Tory Jacobson
Deputy Chief, MPD

Officer Tory Jacobson and K-9 Cody, his partner for 9 years.

Nancy Edmonds Hanson

Hundreds and hundreds have served Moorhead as police officers since the city was formed more than 154 years ago. As Deputy Chief Tory Jacobson prepares to retire Friday, he holds something of a record: Only one officer, the late Lt. Dan Hunt, has exceeded his near-record tenure of 34 years.
Jacobson, who grew up on a farm near Twin Valley, Minnesota, was hired as a patrol officer in 1991 as he was in the final months of his studies at Minnesota State University Moorhead. Majoring in criminal justice and sociology, the 21-year-old was one of 100-plus applicants for the opening as a patrol officer. “During the interview, Lt. Bob Larson asked me, ‘Where would you like to be in 20 years?’” he remembers.
“That was literally a lifetime away. I told him, ‘Well, I would hope to see myself taking progressive increase in responsibilities and opportunities, doing different assignments and things, whatever I can, and certainly promotions.’ But a chief in 20 years? He laughed. That’s not normal.”
He was a little off, but not much. Twenty-seven years later, Jacobson was named deputy chief, following Shannon Monroe’s selection to replace retiring Chief David Ebinger in 2018.
Over the years, he has served in a variety of capacities. “My first special assignment was foot patrol in the Romkey Park area,” he says. He had studied Spanish at in an immersion program at Concordia College, a helpful asset as he got to know the neighborhood to which he was assigned. While children could often help him communicate with their parents, his ability to speak directly to them was welcome: “I could give them the respect of being able to visit with them and hear them.”
In 1994, he was partnered with K-9 Cody. The near-legendary police dog earned the U.S. Police K-9 Award for his service during the Fourth of July Romkey Park riot of 1998. Cody was finally retired to live with the Jacobsons on their farm near Glyndon when in 1999.
The sergeant was also commander of the Moorhead department’s tactical team. “At that time, Moorhead and Fargo were operating separately,” he says. “I worked with Sgt. Paul Laney of Fargo to consolidate our resources as Red River Valley SWAT.” That was in 2000. He continued with the joint team for nine and one-half years, half of that time as its commander.
When David Ebinger replaced Grant Weyland as chief in 2006, he assigned Jacobson – then a captain – to a role he at first resisted. When Ebinger assigned him to become the department’s first public information officer, he asked if it could be changed. “I was hoping not to do that, but he was very blunt,” Tory remembers. “He told me it was a very important role, that it was career development, and it was something that this department needed.” The new role revolved around public speaking, not Jacobson’s favorite duty. “The chief just told me, ‘Get used to it.’”
It’s become one of him most useful skills. Asked about his favorite experiences, he cites two programs that tie the people of Moorhead directly into the department. One is the department’s Citizens Police Academy, which he ran until his promotion. Until 2024 (when lack of manpower forced its cancellation), the 10 weeks of three-hour sessions offered two dozen residents an introduction in every aspect of the MPD. Over ten weeks of three-hour sessions, they got a glimpse of their peaceful home town from police officers’ perspectives – the physically and mentally demanding challenges that keep the peace, mostly far from public view.
His other favorite, he says, has been the Police Volunteers. Men and women in the decades-old program assist the department in duties that don’t require a licensed officer. Some enforce parking regulations. Others help with crowd control at parades. Volunteers may also assist with filing records or scanning hours of security footage for detectives. He administered the program for a dozen years with community policing coordinators Nancy Taralson and Leann Wallin. “I’ve worked with such good people,” he reminisces. “I call them force multipliers. They’re always asking us, ‘What can I do to help?’”
Jacobson is a little more than 55 years old, the age when Minnesota law mandates that law enforcement officers can retire with full pensions. “There are challenges in this occupation that are not designed for those at a higher age,” he observes. “It certainly takes a physical toll.” At the same time, though, it offers sometimes-unexpected opportunities to apply every skill and insight officers bring to the job.
Inevitably, the demands of life as an officer affect entire families. “My wife Tonia has been with me since before I got this job,” the deputy chief reflects. “She has been very understanding. It hasn’t been easy.” She is a legal assistant to the U.S. Attorney in the federal courthouse in Fargo.
They have two adult children. Seth, 29, works in finance. Jena, 26, works in cardiac rehabilitation at Sanford Health; she and her husband are parents of the Jacobsons’ 1-year-old grandson Garrett.
Shortly after Jacobson’s retirement reception Friday, he and Tonia are joining retired Lt. Brad Penas and his wife on a Caribbean cruise, echoing the sea cruise the Jacobsons enjoyed on their honeymoon. Afterwards, he is looking forward to spring on their small farm near Glyndon, where he raises Angus cattle. He expects to also spend his suddenly free hours with his parents Harlen and Elaine Jacobson, where he’ll help his dad catch up on projects around the farm where he grew up.
After 34 years on the force, he observes, the respite will be welcome. “Law enforcement will change your life. It’s more than an occupation,” he says.
He shared that observation last week with middle- and high-school students in his home town. He told them, “I encourage you to think about a career in public safety, because you’re in the same situation I was. You may wonder, can I do that? Am I big enough? Am I strong enough? Am I fast enough? Am I smart enough? What is going to be asked of you?
“And if you wonder — because I did 34 years ago – if you are enough. I think you are. I have had the pleasure of working with an incredibly diverse group of officers and helping people in ways I could never have imagined. In this career, all of your skills are important.
“When you’re asked to help, and can make someone’s situation better, this career goes incredibly fast. It makes it very rewarding.”