DES MOINES, Iowa – The Iowa Department of Public Safety received a resignation letter from Michael Haugen, former Sergeant of the Iowa DPS’s Iowa State Patrol out of the Mason City post.
Haugen’s resignation letter ends the Department’s process to terminate his employment. The Department filed a notice of intent to terminate employment with the Employment Appeal Board on May 6, 2016. Hague, age 31, had 30 days to appeal the notice of intent, but instead resigned.
No further information related to the notice of intent to terminate will be released because this is a confidential personnel matter.
Haugen began his employment as a Trooper with the Department on May 31, 2006. He was promoted to sergeant on August 28, 2015. He was placed on administrative leave beginning on March 25, 2016 for 30 days, and that leave was extended on April 25, 2016.
Resignation letter:
It is with great regret that I am resigning from the Iowa State Patrol. This is a career that I aspired to from a young age; I enjoyed serving the public, and will miss it greatly. I am thankful for the opportunity I had making a positive difference for people in our communities, the varied assignments in which I was able to participate, and the bond with fellow officers. With that said, at this point, I need to focus on my health and family.
I would like to use this as an opportunity to build awareness about the opioid addiction crisis in the United States. Each year, 28,000 people die of opioid overdoses. I am fortunate not to be one of them. I became addicted to opioids after battling ulcerative colitis for the past 9 years and C-diff for the past 2 years. Opioids are incredibly effective at reducing pain…but are also highly addictive and dangerous. My addiction negatively impacted my family, friends, co-workers and others and I’m taking responsibility for my actions. I am moving forward and want to prevent others from going through my experience. I encourage anyone taking opioids for medical conditions to be aware of their addictive nature and to work your doctors regarding the same. I would also stress the importance of friends, family, and co-workers to lookout for signs of dependence on opioids before it is too late. This is a growing epidemic that can be reduced with education and awareness.
Again, thank you for the opportunity to serve this great state.
Michael Haugen
