Two long-time employees of the Cook County Sheriff ’s Office are vying for the position of Cook County Sheriff. On the November ballot will be Deputy Pat Eliasen and interim Sheriff Leif Lunde. The Cook County News-Herald asked the candidates a few questions and the answers follow.
To learn more about the candidates, tune in to an election forum on WTIP community radio on Tuesday, October 14 at 7 p.m. WTIP’s Jay Andersen and News- Herald Editor Rhonda Silence will be moderating the program.
Tell us a little bit about yourself
Pat Eliasen: I grew up in Cook County and graduated from Cook County High School in 1986. I’ve been a deputy since 1995. I’ve been married 22 years and have a 19-year-old daughter.
I have a BA from Bemidji State and a two-year degree in Law Enforcement from Vermilion Community College. I’ve coached football for 13 years and I’m the head basketball coach. I taught fine arts and music at Birch Grove for a year and I’m a substitute teacher at School District 166.
As part of my duties I’m firearm safety instructor and I’m an adjunct firearms instructor at Hibbing Technical College.
Leif Lunde: I was born and raised in Duluth and moved to Grand Marais in 1996. I worked for the Grand Marais Police Department for two years as a part-time and full-time officer and as acting chief of police. When the Grand Marais Police Department disbanded, I got hired by the Cook County Sheriff ’s Office. In 2005 I was promoted to chief deputy. As of July 1, 2014, I’ve been interim sheriff.
My personal experience—I attended East High School in Duluth. I have a four-year bachelor’s degree in biology from the University of Minnesota. I went on to get a certificate in law enforcement from Hibbing Community College.
I’ve been married to my loving bride for 20 years. We have a 15-year-old son, Ezra, and a 13-year-old daughter, Elsa. I’m very much involved in their lives. Ezra will be confirmed in October and Elsa is in volleyball. Both are looking forward to the start of Alpine skiing.
I’m a very active church member; I’m on the church council at Bethlehem Lutheran Church. I work with the church youth committee. I’m also active with other youth activities, such as the Child Protection Team and as a volunteer with the ski team. I just got done with the ‘Walking School Bus,’ with the Safe Routes to School committee.
As sheriff, what will you do to slow traffic near the schools in Grand Marais? It seems that many cars exceed the posted 20-mile per hour speed limit.
Eliasen: Probably by posting someone to do traffic control, speed control in the morning. I’ve been there and other deputies have been there, but having someone specifically designated there would help.
Also, some awareness. With my education degree, I believe in education first, consequences later. The week before school starts, we could have something in the paper and on Boreal Access reminding people that school is in session. Also, people need to remember that the 20 mileper hour zone starts at 4th Avenue West, by Gresczyk’s all the way to Great Expectations.
Lunde: First, we had the radar sign out there at the beginning of the school year. We’ll do that again sometime at Great Expectations and in Grand Portage as well. Grand Portage has a road right in front of their school as well.
The city officers have had their schedules shifted to 7 a.m. so they can be in front of the school, especially the high school. I—and Chief Deputy Ben Hallberg—patrol there as much as possible.
Being a member of the School Action Team and involved with the Safe Routes to School group, we’ve been part of the ‘Slow Down, Be Safe’ campaign. We advertised it as much as we can and I talked about it when I was on the radio. We want to make the public aware.
Some citizens have expressed concern about the possible use of Tasers by law enforcement personnel. When do you believe the use of a Taser is necessary?
Eliasen: We have a use of force continuum. It gives you steps for the types of force you may need in an encounter. It includes step 1, verbal; step 2, soft hand; step 3, Taser and step 4, hard hand.
It is a big issue right now, but a Taser is just a tool. A tool is only as good as the person using it. They are a useful tool and I hate to say specifically whether it’s good or bad, because in any instance, where you need to effect an arrest and use of force is needed, it could be necessary. I’ve never used one, but I know others who have.
[Deputy] Will Sandstrom is our instructor. We are all well trained on them. All of us have been ‘shot’ by them. You just have to use your head.
Lunde: I believe that a Taser is a very good tool. We have a use of force continuum, which states we can only use as much force as necessary. It starts with a verbal presence, then soft hand tactics and next more forceful use of hands and the use of the Asp baton, mace or the Taser.
The Taser is an effective tool because it is not a pain-compliance method. For example, if I spray you with mace, you stop being aggressive because it hurts. Tasers cause muscle and nervous system disturbance so they work very well with people who do not respond to pain-compliance. Use of a Taser gives a five-second window to get someone subdued. Quite often just the threat of the Taser is enough to subdue someone.
When it is over, it’s over; there is no lasting pain. There have been deaths—not in Cook County—but generally there are other contributing circumstances, such as drugs in the system and the adrenaline caused by a fight. Tasers are safe enough that in training, we tase each other. It’s not mandatory, but I wouldn’t do it to another person if it wasn’t safe enough to do to myself.
What can be done to include local fire departments and First Responders in planning for major changes, such as the recent move to the 800 MHz emergency radio system?
Eliasen: I think it starts with the chiefs. We’d have to get them together with whoever is administrating the change and with Jim Wiinanen of Emergency Management. We did that with ARMER, [Deputy] Dave Gilmore got everyone together. We’d need to open things up for discussion. I’m big on opening it up for the public—not just professionals. For example, the county’s vulnerable adult team, we don’t really have any members of the public on that team.
I’d start with the chiefs and have them bring the information back to their respective departments. I love and hate Power Point, but that is something that could be used to put the benefits of what you’re trying to impress on someone out there. We just need to make sure you’re going to include everybody.
Lunde: We have a countywide communications committee. Law Enforcement is not steering it, we have representatives who have a vote from Cook County Information Systems, Cook County Fire Chiefs, the highway department, Arrowhead Electric, Cook County Ambulance, Grand Portage, School District 166 and the Grand Marais PUC. Because the Sheriff ’s Office implements any decisions, we are most visible, but the Sheriff ’s Office has just one vote.
Anyone who would like to have a voice could be involved. Right now we’re working with the Cook County Snowmobile Club. We’re in the process of getting the snowmobile groomers on the 800 MHz system. They need it in case they come across an accident on the trails.
There are other things coming, such as the NextGen 911, which will make it possible to text a 911 message.
What do you think is the greatest challenge currently facing the Cook County Sheriff’s Office?
Eliasen: A big challenge is looking at a new jail facility. I think these talks should start now with getting estimates and ideas down on paper. It will take input from the Department of Corrections, from deputies, dispatchers and from [County Maintenance Director] Brian Silence. If the Department of Corrections came in and said you have to shut down, we need a contingency.
Transportation is an issue. We spend well over $100,000 a year in transportation and housing prisoners. I realize adding on is a cost, but it would add two or three jobs and would keep prisoners here. In the end not paying $100,000 – $150,000 would offset that cost some. That’s a big issue.
Technology is another issue. We all have computers in our cars. It alleviates a lot of work for dispatchers and even deputies. You asked about the fire departments—we could get the capability for all the emergency vehicles.
Code Red goes hand-in-hand with that. We have a better way to communicate with citizens.
Lunde: I would say our greatest challenge—much like the rest of the country—is drug and alcohol abuse. Fifty percent of our current arrests are DWIs. I don’t have hard numbers, but most of the other arrests—for domestic abuse, fights, disorderly conduct—are alcohol related. When we make an arrest, I would estimate that 75 – 80 percent of the time, it is because of the negative impact of alcohol.
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