For more than a decade and a half, Sgt. Patty Hellen has helped make sure that special events in Minneapolis went off without a hitch.
As the head of special events and dignitary protection, Hellen made sure large-scale city events remained safe including last year's All-Star Game and official visits from former President Jimmy Carter to President Barack Obama.
"I liked the planning process of it...How many people can say that they stood next to the most influential people in the world?" Hellen said, Wednesday during a celebration of her retirement from the Minneapolis police after 30 years of service.
Hellen, 55, also assisted in putting together the bid for Minneapolis to host Super Bowl LII, which could become one of the department's largest tests. "It's going to be huge," she said.
Besides planned events, police are also called to help in natural disasters and emergencies such as the 35W bridge collapse, where police were on the scene for three months until transportation officials took over, Hellen said.
A lot of Hellen's job was coordinating with other people and agencies.
"It's a big wheel and there's a lot of cogs in the wheel," Hellen said.
Hellen said that she doesn't have any immediate retirement plans. She plans on enjoying waking up late and spending time with her family, she said.
