On April 7, I discovered that a substantial amount (over $13,000) of hog equipment and tools had been stolen from one of our locations in Freeborn County. I immediately called our local sheriff’s office. A deputy was dispatched, and he investigated the scene and a report was filed.

Sensing that not much was going to be done about it, I did a little investigating on my own. In less than 24 hours, I found not only where my stolen property was, but who did it, and where they lived. A scrap-iron yard in Kensett, Iowa, had a receipt with the thieves’ name on it and a picture of them with the stolen items. They are Albert Lea residents with a long criminal record who local law enforcement know well.

I excitedly called the Freeborn County Sheriff’s Office back with the information expecting that something would be done about it.  I was then put in contact with detective Marc Johnson. To my disappointment, he told me that they could not cross the state line (which was not the truth according to other law enforcement officials I contacted). I also told him that if he were to go to their residence, he would find my additional stolen items that were not scraped out. He proceeded to do that and found them just as I described.

Asking him what he was going to do about it, he said that I should have the Worth County Sheriff’s Office take the case because it could probably do a better job. He also told me that he didn’t want to look like a fool if he couldn’t prove it.

Frustrated with detective Johnson, I then made several attempts to contact Sheriff Bob Kindler, who never once responded to my calls. Charges were never made by the Freeborn County Sheriff’s Office.

As a taxpaying citizen of Freeborn County, I would expect when a crime is committed locally, our sheriff’s office would come to our aid.

Sheriff Kindler speaks of his experience and education — neither of which did me any good as a victim. Because of this experience, I will be voting for Kurt Freitag in the coming general election.

 

Danny Park

Hollandale