ABOVE: Officers Shaylynn Anderson and Derek Hughes are the newest addition to the Fairmont Police Department.

FAIRMONT– Derek Hughes and Shaylynn Anderson were sworn in as Fairmont Police Department’s newest full-time officers on Monday evening. However, neither are entirely new to the department as they both got their start while students.

In the late spring of 2023 Hughes, a Martin County West graduate, began working with the department as a Community Service Officer (CSO) cadet, where he focused on code enforcement, animal control and assisted officers as needed.

He finished up his schooling in Criminal Justice at Bethany Lutheran College in Mankato in May. Then Hughes went on to do his skills training at Alexandria Technical and Community College, which he completed in July. He started with the department full-time last month.

Anderson, also a graduate of Martin County West, began as an intern through the Fairmont Police Department/Martin County Sheriff’s Office in the summer of 2022.

After getting her Associate’s Degree from Iowa Lakes Community and Technical College, Anderson attended Minnesota State University-Mankato, where she double majored in Criminal Justice and Law Enforcement. She graduated in 2023 and then started working at The Ranch Restaurant in Fairmont, where she was employed in high school.

“I was waiting to find the right job but started with the Sherburn/Welcome Police Department in March,” Anderson said.

She is still employed there part-time, but will be with the Fairmont PD full-time.

Both Hughes and Anderson will serve in a broad capacity as patrol officers. They’ll do routine patrol and answer calls as they come in. As they’re new, they’re both working with Field Training Officers, which include some more senior department members.

Acknowledging the experienced officers in the department, Anderson said, “They definitely want to see us succeed so they’ve been very helpful with the hundreds of questions that we ask. They do a good job of explaining.”

She said that after every call she and Hughes seem to have questions but that the answers have been eagerly explained.

“I’m someone who non-stop asks questions but they’ve been good at not just answering them, but not getting frustrated. At the end of the day they not only want to see us succeed, but have someone who is good to work with,” Hughes said.

They both expressed gratitude at the opportunity to become full-time officers in the department, but acknowledged they didn’t originally see themselves holding the role so close to their hometowns.

“Honestly it wasn’t until about last fall that I started to consider it. Once I started as a CSO I got along with them (other officers) really well and wanted to stay a part of it,” Hughes said.

Anderson agreed that as a high school student, she didn’t envision herself sticking around in her hometown. However, once she did the internship and got to know others in the department, she started rethinking her options.

“They’re great people to work with that really make you feel included. This really does feel like home,” Anderson said.

Both Hughes and Anderson are looking forward to getting more involved with the community, particularly with the youth. They have each applied to be part of the Adopt A Cop program with the first grade classrooms and plan to take part in other community programs like Shop with A Cop.