See all posts in the Chaska Public Safety series

(Chaska Police Department shares insights, updates, crime prevention tips, and more to keep the community informed.)

One thing we often forget about policing is that behind every uniform, radio call, reportband late-night shift is a real person. A parent. A coach. A mentor. A musician. A veteran. A problem solver. Someone who laughs, smiles, struggles, serves and cares deeply about this community. The Heartbeats of CPD is dedicated to introducing you to the people behind our patch, both sworn officers and the non-sworn staff who help keep our department and city moving every day. Our hope is simple: to help our community feel connected to the humans that serve and protect them.

In May, we introduced you to Sergeant Chris Pesheck. Next, we’ll jump to the department’s executive-level leadership by introducing CPD’s new deputy chief, Mike TenEyck. For Deputy Chief Mike TenEyck, the path to a career in law enforcement started long before he ever put on a uniform. It started at home.

TenEyck grew up in the southwest metro in a family that shaped the way he sees the job to this day.

“I was fortunate enough to grow up with a fantastic family support structure which valued ethics, hard work and community service,” he said. “The consistent theme was that if someone needed help and you had the means to provide that help, it was the right thing to do.”

Pair that upbringing with an appetite for excitement and constant change, and policing seemed like a perfect fit.

Family is still at the center of his life. Away from the department, TenEyck is a father to very active children, and much of his time outside the badge is spent keeping up with them at their sporting events.

What spare hours remain often go into outdoor and landscaping projects, where he enjoys coming up with a vision, sketching out ideas, and doing the work himself.

“It’s a bonus when the project turns out well and I’ve created a new space for my family to enjoy,” he said.

Today, TenEyck serves as deputy chief of the Chaska Police Department, where he has spent the last seven months of his 17 years in law enforcement. DC TenEyck comes to us from the New Hope Police Department, where he has served in a variety of assignments over the last 17 years.

Whether it was his time as a patrol officer, school resource officer, narcotics investigator, SWAT team operator, or his leadership experience as a SWAT team assistant commander and patrol sergeant, he’s been fortunate to have had a variety of different experiences, leading to continued career growth and leadership opportunities.

Those years have given him a clear view of what separates good policing from the rest: it’s problem solving.

“Good policing in today’s world relies on being an open-minded problem solver for complex situations,” he said.

The best officers he has worked with are the ones constantly striving to improve themselves and their partners through continued education, realistic debriefing and a willingness to engage in hard conversations. In a profession that is often faced with change, he believes a willingness to adapt is one of the greatest attributes an officer can have.

He has seen plenty of that change firsthand. When TenEyck started his career, the only way for officers to “instantly” communicate with one another was by radio. Emails were checked maybe weekly, officers didn’t carry department-issued cellphones, and text messaging was in its infancy. Technology has made officers more accessible and efficient than ever, he said, but it hasn’t replaced what matters most.

“Nothing will replace the benefits of face-to-face communication,” he said. “Officers strive to maintain a human connection in day-to-day operations, which is critical in police work, while also utilizing the latest and greatest technology.”

That same belief in human connection runs through the way he leads. Asked about a moment that shaped his leadership, TenEyck pointed instead to the leaders who left a mark on him: the ones who made him feel as if they worked for him.

The chain of command remained clear, he said, but those leaders worked tirelessly to remove barriers so the people around them could be at their best. They didn’t just keep an open door; they were genuinely excited to connect and work out solutions.

He sums up the best leadership advice he ever received in six words: “Be Approachable, Be Accountable, and Be Authentic.”

Now, from the deputy chief’s office, he’s working to build that standard into the culture of the entire department. Inside the walls of CPD, that means a workplace where staff members feel valued, empowered to make decisions, and supported in doing great work.

Out in the community, it means officers who are engaged and approachable, whether through community engagement programs, calls for service, or an organic conversation on the sidewalk.

“We strive to build a culture where the community truly feels that this is their police department,” he said.

Of course, a culture is only as strong as the people in it, and TenEyck is candid that finding the right ones is among the biggest challenges facing law enforcement today.

“This job is a true calling with high stakes,” he said. “Our strength truly lies in those who show up every day to respond to the needs of the city.”

Recruitment and retention, he added, are rooted in support, both from within the department and from the community it serves.

The people already wearing the badge are exactly why he’s optimistic. The men and women he has worked with, he said, would excel in any field, and many have passed up a more lucrative or comfortable lifestyle for a winter nightshift alongside their law enforcement partners.

When officers are asked why they do the job, they often struggle to put the answer into words.

“What I would like most for others to understand about the men and women behind the badge is that they truly want the absolute best for others and the community they serve,” TenEyck said.

He hopes residents feel that every time they interact with the department, and he’d like them to reach out sooner rather than later. Too often, he said, reports come in well after an incident occurred, with callers explaining, “I would have called last night, but I didn’t want to be a bother.”

His message is simple: the department is here to respond 24/7 and calling while a crime is occurring gives officers the best chance at successful intervention.

“Anytime someone interacts with our department, I hope they walk away feeling that we are here for them and our officers are always ready to respond,” he said.

As for how he hopes to be remembered at the end of his career, TenEyck’s answer sounds less like a personal legacy and more like a team goal: a Chaska Police Department recognized as the gold standard in policing and a regional leader in the law enforcement community, positioned for growth in the services it provides.

For the kid who grew up believing that helping others was simply the right thing to do, the last word comes easily.

“Finally, I hope that community members remember me and our team here at CPD as accountable, approachable and authentic.”