Posted: 3/6/07
Background check of chief deputy expensive
By Tom van der Linden
Special to The Caledonia Argus.
The formal background check of new Houston County Chief Deputy Scott Yeiter will cost Houston County $10,000.
Houston County Commissioner and Board Chairman Ann Thompson said the county board had not yet approved the final bills from consultant William J. Everett, a Buffalo, Minnesota attorney and former cop who specializes in such background checks. However, Thompson said the attorneyís report was unusually extensive and thorough and the board was satisfied with both the quality and quantity of work done. Everett has worked previously for the county, said Tim Comstock, director of personnel for Houston County.
Comstock and Houston County Attorney Rick Jackson recommended the county hire Everett. While the county board signed a formal agreement with Everett detailing the scope of his work, no total price, or price ceiling was included. Everett charges $100 to $150 per hour, depending on the person doing the investigating. That fee included all secretarial work, but some expenses were extra.
"A law enforcement background check isnít like a simple reference check for a typical job," said Everett in an e-mail message. "Law enforcement officers are entrusted with the authority to carry a firearm and use force, enter peopleís homes, deprive people of liberty and property, and to have access to vast amounts of information about members of the community. Making sure that people hired into these positions are have are worthy of this very high degree of trust is extremely important."
Everett said he was sensitive to the cost of his work, but "there was far more work involved with this investigation than we originally expected."
He said he discounted his actual fee by about $2,000.
A thorough background check is necessary when hiring a chief deputy, because of the management authority and discretion that comes with that job, said county officials. The board wanted to hire a disinterested, or impartial, investigator from outside the area, and they needed the job done quickly, as former Chief Deputy Ken Frank resigned December 29, and his post was empty.
In the past, when Houston County hired chief deputies from within the department, no extra background check was required. However, this time, newly elected Sheriff Doug Ely picked Yeiter for the job.
Because Yeiter had spent most of this career as a La Crescent policeman, his background was unknown to the county board, said Thompson.
Therefore, the board thought it wise to do an extensive check, including checking with a variety of people who knew and worked with Yeiter, a La Crescent native.
State law gives the sheriff the right to select his chief deputy, and the county board confirms the appointment.
The bill will be paid from the sheriff departmentís budget.
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