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Bethards, Dalbec face off for county sheriff [Superior Telegram, Wis.](Daily Telegram (Superior, WI) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) Oct. 28--Years of experience faces a new perspective on the ballot for the next Douglas County Sheriff. Incumbent Tom Dalbec has led the department for 12 years. "I have the knowledge; I have the leadership, the proven leadership, and, quite honestly, I feel very strong when I say this -- I believe I have the respect of everybody that works here," said Dalbec, who is running as a Democrat. Dan Bethards of Brule, a narcotics investigator with the Lac Courte Oreilles Tribal Police, said it's time for a change. "It's time for a fresh set of eyes, because politicians who have been in their position for too long think that they deserve it and they kind of just start coasting," said Bethards, the Republican candidate. The sheriff's office oversees 32 employees in law enforcement and another 44 in the Douglas County Jail. The office is also responsible for inmates at the jail. On average, about 180 inmates reside there. If elected, Bethards said he would be riding with deputies and regularly booting in the door on search warrants. "If you're not out there, how do you know what they need?" asked Bethards, who has 26 years of law enforcement experience. "That's the kind of leadership people can respect. I wouldn't ask anyone to do something I wouldn't do myself." Dalbec said he does occasionally go on patrol and calls with deputies, but he's the backup. It's not the sheriff's job to be breaking in the doors. "I've got very good, qualified, highly-trained people doing the jobs that they're supposed to be doing and I don't need to be there doing that," said Dalbec, who has 24 years of law enforcement experience. The sheriff's job is to deal with media, administrators, phone calls, board members, policy issues, discipline and more. "It's a position that balances a fine line between politics and law enforcement," Dalbec said. "I think I've done a very good job of that." Dalbec said his biggest accomplishment over the last 12 years was moving into the Government Center and new jail during his first year as sheriff. He doesn't forsee any big changes if elected. He did ask for an additional detective position in the county budget, but it was removed early on in the process. Dalbec said he will continue to seek funding for another position through grants. One of the newest tools in the department's toolbox, social media, has been an overwhelming success. Posting people with warrants on the sheriff's office website and Facebook page has led to immediate tips and many arrests. "The record is 30 minutes from the time we posted a most wanted to the time they were arrested," Dalbec said. The sheriff is interested in expanding that communication by holding informational meetings in the community. A meeting at Northwood School last year to discuss the increase in property crime netted an audience of 150. In addition to giving tips on how to safeguard their property from theft, members of the sheriff's office encouraged residents to call 911 right away if they see anything out of the ordinary. They also explained the importance of getting a good description of the suspicious vehicle or person and noting the direction they were headed. "It's something we need to do more," Dalbec said. Bethards said he would target drugs in the county in a different way. He proposes in-depth narcotics investigations that net a ring of dealers instead of picking them off one by one. He would also make it department policy that anyone caught simply possessing marijuana would be cited for an ordinance violation. That would free up court and law enforcement resources to target meth, heroin, cocaine and other drugs. "Let's focus on the things that matter, the things that are killing people," Bethards said. Emphasizing drug enforcement would stem the tide of property crimes, robberies and burglaries, he said. Bethards said if elected, he would push to make sure the sheriff's office is represented on the Domestic Abuse Response Team, an inter-agency task force that deals with domestic incidents. The Brule man said he would attend all meetings and have an open-door policy on his office. "I'm open 24/7," Bethards said. "I've lived my whole life that way." Dalbec said he attends meetings where important issues or action items are discussed. At times he and the county board disagree, but his ultimate responsibility is to the community. "I report to the people," Dalbec said. ___ (c)2014 the Superior Telegram (Superior, Wis.) Visit the Superior Telegram (Superior, Wis.) at www.superiortelegram.com Distributed by MCT Information Services |