Chisholm PD

10/07/2026

09/22/2026

CHISHOLM POLICE DEPARTMENT – BURGLARY INVESTIGATION UPDATE

The Chisholm Police Department is providing an update regarding a burglary that occurred at a local business on Lake Street West during the evening hours of September 21, 2026.

Through the course of the investigation, officers were able to obtain surveillance footage and develop a juvenile suspect.

On September 22, officers executed a search warrant at a Chisholm residence in connection with the investigation. The search was conducted without incident, and evidence relevant to the investigation was recovered.

The juvenile suspect was subsequently taken into custody and transported to a juvenile placement facility in Duluth. Due to the suspect's age, no identifying information will be released.

The investigation remains ongoing, and additional follow-up and evidence processing will be completed.

The Chisholm Police Department would like to thank the community members who provided information and surveillance footage that assisted officers with this investigation. Community cooperation continues to be an important part of our ability to solve these types of cases.

We appreciate everyone's continued support of the Chisholm Police Department and our local businesses.

James Vukad
Chief of Police

09/01/2026

Level 3 Offender Relocation Public Notification
In accordance with Minnesota State Statues 244.052 and 244.253D, the Chisholm Police Department is releasing information regarding Joseph Bernard Goerdt aka Joe Patch, a Level 3 registrant subject to public notification. Mr. Goerdt will be homeless in the Chisholm area

08/31/2026

New Drop-Off & Pick-Up Location: Student drop-off and pick-up will now take place in the new parking lot in front of Chisholm Elementary School. Please follow the designated one-way traffic route and blue directional arrows, with students entering and exiting vehicles only within the marked drop-off/pick-up zone.

08/26/2026

Level 3 Offender Relocation Public Notification
In accordance with Minnesota State Statues 244.052 and 244.253D, the Chisholm Police Department is releasing information regarding Joseph Bernard Goerdt aka Joe Patch, a Level 3 registrant subject to public notification. Mr. Goerdt will be relocating to the vicinity of the 000 block of 6th St SE, Chisholm

07/22/2026

Level 3 Offender Relocation Public Notification
In accordance with Minnesota State Statues 244.052 and 244.253D, the Chisholm Police Department is releasing information regarding Joseph Bernard Goerdt aka Joe Patch, a Level 3 registrant subject to public notification. Mr. Goerdt will be relocating to the vicinity of 100 Block of Grant Location. As of 8/4/2026 Goerdt has relocated as homeless to the vicinity of West Arrowhead Road in Duluth.

07/06/2026

The Chisholm Police Department would like to let our community know that Cristofer Lempu will be visiting neighborhoods throughout Chisholm over the coming weeks as part of a summer internship with Southwestern Advantage.

Cristofer will be meeting with families to share information about children's educational books and learning resources. He has made contact with our department and is carrying the appropriate identification while working in the community.

While there is never any obligation to answer your door or make a purchase, we ask that residents who choose to visit with Cristofer treat him with the same kindness and respect that makes Chisholm such a welcoming community.

We appreciate young adults who are working hard to further their education while promoting literacy and educational opportunities for children. Thank you for supporting positive community initiatives.

Have a safe and enjoyable summer!

📖 Supporting education.

🤝 Supporting our community.

💙 Supporting our future.

07/03/2026

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Three Juveniles Taken into Custody Following Vehicle Theft and School Burglary

The Chisholm Police Department has arrested three juvenile males in connection with the theft of a City of Chisholm Public Works vehicle and the burglary of the Vaughn-Steffensrud School. All three were transported to the Arrowhead Juvenile Center (AJC).

Because those involved are juveniles, no additional identifying information will be released.

These were serious crimes that required a significant amount of police resources to investigate and respond to. Thankfully, no one was injured, but situations like this have the potential to end very differently.

What is most concerning to me is that these incidents are not isolated. This summer alone, we've seen a troubling increase in criminal activity involving juveniles. We've investigated break-ins, vandalism, thefts, property damage, and several other serious incidents involving young people in our community. That should concern all of us.

I want to ask our parents and guardians for their help.

Please know where your kids are, who they're with, and what they’re doing. I know parenting isn't easy, especially during the summer months, but it is our responsibility as adults to make sure our kids are making good decisions and staying out of trouble.

Every poor decision has consequences. While some may see these incidents as kids just being kids, stealing vehicles, breaking into buildings, and damaging property are serious crimes. These actions put our officers, city employees, and innocent members of the public at risk. The last thing any of us wants is for someone to be seriously hurt—or worse—because of a decision that could have been prevented.

These incidents also take a tremendous amount of time and resources to investigate. When officers are tied up responding to crimes like these, they are unavailable to respond to other calls for service throughout our community. At the same time, the victims of these crimes are left dealing with damaged property, financial loss, and the frustration that comes with being victimized. That is simply not acceptable.

As a community, we all have a role in addressing this issue, but it starts at home. We need parents to be engaged, set expectations, and hold their children accountable before law enforcement has to.

I appreciate the hard work of our officers, and everyone involved in bringing this investigation to a successful conclusion. The Chisholm Police Department will continue to investigate these incidents thoroughly and hold those responsible accountable for their actions.

Our goal has never been to arrest kids. Our goal is to keep our community safe and help prevent these situations from happening in the first place.

James Vukad
Chief of Police

12/19/2025

Level 3 Offender Relocation Public Notification
In accordance with Minnesota State Statues 244.052 and 244.253D, the Chisholm Police Department is releasing information regarding Adam Samuel Hart, a Level 3 registrant subject to public notification. Mr. Hart will be relocating to the vicinity of 600 block of 1st Ave NW, in Chisholm

12/12/2025

Updated Press Release
Chisholm Police Department

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Non-Human Bones Identified in Chisholm Residence Investigation

The Chisholm Police Department is providing an update regarding the bones discovered in the basement of a residence in Chisholm last week.

With the assistance of the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA), the Midwest Medical Examiner’s Office, and a forensic anthropologist, the bones have been analyzed and determined to NOT be of human origin. This conclusion was reached after a detailed review by experts trained in the identification of bone material and remains.

We want to thank the Minnesota BCA once again for their continued support and expertise throughout this investigation. We also extend our sincere appreciation to the Midwest Medical Examiner’s Office and the forensic anthropology team for their timely and thorough analysis.

Based on the items recovered during this incident and the completed analysis, there is no longer any reason to continue the investigation related to this particular matter.

Regards,

Chief James Vukad
Chisholm Police Department