Reader supports Bromenschenkel for Stearns County sheriff bid

Carol Tembreull, St. Cloud

After 20+ years in law enforcement and a second term as County Commissioner, the only negative thing printed about Mark Bromenschenkel is an investigation was dropped when he resigned from the Sartell Police Department. The mayor of Sartell says there was no wrongdoing on Mark’s part.

On the other hand, the Local Fraternal Order of Police-Granite Lodge #17 chose to endorse Mark Bromenschenkel for sheriff. These individuals know Mr. Sanner because they include officers and deputies from Sheriff’s Offices in Stearns and Benton counties, police departments in Avon, Cold Spring, Kimball, Mille Lacs Tribal, Paynesville, St. Joseph, Waite Park and St. Cloud and the Minnesota State Patrol. Many probably knew Mark while he worked for Sartell too.

I hope voters compare references from colleagues to the innuendoes from a dropped investigation. Please trust the officers/deputies and vote for Mark Bromenschenkel for Stearns County sheriff.

REASONS TO VOTE FOR MARK BROMENSCHENKEL FOR STEARNS COUNTY SHERIFF

– he’ll meet expectations      – he has a vision       – he has experience

First, I believe Mark Bromenschenkel’s ability to meet voters’ expectations surpasses the current administration’s in several key areas:

• Supervision of staff: Mark will review staff decisions to insure they are in line with his vision for the department.

The current sheriff told me at a meeting in March 2014 that he never reverses decisions made by his staff.

• Communication: Mark will meet with people who contact him with a specific concern.

Two attempts to meet with the current sheriff:

. Nov. 2013, letter passed to captain; no response; . March 2014, we met but he wasn’t prepared

• Transparency: Mark would welcome an independent review of the policies, procedures, employee morale and more.

The current sheriff refused to use a consultant when the County Commissions asked all county departments to do this.

• Fairness: Mark will look for a way for all offenders to have the same spiritual opportunities without jeopardizing jail security.

The current sheriff doesn’t allow female offenders to attend Mass or the retreat that’s offered to male offenders.

• Staff Morale: Mark will expect mutual respect among staff, other county/city employees and volunteers

Volunteers currently hesitate to ask questions about policies that affect programs because their volunteer status can be revoked at any time and they are not told why when they ask.

Second, Mark’s vision for the Sheriff’s Office, which is available on his website at www.markforsheriff.net, is very specific.

He would:

• have an independent consultant review the Sheriff’s Office to evaluate the department. Other county departments already did this and the consultant made recommendations for staffing levels and other areas to increase efficiency and save tax dollars.
• review current policies and procedures to improve service. He would use e-mail to pass information to the deputies rather than requiring them to be at the Sheriff’s Office for a meeting before their shift. This means they would be in their assigned area and available for calls at the beginning of their shift rather than in downtown St. Cloud.
• rebuild working relations with other departments. He believes the Sheriff’s Office should provide resources – equipment, staffing and experience – for investigations by smaller departments.
• maintain skilled and highly trained investigators. He would reinstate the Deputy Medical Examiner Program so a properly trained investigator could respond to any death scene.
• support programs that provide positive interaction with youth. He supports the school resource officer program which was disbanded and D.A.R.E. which is in jeopardy under the current sheriff. He would work to implement Police Activities League to provide opportunities for students to have positive interactions with law enforcement personnel.
• invest in proper training and equipment to reduce the risk deputies and correction officers must face each day.

He supports:

• hands-on, personal training over the on-line training that is being used much of the time under the current administration.
• building the current K-9 program to include “multi-purpose” dogs. The dogs help with apprehending suspects and investigating crimes. They could also be trained in narcotics detectio – something not currently being done even though there are several major highways in Stearns County on which drugs are transported.
• implement a Special Deputy/Reserve program for citizens interested in law enforcement who want to give back to the community. With proper training, they would help with large events, large-scale searches and more.
• re-instate the Youth Explorer Program for youth with an interest in law enforcement.
• answer questions and listen to concerns. Click on the “contact” button on his website (www.markforsheriff.net) to e-mail him directly. He will go into detail on any issue of concern to you.

Third, Mark has experience in law enforcement and county government so he understands the day-to-day responsibilities of leading the Sheriff’s Office.

In his career, Mark

• worked as a deputy, water-patrol officer, Chief of Police and police sergeant
• held positions in Water Patrol, Drug Task Force/Gang Strike Force, Gang Resistant Education and Training and D.A.R.E.
• is employed at the Minnesota Highway Safety and Research Center as an instructor for Emergency Vehicle Operations
• attended several leadership seminars and is currently taking classes at SCSU in Public Safety Administration and Leadership
• served as a supervisor on the Le Sauk Township Board for nine years
• is serving his second term as Stearns County Commissioner and is currently the chair

THAT’S WHY MARK BROMENSCHENKEL IS QUALIFIED TO BE THE STEARNS COUNTY SHERIFF

(prepared by Carol Tembreull         ccarolt@yahoo.com)

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I BELIEVE STEARNS COUNTY NEEDS A NEW SHERIFF

After reading this, if you agree, share it and contact Mark through his website at www.markforsheriff.net

In my opinion, voter apathy is one of the biggest obstacles Mark Bromenschenkel faces in his bid for Stearns County Sheriff.

• he’s endorsed by the Local Fraternal Order of Police Granite Lodge #17 which includes members from St. Joseph, Avon, Cold Spring, Kimball, Mille Lacs Tribal, Paynesville, Waite Park and St. Cloud Police Departments, Minnesota State Patrol and Benton and Stearns county sheriffs’ offices
• his philosophy is that of a servant
• his goals for the department are professional and transparent
• he has the experience to do the job

but will the voters know any of this before going to the polls in November?

I offer my personal experience with the current sheriff as an example of current problems:

I volunteered at the Stearns County Jail (SCJ) twice a week for 15 years. I served on 34 retreat teams at SCJ since 1997; the last one was March 7-8, 2014. On March 9, I was told my volunteer status was revoked. I asked why and was told to ask the captain. The captain told volunteers at a meeting in January that “volunteering is a privilege” and he can “deny anyone, anytime, for any reason or no reason, so I mailed a letter to the sheriff that afternoon instead.

The sheriff called me a week later to say we could meet in a few hours. Things came out in that meeting that voters should know:

1. He made it clear he didn’t think he should have to meet with a volunteer – he hadn’t done it in 12 years.
2. He said he never overturns any of his staff’s decisions – and rhetorically asked “Why would they have to be here if I did that?” (My unasked question was “If you don’t do it, why are you here?”)
3. When the other volunteer said it wasn’t fair female offenders didn’t get the same opportunities for programs in the jail as male offenders, he said “Women aren’t treated fair on the outside either.”
4. When we asked about the policy of mandatory training for volunteers with no exceptions or make-up sessions, he said if you make exceptions, people always find a reason not to attend. (The question came up because I had an issue in November when the three sessions were scheduled from Nov. 12-16, but we weren’t notified until Oct. 20. I registered for the evening session Nov. 12, the only time I didn’t have a prior commitment. In early November, I contacted the jail to say my Mom was dying so I didn’t know if I’d be able to make the training session after all. I was told to do what I could, but the policy was no exceptions. We were hoping the sheriff would agree there should be make-up sessions for vacations, funerals, hospital stays or family emergencies.)
5. The meeting was requested because my volunteer status was revoked. He didn’t checked with the staff to find out why I wasn’t allowed to volunteer any more, but said if a volunteer takes up too much staff time, that could be a reason. That didn’t fit my situation because I only contacted the Program Director and his assistant, it was usually a short e-mail and ALWAYS just about the jail programs/policies. I told him I was asking why I wasn’t allowed to volunteer. He said he would check; he called later that afternoon and said, “You are too emotionally involved with the staff for it to be a good fit at this time.” That didn’t tell me anything, so I asked which staff and he said he hadn’t asked, so he didn’t know. He didn’t offer to find out.

Since I still didn’t know why I couldn’t volunteer at SCJ, I e-mailed the captain and asked for something in writing saying I wasn’t eligible to volunteer and why, but as I write this six months later I still don’t have an answer.

In case someone is thinking this is just about me, I’ll share a few other cases about others who can’t volunteer or whose applications were denied and whose questions aren’t being answered either.

1. A few years ago, a volunteer, who attended Mass on Sundays at SCJ for about 30 years, had his volunteer status revoked. He asked me to set up a meeting with the captain to ask why. When I asked about it, I was told the decision would not be reversed and even if a meeting was scheduled, I couldn’t attend because of “confidentiality concerns.”
2. Ex-offenders, who worked on the retreat team in the past, have been denied access since October 2012 when the policy changed. Under the old policy, ex-offenders were allowed to apply to volunteer after they were out of jail/prison for two years which is the policy in most counties. Each application was considered individually. Under the new policy, ex-offenders are NEVER allowed to volunteer at SCJ even though the captain acknowledges they () can be the best ones to tell the offenders what they need to do to escape the revolving door of incarceration and () give them hope that it’s possible.
3. Teen Challenge, a Christian-based treatment program, is no longer available to SCJ inmates because no one on staff at TC can get cleared to go into the jail to meet with them. The application from a TC staff member, who had done retreats at SCJ and who doesn’t have a criminal record, was denied. So was her March application to work on the retreat. She can’t find out why.

THAT’S WHY I BELIEVE STEARNS COUNTY NEEDS A NEW SHERIFF

(prepared by Carol Tembreull         ccarolt@yahoo.com)

Correction: An election letter to the editor from Carol Tembreull, St. Cloud in support of Stearns County Sheriff candidate Mark Bromenschenkel, that appeared in the Oct. 24 Sartell Newsleader, was inadvertently attributed to a woman of the same name who lives in Albany, Minn. The Newsleaders regrets the error.