Council ends Lang’s police service in BP

At 6 p.m. Monday, Blooming Prairie Police Sgt. Mark Lang reluctantly climbed into a squad car parked on Main Street. He took a deep breath, and tearfully gave his last 10-7: His final broadcast that he was “out of service” at the end of his shift.
Ninety minutes later, members of the City Council went into closed session, then emerged to terminate Lang.
But in between those two events, Lang was congratulated and thanked by members of his department and the community for 20 years of service with awards, applause and an impromptu parade of emergency vehicles.
Two of the people who thanked him in the middle of the street later sat in on the meeting that ended his law enforcement career in Blooming Prairie, “due to his inability to physically perform his duties as required to be employed as a sergeant for the Blooming Prairie Police Department.”
According to the statement released by the city, Lang “is being terminated in good standing from the city of Blooming Prairie. His termination is not due to any sort of lack of performance, misconduct, or disciplinary reasons.”
“We appreciate everything you’ve done,” Mayor Curt Esplan told Lang. “It might be hard for Kelly to keep you home all the time.”
Lang and his wife Kelly were both emotional after the meeting.
He was hired by the city in 1999, giving him more than 20 years of service with the department.
“He’s always been wonderful to work with; he’s going to be missed,” said Chief Greg Skillestad. “He was my right-hand man; he was the patrol supervisor – and he would take care of things when I wasn’t there.”
Skillestad presented Lang with a Certificate of Retirement in recognition of his “many years of sacrifice and service as Sergeant, K-9 handler, FTO and SWAT.”
Lang also received an engraved plaque thanking him for his years of work.
Data privacy laws prevented city officials from commenting further about Lang’s employment.
In other business, council members approved the conditional hire of Joseph Martin as a part-time officer.
The council held its first public hearing about the use of body-worn cameras for the city’s police officers.
The cameras will be purchased and word beginning in 2023; the $5,000 annual cost will be included in the city budget. A PDF of the policy is on the Blooming Prairie Police Department website; printed copies will be available at the next two public hearings.
No one from the public was at Monday night’s hearing.
Council members also took the final step needed to declare Blooming Prairie a Purple Heart City. Mayor Curt Esplan – whose brother, Ken Esplan, was awarded the medal during his service in the Vietnam War – signed the proclamation.
The status comes at no expense to the city; once the process is complete, signs will be posted at the city’s entrances.