By Per Peterson
John Erickson wasn’t born in Tracy, but he certainly feels right at home here.
Erickson just this month joined the Tracy Police Department, bringing to three the number of full-time police officers on call in town.
Erickson, who will turn 27 in July, has family ties in Tracy, as his parents, Kelley Peterson and Bob Erickson, used to live in town before moving to Northfield. He has relatives in town, including uncles Keith and David Peterson.
“Tracy was always a place to come home to for mom and dad and for us to see aunts, uncles and grandparents,” Erickson said. “It’s always kind of felt like a home away from home. Even as a kid, I always had it in the back of my mind that I would live here, and now I get to experience that.”
Erickson hails from Northfield, MN, where he graduated high school in 2013. His path to becoming an officer in Tracy wasn’t necessarily a traditional one. Erickson said he didn’t decide he wanted to make law enforcement a career until his mid-20s.
“I kind of spent a little time trying to decide what I wanted to do with my life,” he said. “Too much time, in my opinion, but everyone’s got to find their way.”
See this week’s Headlight Herald for more on this article.