By Denise Lana,
“Super Daddio” and Decorah Police Department Investigator David Burrett (Driftless Multimedia photo by Denise Lana)
(Originally published in the November 2 Public Opinion, available in print and online. Certain content is presented first to subscribers (print and digital), then released for consumption later)
When he pins on his badge every morning and heads to work at the Decorah Police Department, David Burrett is always prepared for the unknown. He is the department’s investigator – the officer who deals with the unique and high-profile cases, ranging from shootings and arson to robbery and murders.
But when Burrett’s workday is over and his uniform is swapped for “civilian clothes,” Burrett is all about his family. With three dogs, two young sons and high school sweetheart and now-wife Kirsten, Burrett is the first to admit his life is “just about perfect.”
Burrett joined the DPD in April 2018 after serving more than four years at Waukon Police Department, and he enjoys serving and interacting with people from the community. He especially thrives on the unexpected elements of his job. “I love investigating crimes! I like the idea of having something new every day,” he said. “Never knowing what is going to happen, figuring out the truth behind each case, what actually happened. I love figuring out the truth.”
As a youth, Burrett wanted to be an FBI agent, but when he got to high school, he became more focused on football, wrestling and track, and felt the pull to help others in a teaching role. After he graduated from Waukon High School in 2008, Burrett completed one year of college at University of Northern Iowa in hopes of becoming a history teacher. He then changed gears and decided to go into law enforcement. He moved to Iowa City and completed his criminal justice education at Kirkwood Community College.
From 2011 to 2013, he found it hard to find a job in the saturated employment market and began contemplating moving back to his hometown. The move would put him and Kirsten closer to family, including his dad, Keith, who is the town’s street superintendent, and mom, Margaret, who works at Veterans Memorial Hospital.
“I applied with the Allamakee Sheriff’s Office,” Burrett explained. “The police chief said there was an opening there, so I
applied there too!”
In December 2013, Burrett was hired by WPD, and he married Kirsten the next year. More than four years later, Burrett applied for and was hired by DPD, the place he now calls home. “I want to retire here!” Burrett expressed. “When I started in Waukon, it was a good foot-in-the-door, but I think it’s great here! Plenty to do!”
Since joining the police force in April 2018, two sons, John and Henry, have been added to the Burrett team.
Burrett spends Wednesdays with four-year-old John, going to the library, playing at parks, and hiking and looking for painted rocks from the Decorah Rocks group. “We are always out and about and on-the-go,” he added. “I like taking my boys to Phelps Park or the new park in Freeport.”
As an investigator, Burrett gets the weekends off, and he and his wife always try to find things to get them out of the house. “If it’s just my wife and me, we go out to eat at Koreana. Otherwise, we just let the boys pick where to eat, which is usually Culvers!” Burrett laughed. “Or as John calls it, ‘Culvers House’!”
With less free time since the boys were born, Burrett doesn’t hunt and fish as much as he did before, but does like to take his sons fishing at Lake Meyer and Luther Pond.
“It’s so fun for little kids,” Burrett said about Luther Pond. “One time, I was fishing there with John, and my line fell into the water and didn’t have a worm on it and I pulled the line out of the water and there was a fish on it! You throw a line in and almost immediately you pull a fish out!”
Wife Kirsten doesn’t care for much television, so Burrett shared they are always outside. Living close to the bike trail, they often can be found biking to the fish hatchery on the outskirts of town or walking downtown.
“I live in town, and we walk everywhere!” Burrett declared. “We love our house, but eventually, we would like to have a little acreage where Kirsten can have lots of chickens and goats. Our boys love animals, and it would be nice to have that for our family. The wife really wants lots of chickens and goats, and our boys just love animals, so it would be nice to have that for our family.”
Changing out of his uniform and into his “Super Daddio” t-shirt for a picture, Burrett smiled with pride as he explained, “Kirsten got me this shirt for Father’s Day, and Henry calls me Daddio! I definitely am a dad first. My job and hobbies come after that!”
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