Jeremy Ratliff
Reporter
On January 7, Ken Schneider will begin a new chapter in his 28 year career with the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office as he will be sworn in as the 31st sheriff of Lincoln County. Schneider taking the oath of office will in turn close the final chapter of sheriff Jeff Jaeger’s career with the agency, spanning nearly four decades.
Both Merrill natives and graduates of Merrill High School, both men found their own unique path to a career in law enforcement, but agree on the one motivating factor which led to the extensive careers; a deep-rooted desire to serve and a strong sense of reward from serving the residents of Lincoln County.
Following graduation with the MHS Class of ‘77 and serving four years with the US Army National Guard as an armor crewman, Jaeger’s career with what was then referred to as the ‘sheriff’s department’ began in February of 1980, under sheriff Ron Krueger.
But the road which led him to that starting point dates back much further.
“There were several factors and experiences which led to my interest in law enforcement, but I would say my first exposure to the idea came as a result of a very unfortunate experience when I was a young boy ,he explains.
“My best friend and 4 members of his family were killed in an automobile crash caused by a drunk driver that summer. Randy, his aunt, uncle and two cousins had went to a ball game and I was supposed to go with them. But my mother said no, ‘you’re not riding in someone else’s car’. I Almost disobeyed, that’s how bad I wanted to go, but thankfully I didn’t. Randy lived 2 blocks from where I grew up. I remember going over to his house that morning and seeing more people than I had ever seen outside, and the mood was very somber. I remember asking someone if Randy could come out and play, and that’s when I was told all four of them had been killed the night before. From that point on I had a strong interest in doing what I could to prevent this from happening to someone else.
As a young adult, another friend of Jaeger’s had been hired by the sheriff’s department which led to even more thought about a career in law enforcement and ultimately led to Jaeger applying for a position.
“Dave Pophal and I grew up together as well and when he was hired by the sheriff’s department, we would often talk about his experiences and how interesting the job was. We happened to be talking one day and he mentioned a vacancy had opened. I had started attending NTC’s Police Science program about a year beforehand and I really enjoyed it, so I decided to put my application in.”
Unlike modern hiring processes which can take months, and at times as long as a year; consisting of multiple interviews, various forms of testing and background checks, Jaeger was hired after just two interviews. An initial interview with the county civil service commission and an interview with Sheriff Krueger.
“It happened pretty quick back then, definitely different than how things work now,” Jeff explains. “Also, applicants weren’t required to have attended the academy back then prior to being hired. Back then, you would get hired first and the agency who hired you would send you to the academy.” After being hired in February of 1980, Jaeger completed academy training that fall.
His first role with the department was serving as a jailer/dispatcher.
As one could imagine, such a dual role certainly came with it’s share of challenges.
“It was definitely a unique position,” Jaeger recalls with a grin. “It was a challenge in itself to serve both roles, but what was even more of a challenge was being the only employee in the dispatch center and the jail! When I was in the dispatch center I would of course take phone calls and handle radio traffic from the guys on the road. But, when it came time for me to go down into the cell blocks, make my rounds to check on inmates, serve meals and so on, I had to leave the dispatch center unattended. Which ultimately meant the guys out there on the road were on their own. It definitely wasn’t an ideal system, but thats how it was done back then.”
Along with his full-time duties of working in the jail and dispatch center, he also filled-in part time on patrol.
Jeff would go on to accept a full-time patrol position in 1985, and would also become a member of the very first Special Response Team (SRT) under Sheriff Krueger and Chief Deputy (and current Lincoln County Board Chairman Bob Lee).
The formation of the team was initially formed to assist in responding to incidents of civil unrest related to Native American spearfishing.
“They didn’t have the equipment they do now,” remembers former sheriff and current Lincoln County Coroner Paul Proulx, “but they made the best of what they had. I remember when the team was first started, they used a school bus for their transport vehicle. They gutted the bus and modified it as best they could for their purpose. And I must say they did a pretty darn good job with it, they made it as functional and useful as possible for what they needed.”
“So much has changed now, compared to when the team was first formed in ‘85,” Jaeger adds. “The biggest difference was we weren’t really as organized as the team is now. The concept of any sort of organized, specially trained team was unheard of back then. But when the protests about spearfishing began to heat up, other agencies asked for volunteers to respond to the unrest mainly for crowd control. So that’s what Chief Deputy Lee asked of our agency; for anyone who was willing to volunteer for some specialized training and respond to the unrest. That’s what we did. Our training was primarily in crowd control and disbursement.”
In 1993, Jaeger was appointed as the department’s DARE (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) officer, a position he would hold until 2006 when he first-ran for the sheriff’s seat. Then in 1998, he was promoted to the position of Patrol Sergeant, which would later be re-classified as Patrol Lieutenant.
“I saw a need for change, and I felt I could bring change to the department,” Jaeger explains of his 2006 bid for sheriff, in the wake of then current sheriff Tom Koth filing for non-candidacy.
“I had a great deal of encouragement from my co-workers which really meant a lot to me.” Of many changes Jaeger had in mind heading into the election; establishing principles of value respect and a new level of professionalism within the sheriff’s office, moving the agency toward becoming a model, professional agency, advancing the sheriff’s office’s focus and capabilities in combating the drug problem in Lincoln County and enhancing emergency response capabilities were his top priorities. “It was important for me to not only prioritize these changes, but get the personnel within the sheriff’s office to buy into what I was hoping to accomplish. I began to see that buy-in almost immediately once these changes began to take place.”
Since taking office 12 years ago, outcomes of Sheriff Jaeger’s goals have been quite evident within the sheriff’s office; from re-implementing the SO K9 program in July of 2017 with the arrival of K9 Deputies Poncho and Nina, converting half of the sheriff’s office patrol fleet to 4×4 SUV’s to implementing investigator positions solely dedicated to drug interdiction and the purchase of a new Bearcat Armored Rescue Vehicle this past October.
“Change isn’t easy and it didn’t come overnight,” he adds. “These changes would never have been possible without the support of our staff and community. I can’t begin to express our appreciation for the Bierman Family Foundation and their generosity in purchasing the Bearcat rescue vehicle for our SRT members and helping bringing the return of our K9 program to fruition.”
Now with retirement just around the corner, the notion of retirement is anything but new. In fact, Jeff readily admits the decision was in fact made about halfway through his current term.
“A sheriff that I have a great deal of respect for once told me, at some point you have to say enough is enough and you will know when that time comes,” he explains. “And that’s so true. You get to a point in this line of work, you grow tired of seeing and experiencing unpleasant things. There are many great things in my career I will cherish, and there are plenty of things I wish I had never seen. At 59 years old, I could probably keep doing this for another 10-15 years, but I don’t want to. Its time for someone with a fresh passion to take the job, someone with new ideas to continue to lead the agency forward. That someone is Ken (Schneider). Ken is excited, and has some great ideas. He has been preparing himself for years to step into this role, I have no doubt he will do an exceptional job. That’s just who he is, he strives to do everything he does the very best way he can. If there was any bit of advice I would give to Ken, it would be the same advice I have already passed on to him. And that is to treat people like you would expect to be treated. Always remember the authority and responsibility you have been given, has been given to you by the people you serve.”
Jaeger is quick to credit not only the staff of the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office and the citizens of Lincoln County for an enjoyable career, but his faith and the steadfast support of his family.
“At the end of every day, I’m thankful for my wife Tracey and my family for their unwavering support over the years. I am very thankful for the ability the lord has blessed me with, to overcome the things I have seen and experienced in my career, as well as the strength to find perspective in those experiences and learn from them.”
“I do have a few ideas I plan to bring forward, but there will be no wholesale changes to the sheriff’s office,” Schneider said.
A 1982 graduate of Merrill High School, Schneider’s path to law enforcement was a bit different than that of Jaeger’s.
“Dale Bacher (current Merrill Police Captain) and I went to school together and when we graduated he decided to attend NTC’s Police Science program and pursue law enforcement as a career,” he explains.
“I thought it would be an interesting career field and decided to attend as well. The more I learned of the field, the more interested I became and decided it was something I wanted to pursue as a career. We graduated together along with three other friends. He ended up being hired first by Merrill and I was hired by the sheriff’s office in September of 1990.”
Like Jaeger, Schneider’s first position with the agency was as a Correctional Officer. He was later promoted as a patrol deputy in April of 1993 where he and Jaeger worked the same shift together until Schneider’s promotion to Patrol Sergeant in February of 1999. Ken’s ascension through the sheriff’s office would continue with selection to the Special Response Team. He would go on to serve 16 years with the SRT, 10 of which as SRT commander. Other positions Schneider has held include interim 911 Communications Center Supervisor as well as interim Supervisor of the agency’s detective bureau.
“I have been preparing myself to take more responsibility with various positions in the sheriff’s office throughout my career. I realized a long time ago, I wanted to rise through the ranks and complete my career as sheriff,” Ken explains of his decision to run for the seat this past spring.
“I would be frequently asked when I would run and my response always was ‘I wont run against someone I think is doing a good job.’ When I learned of Jeff’s retirement, I saw that as my opportunity.”
Schneider would go on to defeat MPD patrol officer Pete Borchardt in the August sheriff primary 52-27. He would seal his bid for the sheriff seat in the November 6th General Election; 8,577-3,614.
As Ken prepares to take his final promotion to the agency’s lead role, he lists a few ideas to not exactly change the face or operation of the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office, but rather enhance what is currently in place and improve efficiency.
“I would like expand the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office’s scope of drug investigations both large and small. I would like to utilize all resources available such as our new K9 units and deputies specially trained in drug interdiction, to combat the ongoing heroin and Methamphetamine problem in our area,” he explains.
“I look forward to continuing to partner with local, state and federal agencies in furthering our campaign against the drug problem in Lincoln County.
“Another change I plan to implement is a transition from a traditional verbal briefing format to a digital briefing system. Currently, deputies must travel from their homes to the sheriff’s office at the beginning of their shift for a verbal briefing. They then must return to the office from wherever their patrol tour ended for their shift, for an end-of-shift verbal briefing. By incorporating a digital briefing system, deputies can receive the information remotely to their patrol vehicles and begin and end their shifts immediately, rather than waste time and fuel returning to the office.”
Similar to Jaeger’s sentiments, Schneider is quick to point out he cannot implement his ideas single-handedly.
“While I may be the sheriff and the lead decision maker on prospective changes, those responsible for bringing change to fruition is the men and women of the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office. So on that note, I look forward to meeting with our staff to listen and evaluate any changes they envision for the future of our agency.”
As Jaeger proceeds to enjoy his retirement next month, and Ken takes the reins of leading the agency forward over the next four years, he asserts integrity continuing to be his guding principle, as it has for the last 28 years,
“I have always advised new deputies of my firm belief of nothing being more important than your integrity. Integrity takes years to develop but can be destroyed within a matter of a single action. I will carry this very same concept with me and will make it my guiding principle in everything I do, as the sheriff of Lincoln County.”