2012
STEELE COUNTY
SHERIFF’S
OFFICE
ANNUAL REPORT
Sheriff’s Message
2
Mission Statement
3
Sheriff’s of Steele County
4
Map & Stats
5
Organizational Chart
6
New Hire/Promotion
7
Highlights of 2012
8
Investigations
17
Civil Division
20
K-9 Unit
21
D.A.R.E.
23
Take It To The Box
24
S.W.A.T.
25
Steele County Detention Center
27
Steele County Special Deputies
34
Steele County Posse
37
Steele County Board of Commissioners and Citizens of Steele County:
I am pleased to present to you the Steele County Sheriff’s Office 2012 Annual Report.
My sophomore year has concluded as quickly as my first year it seems. We have continued with large
strides in advancing the Steele County Sheriff’s Office to a more efficient and effective organization.
In the first part of 2012, I spent 10 weeks in Plainfield, Illinois at the Northwestern School of Police Staff
and Command (SPSC). The SPSC program was formatted for two weeks a month for five months. The
flexibility of the schedule allowed me to study during class time and catch up with my responsibilities as
your Steele County Sheriff during the two weeks at home.
The SPSC program is considered one of the most challenging and rewarding law enforcement executive
management programs in the nation. The SPSC prepares law enforcement managers for senior positions
by combining academic principles with practical applications.
The curriculum consisted of Managerial Accounting, Organizational Behavior, Strategic Planning and
Management, Psychology of Training and Development, Human Resource Management, Current Issues in
Management, Psychology of Personnel Methods, and Leadership and Decision Making.
I was also honored being elected as one of Northwestern School of Police Staff and Command class
officers. It was an incredible experience and I promise to use the knowledge I obtained to benefit or
enhance my ideas and objectives for the Steele County Sheriff’s Office.
The following pages share our accomplishments throughout the 2012 year. The year was one of continued
challenges for public safety, as we dealt with another year of
budget cuts due to the financial crisis.
As we look to the future, I remain grateful to the continued
assistance throughout the county and to the members of this
agency. These men and women personify our core values and
guiding principles of the Steele County Sheriff’s Office. I will
continue to treat every day as a learning day and I refuse to stop
the progression to a more organized and efficient law enforcement
agency.
I am proud to have the honor of being your Sheriff and I welcome
any thoughts or comments.
Sheriff Lon Thiele
The Steele County Sheriff’s Office is dedicated to protect and serve the
citizen’s of Steele County and support their quality of life. We coordinate the efforts of the emergency and support services to provide the
highest level of responsiveness possible. We hold ourselves accountable for our actions and take pride in a professional level of service and
fairness to all.
(As adopted by the Steele County Board of Commissioners on September 27, 2005.)
C O R E VAL U E S
FAIRNESS
We treat all people impartially, with consideration and compassion. We are
equally responsive to our employees and the communities we serve.
INTEGRITY
We are committed to the highest performance standards, ethical conduct and
truthfulness in all our duties. We hold ourselves accountable for our actions
and pride in a professional level of service and fairness to all.
HONESTY
The members of the Steele County Sheriff’s Office will be truthful and trust-
1855
William F. Pettit, Appointed by Governor
1856
David Lindesmith, First Elected (2 Year)
1858-1860
W. H. Wilsey (2)
1860
S.C. Williamson (Did not complete term.)
1862-1865
Seth H. Patterson (Resigned in May 1865)
1865
William Scriby (Appointed by County Commissioners in May)
1865
Willard Wheaton (Completed Term 1 Year)
1866-1868
Michael Toher (2 Year)
1868
Frank Borchert (1 Year)
1869-1874
Michael J. Toher (1 Year Term, then 2 Year Terms, 7 Years)
1874-1882
Clark Chambers (2 Year)
1882-1888
Hugh Murrary (6 Year)
1888-1900
J.Z. Barncard (6 Two Year Terms)
1900-1904
Charles Misgen (4 Year)
1904-1906
F. C. Chambers (2 Year)
1906-1922
William Leechy (4 Two and 2 Four Year Terms, 16 Years)
1922-1934
Joseph Fisher (12 Year)
1934-1946
E. Ted Helgeson (12 Year)
1946-1956
Donald M. Christenson (9-1/2 Years, Died July 7, 1056 of a
heart attack. Wife, Mary, appointed to fill unexpired term of
2-1/2 Years)
1958-1978
Bernard (Bud) Coufal (He came to Owatonna in 1946 from
Blooming Prairie to serve as Deputy Sheriff)
1978-1982
Wesley Wilker (Served as Investigator with the Sheriff’s
Department.)
1982-2002
William A. Hildebrandt
2002-2010
Gary A. Ringhofer (Retired in April of 2010 Mid-Term)
2010-2010
Don Gudmundson (Hired interim to fill out the 2010 Term)
2011-Present
Lon Thiele
POPULATION: 36,530
13 TOWNSHIPS
432 SQUARE MILES
4 CITIES
14,343 HOUSEHOLDS
PROVIDE CONTRACT LAW ENFORCEMENT FOR: MEDFORD AND ELLENDALE
THE CITIES OF OWATONNA AND BLOOMING PRAIRIE HAVE POLICE DEPTS.
NEW EMPLOYEE
Cassandra is our most recent hire in the
Records Department and comes to the LEC
from California.
Her education includes
degrees in Secretarial Studies and Criminal
Justice.
You will find her at the main
reception desk at the LEC.
Juanice “Cassandra” Calandra
CONGRATULATIONS
Investigator Gary Okins took over his new
role of Sergeant on September 17, 2012. Gary
has been with the Steele County Sheriff Office
since 1988.
In addition to his regular investigative duties,
his new rank will expand his job description
to include supervision of the Patrol Deputies
and the Investigations Division.
Gary Okins, Sergeant
800 MGHZ EMERGENCY / ARMER RADIO SYSTEM
TRAINING FOR OUR DEPUTIES
Deputy Chad Forystek has been devoting many hours to this project getting everyone
trained and installing the systems in the squads and buildings. This included upgrades to
our towers. This all began with a Federal Mandate which forced all emergency response
agencies to either take on a Narrow Band or the 800 Mghz. system by July 1, 2013. A special “Thank You” to Chief Deputy Scott Hanson, Deputy Forystek and Steve Rohlik for
making this possible.
In 2012 we went fully operational on the ARMER Radio System getting all users live.
These users were mainly the public safety users (Law Enforcement, Fire, EMS, Special
Deputies, Detention Center, and Posse). When added to the Public Works users that went
live in 2011, the total number of live radios on the system now sits at 565.
The process to get these users live included interaction with each agency to develop radio
programs that best fit their needs. Once developed, radios were programmed and distributed after the users were trained in their use according to ARMER System standards.
After users went live, changes and tweaks were performed to address issues that developed as we all learned the capabilities and functions of the system. These changes and
improvements will continue into 2013.
Towards the end of the year we started another phase to the project, the Blooming Prairie
site addition. The project will continue well into 2013 as we improve our coverage South.
The need for school in-building coverage enhancements were researched and developed
800 MGHZ EMERGENCY/ARMER RADIO SYSTEM
As the ARMER System Administrator, Deputy Forystek
 Coordinates repair activities for 500+ subscriber radios, as well as the Steele County
sub-system infrastructure.
 Performs required and routine maintenance of all system software and hardware including user radio equipment.
 Maintains subscriber radio database including radio code plug development.
 Helps to develop procedures related to radio system usage, policy and guidelines.
 Communicates with police and fire departments, 911 center staff, and agency administration on radio system issues that may impact public safety services.
 Manages software upgrades of sub-system components and subscriber radios.
 Schedules and assists in conducting maintenance of county radio site equipment.
 Reviews system usage reports to determine if users are experiencing abnormal number of busies, or are roaming off the Steele sub-system inappropriately.
 Provides guidance and training to users on proper use of the radio system.
 Develops and maintains failure condition plans and assist with periodic tests.
 Maintains adequate inventory of parts and supplies necessary to properly service
subscriber units and infrastructure.
Deputy Forystek also represents Steele County at the following meeting/training:
 SE- Owners/Operators Users Group meetings
 Statewide SMG (System Managers Group) meetings
 SERRB (SE Regional Radio Board) meetings
 SE-RAC
(SE Radio Advisory
Committee) meetings
 Statewide Interoperability Conference 2012
 Trained in CPS (Motorola Customer Programming Software)
 Network Client Training
 Training with MNDOT
 RICE-STEELE user group meetings
PICTURED AT RIGHT IS
DEPUTY CHAD FORYSTEK IN
THE LOWER LEVEL SPACE THAT
IS BEING UTILIZED FOR THE
ARMER RADIO SYSTEM OFFICE.
GREAT LEADERSHIP
Sheriff Lon Thiele displays his signed
Graduation Certificate from Northwestern School of Police Staff and
Command. Completion of the course
involved a 10 week commitment from
Sheriff Thiele traveling to Plainfield,
Illinois.
On the right is Chief Deputy
Scott Hanson receiving his
award
for
being
named
“Officer of The Year” by the
Steele County Exchange Club.
Also pictured with Scott are,
Vern Wilker, Program Chairman and Rachel Grunklee,
President-Elect for the Steele
County Exchange Club.
SOME FUN EVENTS FOR ALL INVOLVED
DEPUTIES
REPRESENTING
THE SHERIFF’S
OFFICE WERE
NICK DONAHUE
TONY DAVID
SAFETY DAY IN BLOOMING PRAIRIE :
Sheriff Lon Thiele participated in Safety
Day at the Blooming Prairie School. K 6 Graders were reminded of various circumstances where safety becomes an
KID’S SAFETY DAY AT OLD NAVY
STORE, MEDFORD MALL: Deputy
Tony David passed along safety tips to
those attending The National Safety
Day sponsored by Old Navy.
OUR BOOTH AT THE SENIOR EXPO
On May 2nd Chief Deputy Scott Hanson and Administrative Assistant, Karen Meier spent part of the day at the
Senior Expo. It was held at the Four
Seasons Center. Various safety pamphlets were distributed along with
many suggestions to answer the asked
of us. We were impressed with the interaction from those in attendance and
thought the time was well spent.
STEELE COUNTY SAFETY CAMP
The Steele County Sheriff’s Office participated in the Annual Safety Camp in June.
event is for students going
into fourth grade. The two
days covered first aid, safety
practices while biking, hiking,
fishing, boating and equipment and electrical safety.
The first day we had Paul
Hanson with our Water Patrol
and Joe Schwering, Maralou
Brose and John Gerold with
the Posse at Kohlmier Beach.
Pictured at right is the gradu-
This
BOAT & WATER PATROL
Steele County has two part-time Water Patrol
Personnel. Last year we acquired $2,297.00
through the MN DNR Boat & Water Safety Grant.
Paul Hanson and Brandon Noble put in just under 100 hours in 2012.
Safety inspections are done on boats at Lake Kohlmier, making sure they have the needed
life preservers and proper registration.
NIGHT TO UNITE
We were happy to be invited to several gatherings during
the 2012 Night to Unite which took place in August. The
evening promotes crime prevention awareness, strengthens neighborhood spirit and sends a message to criminals that neighborhoods are banning together and
fighting back. It also provides us with a means to communicate with the public in an informal setting.
HOUSE / BUSINESS CHECKS
In 2012 your Steele County Sheriff’s Office personnel provided
over 900 house and business checks. The house checks usually occur when a county resident request that we check on their
home, usually because they will be out of town. The business
checks are an ongoing service, but are heightened when we
have specific concerns in a certain area.
WIND
TURBINE
SAFETY
EXERCISE
Saturday, November 17, 2012 the Steele County Sheriff Office and Vestas held a high
rescue training exercise which consisted of a “mock” medical event where a person (a 180
pound dummy) is having difficulty breathing at the top of the wind turbine (300 feet up).
There are presently 24 wind turbines scattered throughout the area.
The groups participating were: Steele County Sheriff’s Office, Blooming Prairie Fire
Department, Blooming Prairie Ambulance, Owatonna Fire Department and Vestas.
PURCHASE & CARRY GUN PERMITS
2012
2011
Steele County Sheriff Carry Permits
203
140
Steele County Sheriff Purchase Permits
197
139
Owatonna Police Purchase Permits
365
276
Steele County Carry permits were up 31% from 2011
Steele County Purchase permits were up 29% from 2011
Owatonna Purchase permits were up 24% from 2011
STEELE COUNTY FAIR - AUGUST
Appreciation goes out to members of the Posse, Special Deputies, Owatonna Police Dept,
Detention Center Staff and our own Sheriff’s Office employees that signed up to work
shifts at the fair providing security and other services as needed. It is a major concern to
keep everyone safe while visiting our fair each year. Below is the breakdown of hours and
costs associated with security at the fairgrounds.
2012 SECURITY COSTS BREAK DOWN
HOURS
WAGES
Licensed Grounds Patrol
(O.T. Shifts Offered)
Posse Grounds Patrol
128
$ 5,892.46
451
8,276.91
Beer Garden
137
2,581.08
Grand Stand
122
2,289.06
Dispatch/Payroll
80
2,126.67
Hours Not Billed
437
11,538.11
Totals
1,355
Steele County Fair Invoiced
$ 32,704.29
- $ 22,149.23
PREDATORY OFFENDER SUMMARY
Deputy Darrin Helget is in charge of our POR checks. In 2012 the Steele County Sheriff’s
Office averaged 13 Predatory Offenders - all being male. The actual number fluctuated
as some moved in and others moved out or completed their registration period.
Ten of our offenders were not assigned a risk level. Two were “Level One” offenders, one
was a “Level Two” and one a “Level Three”.
The “Level Three” offender was arrested on new charges in May 2012.
Two offenders were found to have violated the terms of the POR. Both complaints were
sent to the County Attorney’s Office for charges/review. The violations were:
-One for failing to register vehicles as required
-One for failing to register a change of address. He was working at the Steele
County Fair with the Carnival.
Checks were done Quarterly. 68 entries made by Steele County Deputies doing compliance checks.
TOWARD ZERO DEATH STATS
Deputy Nick Donahue represents Steele County for the
Toward Zero Death waves. This initiative is funded by
state grant money and was previously known as “Safe & Sober”.
We participate in approximately 12 initiatives annually, with
a total of 389 stops during TZD wave hours this year.
THE VARIOUS
TYPES OF WAVES INCLUDE:
SEAT BELTS
SPEED
D.W.I.
DISTRACTED DRIVING
MOTORCYCLE
MOVE OVER DAY
NUMBERS WE PRODUCED
Seat Belts Citations: 18
DAC Citation: 1
DAS Citations: 4
DAR Citations: 3
No MN DL Citations: 1
Speed Citations: 31
DWI Arrests: 2
No Proof Citations: 1
No Insurance Citations: 1
Warrant Arrests: 1
2012 SCSO Investigation Assignments
1
1
2
1
2
1
4
22
43
1
1
16
6
7
5
3
1
3
1
1 1
1
1
2
1
2
Assaults = 2
Attempted Homicide = 1
Assist Other Agencies = 4
Adult Protection = 2
Alcohol Violation = 1
Burglary = 22
Background Invest. = 1
Criminal Damage
Child Protection = 16
CSC = 7
Drowning = 1
Drug Activity = 2
Fraud = 2
Fatal Accident = 1
Fire = 5
Found Property = 6
Information = 1
Internal Affairs =1
Jail Incident = 1
Kidnapping = 1
Meth Lab = 1
Suicide = 3
Search warrant = 3
Theft = 43
Threats = 1
Attempted Warrant = 1
One of our major investigations involved the theft of jewelry.
The investigation ran about three months and involved four other counties
in addition to Steele County.
Steele County had five victims with four actual burglaries and
one attempted burglary.
We recovered hundreds of pieces of jewelry.
The five counties that were involved
in the burglaries were:
Steele County
Rice County
LeSueur County
Scott County
Dakota County
MEDFORD MCDONALD’S SHOOTING
On January 9th at approximately 4:15 p.m. shots were fired by an
individual at a vehicle that had two passengers inside. The victims
were able to drive away to a business in Medford to wait for law enforcement. The male shooter left the scene in another vehicle driven by a female.
We were very happy to put the shooter, Jason Krieg, behind bars.
Also arrested were two females and one male with charges ranging
from controlled substance (sales and possession) to aiding an offender.
We completed numerous search warrants on houses, phone records
and vehicles. Seized property included over $1,000.00 in cash and
1.5 ounces of suspected methamphetamines that had a street value of $7,500.
JASON KRIEG
As a community we were very lucky that this incident did not turn into a major tragedy,
considering the location and time of day when the shots were fired.
PREDATORY OFFENDER ARRESTED
In May we were contacted by the F.B.I. to assist with a search warrant on a party /
residence in Steele County. Their field office on the East Coast that does computer monitoring for child pornography had discovered that this individual had
possibly accessed child porn on his computer.
Following the search warrant at the residence at 15133 29th Ave. SE, Blooming
Prairie we assisted the F.B.I. with an interview and vehicle search with the suspect at his place of employment in Rochester. Numerous images of child pornography were located in the suspect’s possession.
Brian Luke Broulik was arrested and escorted to the Steele County Detention
Center.
NUMBER OF CIVIL PAPERS SERVED
JAN.
FEB.
MAR.
APR.
MAY
JUNE
JULY
AUG.
SEP.
OCT.
NOV.
DEC.
2012
2011
2010
2009
2008
2007
2006
2005
2004
267
551
866
1122
1389
1685
1919
2212
2426
2702
2950
3185
268
518
817
1053
1327
1644
1936
2181
2443
2654
2902
3145
294
565
912
1179
1412
1690
1938
2244
2408
2698
2998
3208
209
446
677
923
1192
1422
1692
1907
2196
2473
2728
2976
298
578
926
1251
1531
1832
2098
2432
2678
3027
3283
3541
319
506
783
1084
1355
1626
1911
2214
2493
2846
3127
3388
274
608
903
1155
1438
1649
1908
2188
2522
2826
3129
3356
327
586
830
1133
1368
1616
1863
2168
2471
2789
3082
3351
209
444
760
1055
1349
1553
1827
2096
2384
2629
2897
3134
$87,482
$54,717
$45,271
CIVIL PROCESS INCOME
PAPER
SERVICE
LEVIES
$65,817
$68,479
$81,487
$92,775
$107,554 $100,029
CIVIL PROCESS FEES
1/1/2006
11/1/2004
1/1/2003
1/1/2000
1/1/1999
SINGLE SERVICE
$75.00
$45.00
$35.00
$30.00
$25.00
REDEMPTION
$250.00
$150.00
INTENT TO REDEEM
$100.00
PAPERS SERVED OUTSIDE STEELE COUNTY
# PAPERS
SERVED WHERE
8
Outside State of Minnesota
81
Counties in Minnesota
3
1
2
4
6
2
Blue Earth
Brown
Cass
Dakota
Dodge
Faribault
4 Hennepin
3 Kandiyohi
1 LeSueur
1 McLeod
6 Mower
10 Olmsted
15 Rice
3 Scott
1 St Louis
1 Wabasha
5 Waseca
1 Washington
After several years of service to the Steele
County Sheriff’s Office, it was time to retire
our K-9 Chaos.
Chaos brought home many awards,
including a two time first place award in the
Vehicle Search for Narcotics Trial held by
the United States Police Canine Association
Trials.
Chaos completed basic training on May 25,
2005. for both narcotics and patrol tactics.
our
Y
r
o
F
s
k
Than
ice
v
r
e
S
f
o
s
Year
“CHAOS”
READY TO GO
Caesar was born April 16, 2011 and is a
German Sheppard. The Steele County
Sheriff’s Office gained Caesar on April 7,
2012 coming from Slovakia.
Deputy Padilla states that having a K9
partner is very rewarding and extremely
demanding. On average they spend two
hours a day training to keep the K9
proficient and learning new things. Deputy
Padilla states that just because you have
days off does not mean the K9
understands that. Caesar always wants to
be out training (playing in his mind) so you
APRIL 9, 2012 - JUNE 15, 2012
Caesar attends and completes Performance Kennels “Patrol Course”
2012 COMPLETES 343 HRS OF PATROL TRAINING:
Tracking up to 1.5 miles
Obedience- basic heel sit, stay and distance commands
Firearms training-to remain calm around gunfire
Article searches- to recover items possibly lost by suspect committing crime
Muzzle work- teaches K9 to fight in addition to using his mouth
Agility- K9 jumps, crawls, climbs through obstacles
Box work- teaches K9 to find a suspect hiding using his nose
Building search- to locate suspect hiding in building
Bite work- to ensure K9 will apprehend suspect if needed
Water training- to get K9 to swim
Area search- to find someone in open area
SEPT 3, 2012 - SEPT 26, 2012
Caesar completes Performance Kennels
“Narcotic Detection Course”
2012
COMPLETES 142 HRS OF
DETECTION TRAINING:
Vehicle sniffs inside and outside
Building sniffs
Locker sniffs
NARCOTICS
2012 CAESAR DEPLOYED 33 TIMES:
6 narcotic sniffs resulting in finding small amounts of meth and marijuana. Numerous
meth pipes, marijuana pipes and grinders.
27 patrol deployments to include shots fired, fights in progress, perimeter security,
building searches, search for a lost child and a fleeing criminal track.
NOVEMBER 1, 2012
Caesar passed narcotics certification
D. A. R. E.
Drug Abuse Resistance Education Program
The D.A.R.E. Program has been taught in the Medford and N.R.H.E.G. (New Richland Hartland Ellendale Geneva) Public Schools since 2003 by Deputy Anthony David. The program
is taught to 6th grade students in Medford and 5th grade students in N.R.H.E.G. schools.
In 2012, a total of 141 students graduated from the D.A.R.E. Program in Steele County.
The students learn about the dangers of the three main “gateway” drugs which include tobacco, marijuana, and alcohol, as well as pharmaceutical and O.T.C. (Over the Counter)
drug abuse. The students also learn about making wise decisions through the use of the
Decision Making Model as well as the dangers of bullying and violence. Students prepare
written reports on what they have learned and are rewarded with a graduation ceremony at
the culmination of the program.
D.A.R.E. Graduation at NRHEG November 15, 2012. Six students chosen to
read reports Pictured above: Sheriff Lon
Thiele, Alexandra Combs, Summer Kath,
Paige Peterson, Jayna Domeier, Blake
Ihrke, Kade Reese and D.A.R.E. Instructor, Deputy Tony David.
D.A.R.E. Graduation at Medford May 30,
2012. Six students chosen to read reports
Front:
Deputy Tony David, Dominic
Panos, Kyra Rahn, Madelyn Neuhaus,
Emily Steffen, Kristina Niner and Colton
Havelka.
The “Take It To The Box” Program is a
household pharmaceutical disposal
program where individuals can drop-off
their unused or expired medications in
an environmentally safe manner. The
Program was implemented in January
2011 by the Steele County Sheriff’s
Office and the Steele County Safe &
Drug Free Coalition. The Program was
funded by a U.S. Federal Grant
obtained by the Coalition.
The Steele County Sheriff’s Office participated in the National Prescription Drug Take
Back Day on Saturday, April 28, 2012. Nearly, 4000 state and local law enforcement
agencies participate in this held event and collect more than 309 tons of pills. Drop
boxes are located at the Steele County Law Enforcement Center and the Blooming Prairie
MN Police Department.
Pharmaceutical
Year
2011
2012
Medications Disposed:
Drug lbs.
690 lbs.
733 lbs.
The Sheriff’s Office was proud to accept the
“Community Change Award” from the Steele
County Safe & Drug Free Coalition.
S.W.A.T. Team consists of +/- 20 recommended members consisting of:
16 Basic SWAT
9 HRT
2 Sniper
2 SWAT Commander
7 Advanced SWAT
7 Team Leader
2 Negotiators
2012 MEMBER AGENCIES
Albert Lea Police Department
Blooming Prairie Police Department
Janesville Police Department
Owatonna Police Department
Steele County Sheriff’s Office
Waseca County Sheriff’s Office
Waseca Police Department
North Ambulance, Waseca
2012 MISSIONS
The SCDIU SWAT Team was deployed in support of twenty-one missions. Below is a description of each incident:
January 1
January 9
January 11
January 14
March 12
March 13
March 21
April 8
June 13
June 22
September 8
October 7
October 29
November 8
November 12
December 12
December 17
Barricaded Suspect, Janesville MN
Search Warrant, Owatonna MN
Search Warrant, Owatonna MN
Mutual Aid, Mankato MN
Search Warrant, Owatonna MN
Search Warrant, Owatonna MN
Search Warrant, Owatonna MN
Search Warrant, Blooming Prairie MN
Search Warrant, LeCenter, MN
Search Warrant, Owatonna MN
Barricaded Suspect, Elmore, MN
Search Warrant, Owatonna MN
Mutual Aid, Northfield MN
Mutual Aid, Mower County MN
Search Warrant, Albert Lea MN
Search Warrants, Albert Lea MN
Search Warrants, Albert Lea MN
ANNUAL OPERATIONS
Year
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
Missions
14
11
13
1
6
5
3
4
21
TRAINING
National Tactical Officers Association (NTOA) recommends 16 hours per month (part
-time), 12 months per year. SCDIU SWAT currently train 10 hours per month. Additional training is available through (NTOA), Special Operations Training Association
(SOTA), Defense Technology (Def-Tec) and other outside sources.
Annual Training Includes:
Barricade Operations
Hostage Rescue
Warrant Service
Firearms Qualifications
Special Munitions Re-Cert.
Shooting Skills Maintenance
Tactical First Aid
Defense Tactics
Legal Issues
Personnel Protection Detail
Physical Fitness
SOTA Conference
Joint Training:
- Austin / Mower County SWAT
- River Valley SWAT
Specialty Vehicles
MISSION STATEMENT
The Steele County Detention Center’s main purpose is to optimize public safety by
the safe and humane housing of sentenced and non-sentenced detainees awaiting
due process, according to all state statues.
It is hoped that the restriction of freedom, one of the inalienable rights in the
United States of America, will be a deterrent to all offenders.
It is the hope of the citizens of Steele County that those who pass through the
Steele County Detention Center will re-enter society as more productive and
responsible members of our community.
We believe in the safe, humane, and fair treatment of all individuals. We believe
that the implementation of this mission statement will require good management
ADMINISTRATION
Ron Hammann, Jail Administrator
Dick Wandrey, Captain
Jen Pfeifer, Lieutenant
OFFICERS / SERGEANTS / CORPORALS
Travis Ardolf
Luis Irizarry
Travis Avelar
Shannon Jes
Mark Barrie
Kevin Kozel
Drew Bartelt
Jason Krohn
Nathan Boysen, Corporal
Adil Lebgue
Anthony Buttera, Corporal
Jed Loftus, Corporal
Crystal Chappuis
Shari Luedtke
Elisha Degrego
April Nease
Kristin Freese
Richelle Olson, Sergeant
Steven Gjerald
Paul Prissel, Sergeant
Dawn Grunklee
Joyce Prusha, Corporal
Matthew Gwin
Richard Smith
Justin Hebel, Sergeant
Troy Stockwell, Sergeant
Alicyn Hinze
Shelley Thom
Greg Huebbe
Carl Wheeler
RECORDS/MEDICAL/PROGRAMS
Jessica Fenlason, Programs
Cindy Fowler, Programs
Nancy Gjerald, Records
Leah Kent, LPN
Joyce Richards, RN
TRANSPORT OFFICERS
John Bowe
Dan Finne
Gene Fisher
Don Hunt
Mark Johnson
PROMOTIONS
Ron Hammann,
Jail Administrator
Dick Wandrey,
Assistant Jail Administrator
2012 brought several promotions at the Steele County Detention Center. Ron Hammann
started with the Detention Center in 1993 and was promoted in June to Jail
Administrator. Dick Wandrey has been with the Detention Center since 1986 in various
roles and was promoted to Asst. Jail Administrator in July.
Jen Pfeifer, Lieutenant
Jen Pfeifer was promoted to Lieutenant. Her supervision includes: Training, Records
Dept. the Medical staff and the Programs area. Jen joined the Detention Center staff in
February of 2003.
2012 INCOME:
Source
PBT’s (Preliminary Breath Test)
Huber (Work Release Program)
UA (Urine Analysis)
Cup/Card/Spork
Booking Fees
Housing other County Inmates
Housing State Inmates
Fingerprinting
BOOKINGS
Year
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
Total
1992
1963
1921
2265
1901
1824
Totals
$ 3,053.00
91,822.00
4,200.00
6,520.00
13,630.00
226,770.00
37,400.00
1,190.00
$384,585.00
2012 TRANSPORTS
WARRANTS
CIVIL
COURT
PRISON
OTHER
WRIT
MEDICAL
MILES
30626
6163
1053
4927
509
14647
139
HOURS
199
159
423
110
20
422
47
The current Steele County Detention Center, located at 2500 Alexander St SW,
opened in October of 2003 and is the fourth jail in Steele County. The facility has a
rated capacity of 154 beds and houses both male and female pre-sentence and sentenced detainees, and detainees from other Counties, States, and Federal organizations.
Of the 1824 bookings there was a total of 23,906 jail days of which 20,375 days were
males and 3,531 days were spent by female’s.
Visitors of inmates totaled 5,157.
246 Transports were recorded to prison or another jail. There were an additional
170 transports to Steele County Court.
PROGRAMS MADE AVAILABLE TO INMATES
Alcoholics Anonymous
Adult Basic Education
Anger Management
Art
Bible Study
Boundaries
CARE
Celebrate Recovery
Child Support
College Classes
Domestic Abuse
Dual Recovery Program
How to be a Responsible Parent
Inmate Orientation
Job Skills
Life Skills
Parenting
Recreational Time
Stinking Thinking
Teen Challenge
Thinking for a Change
The Murals above were done by the Inmates at the Steele County
Detention Center through a grant that was received from the South
Eastern Minnesota Arts Council. The murals took approximately 2
months to create and are images of “CHANGE”
The Murals were on display in the lobby of the County Administration
Building, Courthouse, Owatonna High School and the Steele County
Free Fair.
PROGRAM STEAM AWARD
The Detention Center received its 5th Programming Award in 2012 for the Program
STEAM. Start to Empower and Mend; which is a Parenting Program started in collaboration with Program Staff and Community Volunteers. This award is voted on by
Board Members from MJPS (Minnesota Jail Programs and Services) and is the highest award in the State for Programming.
DETENTION CENTER GARDEN
Pounds of food donated to the Food Shelf & Cedarview Nursing Home:
Year
Pounds Of Food
2006
1634
2007
2370
2008
3095
2009
3004
2010
2183
2011
1072
2012
865
The Detention Center Garden continues to be a huge contributor to the
Food Shelf of Owatonna and Big Brothers Big Sisters. The garden also sup-
VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR AWARD
Dr. Jerry Zetah was presented with the MN Sheriffs’ Association Volunteer of the Year
Award. Jerry began volunteering at the Jail in 2009 when he brought Anger Management Classes to the inmates. He then decided to become a part of the mentoring program for inmates with the CARE re-entry program.
He has also worked with the Program Staff to develop a curriculum for a new Parenting
Program. The program provided classes for both the incarcerated parent and the outside parent, providing them with the same information. The class was called “Start to
Empower and Mend” and it received the Dave Grant Program of the Year award.
Jerry has truly impacted the lives of many incarcerated men and women through his
work and is very dedicated to coaching individuals to be successful when they return
to the community. We are very happy his efforts were rewarded.
The Special Deputies assist Law Enforcement with security at accidents or crime scenes
until the investigations are complete. They also provide assistance guarding and
transporting or prisoners when needed. Other security they provide for include, Wedding
Dances, Hotel Security, Fund Raisers, Sporting Events, Street Dances, Auctions and City
Celebrations. All Specials are expected to work at least two civic functions and two
nights at the fair in an unpaid capacity. Monthly meetings provide time for interaction and
updating of information, as well as necessary training.
ANNUAL MEETING
The Special Deputies were sworn in by Sheriff Thiele at their Annual Meeting held in
January and Service Awards were handed out.
Pictured at left: Rich Mueller 10 Years of
Service; John Standke 55 Years of Service;
Sheriff Lon Thiele; and Walt Barfknecht 55
Years of Service. Not pictured is Jack
Dillemuth also with 55 Years of Service.
Below are all the members that
attended the Annual Meeting as well
as Sheriff Lon Thiele and Chief
Deputy Scott Hanson.
SPECIAL DEPUTY COORDINATOR:
Les Abraham
SPECIAL DEPUTIES
YEAR STARTED
NO OF YEARS
Les Abraham
Walt Barfknecht
Charlie Berg
Grant Brossard
Chris Clark
Jack Dillemuth
Scott Dobson
Derek Drache
Gene Fisher
Christopher Gannon
Paul Hanson
Scott Jorgensen
Jeff Kirchner
Mark Kreutter
Andrew Kubista
Eugene Linse
Dave Macht
Randy Mahlman
Anthony Malepsy
Rich Mueller
Brandon Noble
Matthew Pace
Marty Rethemeier
Sean Robbins
Paul Schneider
LeRoy Schroeder
Mark Schultz
John Standke
Thomas Stockwell
John Sweet
TOTAL YEARS:
1979
1958
1990
2010
1996
1958
2012
2012
2007
2010
2011
2001
2005
1990
2007
2010
1989
1986
2012
2005
2009
2012
2002
2010
2007
1974
1994
1958
2005
1982
34
55
23
3
17
55
1
1
6
3
2
13
8
23
6
3
24
27
1
10
4
1
11
3
6
39
19
55
8
31
492
S P E C I AL D E P U T Y
2 0 1 2 C U S T O M E R / AC T I V I T Y L I S T
CUSTOMER
HOURS
RITCHIE BROS. AUCTION
O.H.S. ATHLETICS
COURT HOURS SECURITY
EAGLES CLUB
V.F.W. CLUB
HOLIDAY INN
BLADES HOCKEY GAMES
THE MONTEREY
OWATONNA ARTS CENTER
BLO. PR. SERVICEMEN'S CLUB
BLO. PR. CITY ACTIVITIES
OWATONNA ARMORY
KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS HALL
OWATONNA COUNTRY CLUB
MEDFORD HIGH SCHOOL
FAIRGROUNDS ACTIVITIES
ULTIMATE FIGHTING
ELK'S CLUB
FOUR SEASONS ACTIVITIES
ELLENDALE/MEDFORD MUNI
PLAZA MORENA CAMPESTRE
VARIOUS ACTIVITIES
STEELE COUNTY FAIR
VOLUNTEER HOURS
TOTAL
751
100
952
82
45
143
68
104
48
45
45
51
67
107
20
68
8
56
48
24
105
135
208
551
3831
The Steele County Sheriff’s Mounted Posse and Auxiliary was organized to assist Law
Enforcement by providing patrol and mobility in areas of limited access. They represent
the Steele County Sheriff’s Office in many of Minnesota’s parades and local celebrations,
provide security for various events, along with assistance for search and rescue situations
as Special Deputies.
The members are all volunteers. They own and care for their horses, purchase and
maintain their own equipment and provided their own transportation to all events.
POSSE OFFICER’S
Lon Thiele, Sheriff
Joe Schwering, Captain
Tine Donahue, First Lieutenant
Marilyn Schwering, Second Lieutenant
Mike Keinz, Warrant Officer
John Bowe, Sergeant of Arms
Ed Berryman
Maralou Brose
Jodie Briant
Michelle Darrah
John Gerold
Tim Hager
ACTIVE MEMBERS
Tom Hager
Mike Haubenschild
William Hildebrandt
Leon Kamrath
Kay Klemmer
Monte Mowry
Nelson, Joyce
HONORARY MEMBERS
Pettis, Lynn
Quimby Ethel
John Mueller
Duane Peltz
Barrie Peterson
Dawn Peterson
Tony Schwering
Troy Utpadel
JUNE - Annual Sensory Training for the horses and Use of Force on horseback. Exposing
the horses to a variety of sights, sounds, and items that are commonly scary to them, so
they will not spook when they see them at the fair or other public places. This ensures the
safety of the public, horses, and riders.
Mike Haubenschild learning how to remain on
the horse when someone (Joe Schwering) tries to
use force to get the rider off.
Dawn Peterson and Tom Hager on
horses, training how to contain an individual on the ground (Tony Schwering)
and get ready for escort.
Duane Peltz and John Bowe
teaching the horses to push an item.
Very useful for crowd control.
VOLUNTEER HOURS
In 2012 the Posse volunteer hours totaled 612 hours. These included
monthly meetings, training sessions and parades.
2012 POSSE EVENTS
January
Pancake Breakfast Fundraiser at the Owatonna Eagles
May
Participated in the Memorial Day Parade and Loyalty Day Parade
June
Fundraiser parking at Steele Waseca Annual Meeting
Agility Testing, Sensory Training & Use of Force on Horseback
July
Participated in Blooming Prairie 4th of July Parade
Participated in Ellendale Days
Historical Society Extravaganza Parade
August
Participated in Claremont Hog Fest Parade
Patrol Duty at Steele County Fair
September Participated in the Sheriff’s Youth Program Annual Wagon Train
October
Search & Rescue Training
November
Annual Meeting with Election of Officers