ABOVE: Klay Brown stands with his squad car as the newest member of the Fairmont Police Department.

FAIRMONT – Born and raised in Fairmont, Klay Brown is the newest member of the Fairmont Police Force.

Brown first became interested in police work during his senior year of high school when he participated in a ride-along with the Martin County Sheriff’s Office. After reviewing his options, he decided to pursue a law enforcement career.

“I ended up going to Minnesota West in Worthington for law enforcement,” Brown said. “I sparked my career by working there in the Nobles County Jail. I decided this is something I enjoy and would like to do.”

Brown spent the summer of 2023 interning at the Fairmont Police Department (PD) and Martin County Sheriff’s Office. He then focused his career efforts on his hometown, working in the Martin County Jail. He said the biggest thing he learned through school and the penal system is understanding those who are struggling.

“Everyone has a bad day,” Brown said. “I’m there on somebody’s worst day or days in the jail. Having empathy and respect towards that bad day can make their day and experience with law enforcement better. That makes my job atmosphere better.”

Through the internship program, Brown said he was able to experience the whole system of law enforcement and outside agencies.

“We did a few different ride-alongs with some officers, just to see everybody’s routine,” he said. “Everyone has their routine. We shadowed probations and the county attorney’s office. We did a bike program with kids in the park during the summer parks program they put on.”

To work for and represent the community he grew up in is an opportunity Klay Brown said is an honor that took a lot of hard work to accomplish. Since he started in October, he said the job has been solid all around.

“It’s been great working with the department,” Brown said. “It’s a very healthy department to work for. Lots of great co-workers from the front desk to administration.”

Brown’s most common work is traffic enforcement and monitoring. Before starting, he expected to receive fraud calls from people who had been ripped off over the phone. So far, Brown said he has not had one of those calls.

On the other side, Brown said he has received more calls about mental health than he initially expected.

“Until I got into law enforcement with the Fairmont PD, I didn’t know the vastness of mental health problems in our world,” he said. “That was surprising to me.”

Brown said his long-term goal is to have a long, productive career with the Fairmont PD. As he gets settled in, Brown said his most pressing goal is to develop relationships with the community he is serving.

“Have the community know that I’m always here to help and they can ask questions,” he said. “If you see me out in the community, don’t be afraid to come say hi. I’m always there to chat or if you need something.”