacity of chief, he later went on to serve as Municipal Court Judge until his death in 1966.
Chief Cyril Drury (1937 – 1942)
Cyril Drury served as police chief in the late 1930s and early 1940s. Drury served as the chairman of the Stark County Democratic Committee and was the commander of the Matthew Brew Post of the American Legion. He had five officers under his command; Joe Kessel, Jack Cumber, Ernest Reiche, Otis Quinion, and Alex Wolf. During this time, two officers were assigned to work the 1 PM to 10 PM shift and the other two worked the 10 PM to 7 AM shift. The department only had 1 sedan police car.
Chief George Nolan (1925 – 1937)
George Nolan was the Chief of Police during much of the 1920s and 1930s, serving a total of 12 years. Nolan was a “buck private” war veteran and fought overseas in France. Prior to his appointment, Nolan was a deputy sheriff with the county. During the era of prohibition, Nolan and his staff were busy dealing with bootleggers and busting illegal breweries. Officers during his tenure included Joe Kessel, Michael Roth, Peter Remmilong, W.E. Littlehales, Dick Schuster, and Ernest Reiche.
Chief William L. Nichol (1919 – 1925)
William “Willie” Nichol served for 5 years as the chief of police. He was the first chief to be appointed by a city “commission”. During this time, the job of chief skipped from several people within a years time. George J. Sorber, a prominent farmer and a director in the Farmers’ Union, was given the reigns for about 4 months between Chief Hayes and Chief Nichol.
Chief Jerry Hayes (1918 – 1919)
Jerry Hayes served a brief period towards the latter half of the 1910’s. He was ultimately voted out of the position by city aldermen for being too lenient on illegal gambling. One of Hayes’ officers was named Tom McDonough. McDonough was a notorious nightwatchman known throughout the area. He was a one-armed Irishman who some say was rather fearsome. Newspaper articles in the Dickinson Press from this time seem to carry almost weekly installments of McDonough’s captures. They painted him as an aggressive cop not worried to chase juveniles stealing candy from a hardware store on foot, all the way across town, most time catching them.
Chief Patrick Corbett (1904 – 1918)
Patrick B. Corbett was one of the longest-running Chiefs of Police in department history. He served a total of 14 years with the city. He was previously the first elected Sheriff of Stark County when it was formed in 1884. Corbett was a native of Green Bay, WI and moved to Mandan in the late 1800s. He worked for Northern Pacific Railroad and eventually transferred to Dickinson. He worked another year with NPR before taking the position of sheriff, and later, chief. Frank Wanner, Joe Carroll, and Charles Brislin assisted in policing duties during this time.
Chief Joseph E. Mccoul (1900 – 1902) And Chief John M. Carroll (1902 – 1904)
Mayor Dan Manning appointed Joseph Erving McCoul as the first chief of police of Dickinson. During this time, Dickinson hired its first police officer. According to an unconfirmed source, the officer was Frank X. Wanner. Wanner went on to become Stark County Sheriff in the 30’s and 40’s. McCoul was in his position for only 2 years until John Carroll was appointed as Chief of Police.
Marshal Robert Craig (1899-1900)
After Dickinson was organized as a town in 1899, Robert Craig became the first marshal. At the young age of 34, he and other elected/appointed officials served only until the next year, when the voters approved a change over to the status of “city” on July 30th, 1900.