Sheriff's outreach leader retires after years of defusing tension
Sgt. Derwin Ellis can't stop working.
Following two decades in the U.S. Army, Ellis worked for 13 years in Hennepin County Sheriff's Office. He leads the official effort to reach out to people who tend to be the most suspicious of police.
And now, at age 53, Sgt. Ellis is saying goodbye to law enforcement.
Ellis leaves behind an outreach program he helped launch about seven years ago. The Community Engagement Team is credited with improving relationships with the Somali, Hmong, African American and Latino communities, said Sheriff Rich Stanek.
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"When I came to the sheriff's office in 2007, we did not have a community outreach effort. And so I took a look around the agency, I talked to a number of our personnel, and universally they all said you've got to talk to this guy Derwin Ellis," Stanek said. "Derwin is a very affable guy, a very friendly guy. He's always got a smile on his face. This guy was out there every day making a huge impact for the right reasons. He has universal respect across communities of color."
Ellis was brought in to help during especially emotional times. Stanek said he was involved in two cases in recent years when children died suddenly. Ellis helped when 12-year-old Abdullahi Charif drowned at his St. Louis Park school's pool.
The sheriff also credited Ellis with easing a particularly tense situation last year when a 2-year-old boy in Corcoran died after being hit by a car that may have been driven by a relative.
The retirement ceremony Thursday in Minneapolis included several religious, law enforcement and community leaders. Jaylani Hussein, a member of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, Minnesota Chapter, said Ellis was unusually available and willing to talk.
"I've been to a lot of community meetings, a lot of it on law enforcement," Hussein said. "There was one person who always was there, and always was there after the meeting to talk to you, to build connections and to follow up."
The retirement party over, Ellis is thinking about his next venture.
"I'd like to get a teaching license in the state of North Carolina and work with elementary and middle school children," he said. "Law enforcement has been very rewarding. I just want to try something else."