Glander says win for him was a win for whole team at sheriff's office

DETROIT LAKES — Incumbent Becker County Sheriff Todd Glander won a solid victory over challenger Chad Peterson on Tuesday to be reelected to another four-year term.

Glander won 80% to 20%, or 11,271 votes for Glander to 2,784 for Peterson.

“It’s truly an honor to be elected to a third term as sheriff,” Glander said. “I want to thank everyone for their support, not only for me, but for the sheriff’s office and for all law enforcement,” he added.

Glander, a lifelong resident of Becker County and 1984 graduate of Detroit Lakes High School, started his law enforcement career in Becker County in 1988 and worked for the Detroit Lakes Police department for 13 years before rejoining the sheriff’s office as a deputy in 2006. He was first elected sheriff in 2014.

“I want to thank everyone who works for us at the sheriff’s office,” Glander said. “Because without them, without everyone being a team, we would not have the success that we do.”

Peterson, a former deputy and current Lake Park police officer, also thanked his supporters and said he enjoyed the campaign. “It was a long and fun campaign season,” he said. “I enjoyed meeting people and talking to them –I met a lot of great people, I won’t forget that.”

He said he appreciates all the work put in by his campaign crew – Sid Canham and Tish Olson, and his social media guru, Brad Houglum.

“You gotta stand up for what is right and stand up for your beliefs,” he said. “I truly ran for the right reasons, the betterment of the department and the county as well.”

Michael Achterling/Tribune

Glander said earlier that it will be important for the sheriff’s office to keep up with staffing needs as the county grows.

Because Becker County is known for its recreation and tourism, and is a wonderful place to raise a family, he said, the population continues to grow. “As this happens, so does the need for the number of deputies to ensure the safety of our residents and visitors,” he said.

Glander also plans to explore the feasibility of co-locating the sheriff’s office and the jail. “I would like to research how our sheriff’s office would benefit the public being attached to the jail,” Glander said. He believes that centralizing sheriff’s office and jail operations would make for easier, quicker, and more efficient services.

It will be more important than ever to focus on preventing scams, especially fraud that targets the elderly. “Scams are becoming more abundant and continue to focus on the elderly,” he said. “I have and will remain focused on educating our seniors and all residents on how not to fall victim to scams.”

Law enforcement mental health care is a concern of leadership across the nation. In Becker County, an employee assistance program is available for everyone employed in the sheriff’s office.

Heart health is another big concern for law enforcement, but until recently has not been talked about much, Glander said. “I have started discussions on how to enhance and offer these services for our staff,” he added.

Now that the election is over, he said, “I look forward to serving Becker County another four years.”