Sam sits down with Dave Hutchinson, or “Hutch.” Hutchinson is running for Sheriff of Hennepin County in an effort to unseat Rich Stanek who he describes as a “bully.”  A victory for Hutchinson would make him the first LGBTQ sheriff in the Midwest. From his campaign website:

“Since 2006, he has served with the Metro Transit Police Department.  He currently holds the position of sergeant, working on the north side of Minneapolis and surrounding suburbs.  He also supervises the Peer Support Program, Crisis Intervention Training (CIT), and Community Engagement Team.  Before joining Metro Transit, Hutch worked as a Police Officer in Bayport, a small community with a population of just over 3,000 people. 

Working in the inner city, Hutch has served in the poorest and most forgotten neighborhoods of Hennepin County.  He’s worked with diverse communities from recent immigrants and refugees to long-established families of Minneapolis. This experience has allowed Hutch to engage in community problem solving and partner businesses and agencies across the county to improve the safety and health of our communities.” 

Hutchinson speaks about the lack of ethical leadership from Sheriff Stanek and how his poor administration results in disgruntled and under-paid staff. He explains that this atmosphere within HCSO results in deputies who aren’t performing to the best of their abilities. Hutchinson also distances himself from Stanek by articulating his views on the refugee and immigrant populations of the County and that Stanek is falsely perceived to be a moderate. Stanek, he says, views these communities as a threat to be handled and often times deported for low-level crimes whereas Hutchinson would work to repair the relationship HCSO has with said communities.

Hutchinson seeks to moderate the relationship the County has with federal immigration authorities and offers concrete ideas toward that end. Further reforms include deploying mental health professionals on certain calls for service to help handle delicate situations, and he talks of his own experiences dealing with such circumstances.

Additionally, Sam questions how surveillance would be conducted and how public records would be handled. The two also discuss how a Hutchinson administration would include public oversight in Homeland Security and military equipment acquisitions.

Hear all that and more in this special election edition of North Star Radio Hour. It is in the preliminary stages but NSP is working to organize a debate between Stanek and Hutchinson to be broadcast on KRSM Radio.  Stay tuned!

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