Message from the Chief

On behalf of the outstanding officers that make up the Sidney Police Department, I would like to thank you for visiting our website.  I hope you find it both useful and instructive.  Sidney is known as Montana’s Sunrise City, and it is a vibrant, tight-knit community with wonderful people that make it a terrific place to live, work, and raise a family.  In fact, “community” is one of the Sidney Police Department’s core values, meaning that we recognize that not only are we a part of this community, but that the community is a part of this department, and that we can do little without that partnership.  My personal philosophy on policing is based on that of “community guardianship”, whose guiding principles include protecting and defending the community from those who would cause it harm, and advocating for those who have been affected by crime.

I am a strong believer in the concept of “servant leadership” which is a leadership philosophy based on the desire to serve, and in which the servant leader puts the needs of their constituents first, thus empowering them to grow and perform to their highest level.  I believe this “serve-first” mentality applies to every member of this department, and I encourage all of my officers to remember that service to others is the noblest of endeavors, especially when done with compassion, humility, and respect.  Likewise, I also believe that I have an obligation to serve my staff by creating a positive working environment based on trust, respect, hard work, and professional growth.  Because the standards and expectations for every officer in this department are extremely high, I believe it is equally important to provide them with the tools, training, and support needed to meet those expectations.  In the end, my vision is for a police department that is both respected by the community and staffed with motivated law enforcement professionals who desire to serve as community guardians.

I am honored to serve as the Chief of Police for the Sidney Police Department, and I am committed to ensuring that this department provides effective, responsive, and ethical police services to the citizens of Sidney that align with our core values of Integrity, Service, Respect, Community, and Family.

Mark E. Kraft, Chief of Police