Fairfield Police, Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office send officers to law enforcement academy

FAIRFIELD – Two members of the Fairfield Police Department and one member of the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office graduated from the Iowa Law Enforcement Academy in December, and are excited to use their new knowledge to better serve the residents of Fairfield and Jefferson County.

Fairfield Police Officers Dylan Fury and Braeden Nielsen, along with Jefferson County Sheriff’s Deputy Brendon Lunsford, were part of the academy’s 311th graduating class that completed a 16-week training regimen in policing, criminal law, physical fitness and emergency response. Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird congratulated each graduate as they received their diplomas from Iowa Law Enforcement Academy Director Brady Carney.

Bird said in a statement that, “Our law enforcement officers are heroes with a good heart,” and that she was proud of the graduates for answering the call to serve and protect.

“Our officers hold the line between justice and crime to keep us safe,” she said. “It’s not an easy job, but it’s an important one. Iowa thanks you and your families for your selfless service. And as long as I’m Attorney General, know that you will always have an ally in the Attorney General's office.”

Local residents might remember Officer Nielsen and Deputy Lunsford from their days of playing high school sports, with Nielsen competing on the Mid-Prairie Golden Hawks baseball team and Lunsford participating in wrestling, football, baseball, soccer and track for the Fairfield Trojans. Officer Fury is the only one who is not a native Iowan, but he moved to the state in middle school and has lived here ever since.

Here is a bit more background about the new law enforcement officers serving Fairfield and Jefferson County:

BRENDON LUNSFORD

Lunsford was born in Keosauqua but grew up in Jefferson County where he attended Fairfield schools from kindergarten through high school. In his high school career, he proved to be a versatile athlete who competed in five sports, and was a stand-out wrestler who finished with 114 wins, which put him in the top five Trojan wrestlers of all-time. He placed at the state wrestling tournament during his junior and senior years of 2017 and 2018, and continued wrestling in college at Hannibal-LaGrange University, where he studied criminal justice.

After spending two years at Hannibal-LaGrange, Lunsford transferred to Iowa Wesleyan University to obtain his bachelor’s degree in criminal justice, and continue his wrestling career. He also began his master’s program in criminal justice at IW, where he helped coach the men’s and women’s wrestling teams as a graduate assistant coach. Unfortunately, Lunsford was unable to finish his master’s program due to the closing of IW in 2023.

Lunsford said he had not planned on entering law enforcement when he was in high school, and wanted to get a degree in graphic design. That changed after he spoke to a criminal justice professor at Hannibal-LaGrange. After that conversation, Lunsford was excited by the thought of a career in law enforcement, and said he hopes to be a positive influence on the community he serves.

While at Iowa Wesleyan, Lunsford worked as an intern with the Henry County Sheriff’s Office. In the summer of 2023, he was hired by the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office after going on three ride-alongs with their officers.

Lunsford said going through the Iowa Law Enforcement Academy was a big change of pace at first, but he got used to it after the first couple of weeks.

“I think in the end, I learned a lot and made friends with law enforcement officers across the state,” Lunsford said.

Lunsford said he’s glad he got the chance to move back to his home county and serve the people of Jefferson County.

“I hope by being a part of this department, I will be able to give back to a community that has done so much for me,” he said.

BRAEDEN NIELSEN

Nielsen was born and raised in Washington, and attended high school at Mid-Prairie, where he graduated in 2017. He was in college for two years, with the first at Mount Mercy University and the second at Garden City Community College.

Nielsen said he chose this career because, “I wanted to enter law enforcement to serve and give back to my fellow citizens.”

The Fairfield Police Department hired Nielsen in May 2023, and that’s when he started its Field Training Officer Program, which consists of 12 weeks of training followed by two weeks of “shadowing” another officer. Shortly after completing the FTO program, Nielsen was off to the Iowa Law Enforcement Academy.

“ILEA was a great experience getting to learn the basic theories and practices of being a police officer,” Nielsen said. “There were ups and downs - challenges and highlights. Along the way, I was able to forge great friendships with my fellow officers from all over the state while learning and being challenged next to my peers.”

Since returning from those 16 weeks of training in Des Moines, Nielsen has officially joined his “squad” and performs general patrol duties while serving the community of Fairfield.

“Fairfield is a vibrant small town filled with diversity,” Nielsen said about the town. “I enjoy serving this community.”

DYLAN FURY

Fury was born in Ohio but spent his childhood living in the western part of West Virginia, until his family moved to Emmet County in Northwest Iowa when he was in middle school. There, Fury attended North Union High School in the town of Armstrong.

Fury knew from a young age that he wanted to devote his life to public service. During his junior year of high school, he enlisted in the U.S. Army National Guard. After high school, he attended Iowa Lakes Community College in Estherville to study criminal justice. While there, he got a job as a jailer working for the Emmet County Sheriff’s Office, and decided to leave college so he could work at the jail fulltime.

“I decided to enter law enforcement because I wanted to have a positive impact on peoples live and help keep them safe,” Fury said.

The Fairfield Police Department hired Fury in March 2023, and that’s when he started the Field Training Officer program. He rode with a field training officer, who instructed Fury on the ins and outs of policing.

“Slowly, through the field training process, the FTO would do less coaching and would just make sure I am doing things correctly,” Fury said. “I have now passed field training and am riding by myself.”

Fury reflected on his four months at the Iowa Law Enforcement Academy, saying it was challenging at times.

“It often felt like drinking from a fire hose,” he said. “They have a lot of valuable information to teach in a short 16 weeks.”

Fury said he’s enjoying his new job and his new town in Southeast Iowa.

“Fairfield is a good community and I’m happy to be working here,” he said. “The police department is also a great place to be working.”

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Call Andy Hallman at 641-575-0135 or email him at andy.hallman@southeastiowaunion.com

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