Debate touches on core issues and distractions

Differences in leadership, experience and personality became apparent Monday night during a debate between the two candidates running for Freeborn County sheriff.

The debate gave the public the chance to hear incumbent Sheriff Bob Kindler and deputy Kurt Freitag’s firsthand opinion about controversial points of the campaign, including a recent alleged altercation with Freitag over a political sign.

The debate, at Riverland Community College, was hosted by the Albert Lea-Freeborn County Chamber of Commerce. About 120 people attended, many wearing T-shirts in support of a candidate.

Freitag, 48, lives west of Albert Lea and has 21 years of law enforcement experience. He began working at the Freeborn County Sheriff’s Office 19 years ago.

He talked about his experience in the military and the leadership he gained as a noncommissioned officer.

He said he thinks he can be a sheriff who is approachable to the taxpayers of the county and he hopes to improve the quality of investigations and increase revenue with the Freeborn County jail.

Kindler, 55, lives southeast of Albert Lea and started with the Freeborn County Sheriff’s Office in 1987. He was promoted to detective in 1992 and was elected sheriff in 2010, defeating former Sheriff Mark Harig. He said he was elected four years ago on a plan to reduce spending, to cut unnecessary overtime, to increase emergency preparedness and to increase patrol presence, among others.

He said he thinks he has accomplished every bit he set out to do, and if he is re-elected, he wants to continue in fiscal responsibility.

Both candidates said they hoped the debate highlighted their differences and what each has to offer.

The race has split the department and the community.

 

Response to the altercation over a political sign

The candidates were asked their thoughts on the alleged altercation between Freitag and Albert Lea resident Jim Bronson at the end of September over a political sign.

Freitag said he went over to Bronson’s house to retrieve one of his political sign’s from Bronson’s yard that had been defaced. He said he had not given Bronson the sign and drove to his house with the sole intent of pulling the sign from his yard.

“I had no clue the person in that residence would respond the way he did,” Freitag said.

He said the only contact he had with Bronson was Bronson “chest bumping” him, though Bronson claimed there was more.

Freitag said his concern came in how the Sheriff’s Office responded to the incident. He claimed one of the department’s detectives came over and talked with Bronson for an hour.

Kindler said the Albert Lea Police Department took the initial call and determined there was to be no criminal charges. The next day, the Sheriff’s Office received several complaints into the matter, and a detective was sent over to verify — not investigate — the complaints.

He said the complaint was sent off to Washington County for an internal affairs investigation.

The sheriff said that investigation is complete, but no information has yet been released, pending union arbitration. He noted the whole incident could have been avoided if Freitag could have gone to police from the start to retrieve the sign.

 

The website against Freitag

The candidates were asked their thoughts about a controversial website created to slam Freitag.

Freitag called the website “disgusting” and “dirty-handed.”

He said he has his suspicions about who is behind it and questions why Kindler never publicly asked that the site’s creator take it down.

“It’s disgusting and uncalled for,” he said.

Kindler said he does not know who created the website and he does not know how to stop the creator from having it. He noted people have free speech rights.

“My opponent can blame me all he wants,” he said.

He said the site is under investigation, and if one of his supporters in the department is found to have created it, he or she will be dealt with under department policies.

He noted he previously had called the site “childish and unnecessary” in the Tribune.

Experience with budgeting

Kindler said his experience with budgeting began long before he became sheriff. He said he became interested in the county’s budget and identified a number of ways money could be saved. Now, in office, he continues to work on the budget almost daily and noted it is not something that can just be put on a shelf and ignored. He noted the thousands of dollars he has been able to save.

Freitag said while he does not think the budget will take care of itself, he does not think it is “rocket science.” He talked about making a spreadsheet with each of the line items on it and talked about attending a class through a sheriff’s academy to learn more.

“The main thing with budgeting is that the person in charge of budgeting has to be financially responsible,” he said.

Kindler said the sheriff’s training does not cover budgeting.

 

Plan for the next 4 years

Kindler said his strategic plan over the next four years includes remaining fiscally responsible, improving the county’s emergency management plan, improving the dispatch center, improving patrol presence and bringing on new technologies the county can afford.

Freitag said he would like to increase the training for all of the county’s deputies, alleging that the present training for the deputies is “substandard” and that only sergeants have been able to attend classes.

He said he also wants to increase the number of Immigration and Custom Enforcement detainees at the jail.

 

The federal lawsuit by a former jail administrator

The candidates gave differing opinions about the federal lawsuit filed by former Freeborn County jail administrator Marcellino Peña.

As jail administrator, Peña oversaw the food service and medical contracts for the inmates and at one time oversaw more of the Immigration and Custom Enforcement contract in the jail.

Kindler said after numerous employees came forward with allegations of sexual harassment and bullying against Peña, he would not tolerate that type of behavior and Peña was ultimately terminated.

Peña alleged the Freeborn County Sheriff’s Office violated his constitutional rights in the investigation against him and in his termination.

Kindler said the investigation was not flawed into the matter, and he said the termination was upheld by the Minnesota Court of Appeals.

Freitag said he disagreed.

He said the lawsuit should have never happened in the first place, blaming Kindler for allowing the conditions for harassment to exist, and accused the county of not following proper procedures during Peña’s termination.

Freitag said Peña’s lawyer did not present evidence in his client’s favor at his own choosing during the Court of Appeals case, knowing they would be going on to federal court.

 

Promotions in the department

Kindler said when he took office in 2011, he changed the way promotions were handled and tried to make the process as fair as possible.

People applying for promotions take a written exam and go through an interview with members of the public, law enforcement and other county workers. He said he does not score the tests, and when the final results of the test and interviews are completed the announcement of the promotion is made.

Freitag claimed the written portion of the exam is judged subjectively. He said it was constructed by the chief deputy and approved by the sheriff. It does not include multiple choice or true or false answers, which can be more objectively judged.

He said he was told he was edged out by three points in getting a promotion.

 

Mending the department

One question asked the candidates what they would do to mend relationships within the department if elected.

Kindler said he thinks the division will go away once the election is over and there will be a clear direction on which way the employees will follow.

He said if he is re-elected, he will expect people to do their jobs and wants to provide training to the staff to help them improve.

“We have a lot of good things going on in this agency,” Kindler said.

Freitag said he thinks relationships can be mended with solid leadership and through being fair and consistent.

Part of that leadership involves keeping employees accountable if he sees them breaking departmental policies, he said.

He supported training for all employees, not just a few as he accused Kindler of doing.

 

Future plans

When asked what they would do with their careers if they lost the election, Freitag said he planned to continue as a patrol deputy and do the best he can within that position.

Kindler said if he loses, he intends to go somewhere else in law enforcement or in private business.