Posted: 11/1/05
End of the Lee era at sheriffís department
By David Heiller
Argus News Editor
Whatís Mike Lee going to do now that he has resigned from being Houston County Sheriff?
ìWhatever I want,î he said with a laugh and a familiar gleam in his eyes on October 25.
Thatís a typical Mike Lee answer. Heís not the shy and retiring type, although he is retiring as sheriff.
Lee, 58, announced in June that he was resigning effective October 30. He then recommended that the county board hire Chief Deputy Ken Frank to replace him. The board ended up hiring Darryl Peterson, who was sworn in at the November 1 county board meeting.
Lee was reluctant to give reasons for his resignation when he first announced it, saying only that it was for personal reasons. He had one year left of his four-year term. He was first elected in 1994.
In his interview with The Argus last week, Lee stuck to the ìpersonal reasonsî statement, but he also said the ìjail thing,î in part prompted the resignation. Lee has a different opinion on the route the county is going on that subject.
The county needs a new jail and law enforcement center, Lee said. But he doesnít think the taxpayers can be convinced to build a new courtroom, judges chambers, court administratorís office, and probation office.
All those things make a project that could cost $8-10 million into a $20 million project, Lee feels. ìI donít think we can afford that at this time,î he said. The building will be huge so it will have to go off-site, Lee said. He would have preferred seeing a new jail attached to the present courthouse.
Lee thought about his comments for a few seconds, then added that he is not saying the county board is wrong. ìIím just saying we have a difference of opinion on that.î
ìThis is a good jobî
Lee started his deputy work in 1975 at the suggestion of then-deputy Brian Wetterlin, who had moved into the trailer park in Caledonia that Lee operated.
Lee worked under sheriff Jerry Olson for almost three years, then left the department after buying the Caledonia Dairy route. He ran that for eight years, then sold it and and went to work as a deputy again in 1985 under sheriff Dennis Swedburg. He worked his way up as night sergeant, lieutenant, and investigator, then was elected in 1994, beating Orv Guth. He was reelected in 1998 and 2002.
Lee has enjoyed being sheriff. ìThis is a good job,î he said emphatically. He enjoyed making a lot of friends, working with the public, and serving people.
It was also satisfying making drug busts and arrests, he said.
The worst case was the death of Kenny Kramer, a three-year-old boy who was killed by his father, Harold ìHowieî Kramer Jr. in Brownsville in May of 1999.
Lee said he knew that Howie Kramer was involved in the boyís disappearance. ìWe hoped and thought that little boy was alive and hidden someplace,î Lee recalled.
After a few days, Kramer made a statement that hinted of a different outcome. ìI think that was the hardest thing I went through, when we found that little boy,î Lee said.
A jury found Kramer guilty in March of 2000 of second degree murder, not first degree as Lee had hoped. But Judge Robert Bensonís sentence of 40 years in prison was just as severe, so Lee said he was satisfied.
The case had a long trial, but all the overtime expenses were paid by a grant from the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, Lee added.
A lot of changes
Lee said things have changed a lot since he first started at the sheriffís department. The department then had three deputies, three squad cars, and one radar gun.
A DWI was like a speeding ticket, Lee recalled. ìThe laws have gotten way tougher on DWI, and rightfully so,î he said.
The primary drugs in the 1970s were marijuana, LSD, and speed, Lee said. ìNow today the drug of choice is crystal meth.î
Dealing with the manufacturing of methamphetamine is the biggest challenge that the department faces, Lee said. It is not only dangerous to users, but the by-products are harmful to people exposed to it, he said.
Lee also feels that laws have changed more to protect criminals. That means that officers have to be trained better today and investigations have to be more thorough. ìI think the public is getting tired of criminals being overly protected,î Lee said.
People are more transient today, Lee added. He said he knew just about everybody in the county in the 1970s. ìPeople are forever moving around,î he said.
He will most miss his staff and the public. But Lee said he will not miss the meetings. ì [I] Hate meetings,î he said with another dose of Lee emphasis. He considers them a gathering of people that get nothing done.
ìIím glad to be retired,î he said.
He and his wife, Susan, plan to do a lot of travelling on motorcycle and camper now. Susan works at Family Dental. They have two children, Boyd, 39, and Robyn, 29, both of Savage, MN. Mike and Susan have 2 grandchildren and a third on the way.
ìA wonderful bossî
Carrie OíHeron, a secretary/dispatcher at the sheriffís office, has worked with Lee during his entire term as sheriff. ìHeís been a wonderful boss to work for and weíll miss him when heís gone,î she said on October 27.
Chief deputy Ken Frank said Lee rose to the challenges of the job of sheriff. ìAnd he leaves a very good department that he built over the years,î Frank said.
Jail administrator Mark Schiltz, who worked closely with Lee, agreed. ì[Heís] Been a very good friend of law enforcement over the years,î Schiltz said. Schiltz said he wishes Lee luck and hopes that Lee keeps in touch with law enforcement and everyone.
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