There’s been a new face around the Fairmont Police Department recently. Dayton Asmus, a Fairmont native, is excited to have taken on a full-time position to protect and serve the city he calls home.

Asmus shared his background and what drew him into law enforcement.

“I was born and raised here; I went to St. Paul Lutheran School and Fairmont High School,” he said. “I graduated from high school in 2012, and from there I went on to North Dakota State for a few years. Then I transfered to Alexandria Tech and did the law enforcement program up there.

“I graduated from there in spring of 2017 and got hired on at Sherburn/Welcome and Trimont part time. Then in fall of 2017, I got hired on here part time and was just recently brought on full time.”

As for his career in law enforcement, Asmus said it has been a goal for him since his early years.

“It’s something I’ve wanted to do for as long as I can remember,” he said. “I’ve got a great uncle that was an officer over in Blue Earth, but I never met him and I don’t come from a law enforcement family. But something drew me to it and that’s what I wanted.”

Asmus noted his education was not without challenges, but he knew what he was after and wasn’t going to give up.

“I was very determined to get to where I’m at, not only as an officer, but with Fairmont specifically,” he said. “It’s what I’ve wanted my whole life, so I had a lot of pressure on myself to succeed and get to this point.”

Asmus said his determination is rooted in a deep love for Fairmont.

“Specifically, I enjoy being able to come back and work in my home town,” he said. “It was nice to get back and see familiar faces and just have that chance to get out and make a difference. We see a lot of negative stuff, but we also see a lot of positive too, and that makes it worth it.

“It’s a great opportunity. It’s a great group of guys and girls that I work with, and we’ve got a really good department here. I’m just proud to be back and start my full-time career.

Asmus looks forward to working with the community he enjoys.

“I come from a racing family, so I love going out to the track,” he said. “The races, the parks. I’m not a big fisherman but I know ice fishing is huge.

“We’ve got a lot of good people here. I do adopt-a-cop at St. Paul’s so that was kind of cool to get back and see some of my old teachers. This is my home.”