Christopher Helmick
Incoming Police Chief

Moorhead City Council

Chris Helmick has been named to head the Moorhead Police Department. Presently a captain in Fargo’s force, he will start the job April 14, succeeding Chief Shannon Monroe, who retires at the end of March.
Helmick’s appointment was approved Monday at the semimonthly meeting of the Moorhead City Council.
Helmick told the council, “I’m really excited to have this privilege to be your chief. I’m excited to join this team.”
The new chief has lived in Moorhead for the past 20 years while serving in Fargo. His tenure, which began in 2001, has included working in the FPD’s criminal investigations and neighborhood services division. Most recently, he has headed the professional standards division. A 1995 graduate of Minnesota State University Moorhead, he graduated from the FBI National Academy in 2023.
The decision to offer the job to Helmick followed what city manager Dan Mahli called a months-long “robust recruitment process” to find the replacement for Chief Monroe. He was one of four finalists, including two candidates from Minneapolis and Aurora, Colorado, as well as Moorhead Patrol Lt. John “Laddie” Bata.