Beltrami County Sheriff

BELTRAMI COUNTY DISTRICT 4 Captain Riggs, Chief Deputy Walton to face off in race for sheriff

BY DALTYN LOFSTROM

The Bemidji Pioneer

Jason Riggs and Jarrett Walton will face off for the position of Beltrami County Sheriff in the November general election after the two received the majority votes in the Aug. 9 primary.

Riggs received 54.79% of the vote with 2,926 ballots cast in his favor, and Walton received 1,257 votes or 23.54%. Jason Riggs

With more than 21 years of law enforcement experience, Jason Riggs currently acts as a captain with the Beltrami County Sheriff’s Office where he has worked for the past 18 years. He has also served as the commander of the Headwaters SWAT team since 2012.

Riggs looks forward to forging stronger trust between law enforcement and community if elected as sheriff.

“Law enforcement needs to take back the community by becoming a part of it again,” Riggs said. “With the backlash from the George Floyd incident among other incidents in the country, we need to be seen as public servants again and go back to our traditional roots as peace officers.”

Regarding a Jail Needs and Feasibility Study for the Beltrami County Jail Riggs anticipates the building of a new jail and offering better services for inmates.

“The future population of the jail looks fairly staggering. The current footprint and internals of the jail would no longer satisfy its growth,” Riggs said. “I anticipate the need for a new facility operated with a much lower staffto-inmate ratio, providing better services medically and better services mental health-wise.”

With public safety as his main priority, Riggs highlighted his readiness to serve Beltrami County in a new capacity.

“I look forward to talking with people about public safety,” Riggs added, “and the future of rolling up my sleeves and getting to work.” Jarrett Walton

While Chief Deputy Jarrett Walton doesn’t consider himself a politician, he hopes his 25 years of law enforcement experience, 20 of which have been with the BCSO will land him the sheriff’s position on Nov. 8 after serving as chief deputy the past three years.

Emphasizing a holistic approach when it comes to the well-being of prison inmates, Walton highlighted the need for more support for those afflicted by mental health and substance abuse issues while still holding them accountable for their actions.

“We have to actively hold people accountable and provide them these services. They’re not bad people. They make bad decisions or because of health or substance abuse issues,” Walton said. “Drugs drive a lot of criminal activity. We’re never going to stop the problem, but can deter people or reduce the demand.

“Chemical dependency causes lots of collateral damage to families. If we can affect even 15-20% (of addicts) and make their personal lives better by tackling underlying issues, it’s a win for everyone in the process.”

Having supervised all divisions of the sheriff’s office, Walton sees transparency as the link between law enforcement and the community, and the key to forging trust.

“Being out there and partnering with the community, it’s to make the community healthier and safer,” Walton left off.

WALTON FOR SHERIFF

25 years of Law Enforcement experience and proven leadership (over 20 years with the Beltrami County Sheriff’s Office). “My experience has prepared me to be your next sheriff. I am asking for your trust and your vote. Thank you for your support.”

• Last 3.75 years as Chief Deputy overseeing all the divisions of the Sheriff’s Office (Patrol, Investigations, Boat & Water, Jail, Dispatch, Courts, Records and Civil) and developing and managing a 13.5 million dollar budget • 5.75 years Investigative Sergeant, 1.25 years as a Patrol Sergeant, and 9.75 years as Field Training Coordinator • Member of the Beltrami County Budget Committee 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2022 • Northern Lights Task Force Chair of Communications/Technology Subcommittee (received an award from MN DPS recognizing my leadership) • Lead Jail Task Force Committee to address staffing levels in the jail. Staffing levels were at 45%, staffing levels are now 94% • Member Jail Project Steering and Finance Committee

Jason Riggs

► Age: 49 ► Is a captain with the Beltrami County Sheriff’s Office where he’s worked for 18 years ► Has lived in the Bemidji area for 20 years ► Earned an associate’s degree in law enforcement from Hibbing Community College

Jarrett Walton

► Age: 48 ► Is the Chief Deputy with the Beltrami County Sheriff’s Office where he’s worked for 20 years ► Has lived in the Bemidji area for 20 years ► Earned an associate’s degree in Criminal Justice from Northland College and a bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice from BSU

Jason Riggs For Beltrami County Sheriff

Leadership • Integrity • Community

I take great pride in Law Enforcement and its service to the citizens of Beltrami County. We deserve the very best from our area Law Enforcement and with your help we will continue to do just that. “Serve”

Jason Riggs for Beltrami County Sheriff

Jasonriggsforsheriff.com • 218-766-3284 jasonriggsforsheriff@gmail.com Follow me on Facebook Jason Riggs for Beltrami County Sheriff