Elkader police officer’s career brings him back home

By Willis Patenaude, Times-Register

It doesn’t matter where you go or what greener grass you hope to find, the presence of home, of where you grew up, is always calling. No road traveled makes the heart grow fonder than the road back home. So it was with officer Adam DeShaw, the well-decorated member of the Elkader Police Department and Elkader native. 

It’s a career that didn’t actually start in law enforcement. A graduate of Hawkeye Community College with a degree in political science, Adam found his way to Waterloo and landed a job at Sears. After serving in several positions, he worked his way up to loss prevention lead, dealing with external and internal theft or shoplifting. In the position, he was awarded as the top loss prevention lead for the district and company. 

It’s here where Adam’s path took him further from home—to Colorado and a new job working with IPC international, a private security firm. Once again, he worked his way through the ranks, eventually assigned with “revamping the field training with new hires and transfers.” 

It was good life experience, and it laid the foundation for what would come after. But that foundation also had roots in family. Adam grew up watching his cousin, Brian, who was a police officer and had a K9 named Walley. 

“It caught my attention to the profession,” Adam said. 

But it was something else that got him to take the leap and make the transition. “The thought of being there to help people in their time of need or being a voice for victims is what got me to take the step into the profession,” he added. 

It started in Colorado, in August 2009, with the Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office, where Adam served as a non-certified deputy. In the position, he was a member of the specialized intervention unit and gang intervention team. 

It wasn’t long before Adam realized the ultimate goal of becoming a certified officer, and accolades quickly followed. Among them was a letter of commendation, Deputy of the Month, Meritorious Service Award and a team citation. 

Even in his brief time with the Elkader Police Department, Adam was nominated for Clayton County Law Enforcement Association Officer of the Year in 2019. 

Of course, that might not even be the most impressive achievement in the journey back to Elkader. Because Adam had five or more years of law enforcement service in another state, he had to complete a written reciprocity exam, which  shows that an officer understands and is proficient with Iowa law, such as search and seizure, rules of evidence and use of force. The exam is notoriously tough, with 98 percent of those who take it requiring remediation, whereby you get further instruction and a chance to retake the exam. If you fail again, you attend a class at the academy before re-taking it. 

According to Elkader Police Chief Mitch Seitz, the exam “has a very high failure rate, and [Adam] passed all the requirements with no remediation needed. He did a great job.” 

Just for good measure, Adam also had to attend a first responder course and OWI course, and had to qualify with his firearm. 

While the examinations were no problem, the job presents some challenges. “One of the biggest challenges I feel would be social media,” Adam said. “A lot of things are placed on there and taken out of context, which can tarnish a single person, a group of people and/or a profession’s reputation.” 

In fact, Adam mentioned that a lot of the calls he responded to at his previous department dealt with young people and social media. 

But that’s not the part of the job that defines a career, and it’s not the part on which Adam focuses. Instead, he’s more about the different people he meets, the friendships gained, the excitement of not knowing what each day holds and the experiences with each new call. 

Adam admitted, “You see some of the most horrendous things that evil can do, but you also see how amazing people can be.” 

This emphasis on the positives within people prompted Adam to promote the belief of a “close relationship” between the community and law enforcement. “We have to work together to keep the community safe,” he said. It’s about building trust and confidence in each other because, without it, a community will surely suffer, especially one as small and close-knit as Elkader. 

It’s also why Adam takes a pragmatic approach to law enforcement, noting “it’s not about giving everyone tickets and/or taking people to jail. One of the best tools that we have is discretion, which allows us to do what’s best in each situation.” 

It’s a process that stresses preventative measures and educating the public to avert accidents or bad things from happening. It probably makes responding to terrified neighborhood calls about single red balloons (of the movie IT fame) tied to street drains slightly more entertaining.

As an officer, Adam is guided by a life lesson learned from his father—to leave emotion out of it and to be friendly, treating everyone fairly, regardless of income, religion or beliefs. He also practices this as a member of the Elkader Fire Department, following in his father’s footsteps. As an officer, fireman and a person, Adam is committed to the well being of the community. 

The road home brought him back to “a great community and an amazing place to raise a family,” he said.