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Saaranen
HOUGHTON – With a 2-1 vote, the Houghton County Appeals Committee named Josh Saaranen as the new county sheriff.
Saaranen, who now works for the department as a detective lieutenant, said becoming a sheriff had been a long-term goal.
“Ultimately, I want to be and be elected the sheriff of the people and for the people” he said. “I accept this appointment and responsibility for running the department over the next year, and I look forward to working and working with all local departments in the community to make Houghton County a safer place.”
Saaranen said his short-term goal is to make sure the department comes together and moves forward.
“The best enforcement we can have for the county is to have a good department that we already have and make sure we are serving everyone efficiently.” he said.
In the long term, Saaranen would like to help address psychological problems in the region.
“The Keweenaw County Sheriff and the Baraga County Sheriff have started a dialogue” he said. “I am happy to be part of it. I am very passionate about the mental health system. “
Saaranen also plans to work with the board to find a replacement for the current district prison. As a member of the South Range Village Council, Saaranen was a member of the district’s Jail Task Force Committee in 2019.
“It was really refreshing to see all the communities come together and start working towards one goal.” he said. “I really want to promote that in the future with this topic.”
Prosecutor Brittany Bulleit and clerk Jennifer Kelly voted for Saaranen. Fraser Strome, probate judge, elected Brian Cadwell, Michigan Technological University director and chief of public safety and police.
The three-person committee interviewed seven candidates last week. The members first vote secretly in writing in order to avoid mutual influencing of the votes of the others.
Each person first chose their own candidate. Bulleit, who cast the vote for Saaranen, said she sees the election as a transition until voters can decide in 2022. She said she had taken into account the interview, résumé, and recommendations from local agencies like Dial Help and the Department of Health and Human Services.
“I felt like there has to be an easy transition for someone who understands how the sheriff’s department works.” She said. “And I don’t think Brian or Tami (Sleeman) are not qualified, but one reason I chose Detective Saaranen was because I felt he could step in and move the entire sheriff forward without any problems . “Department that has been there for so many years.”
Saaranen and Cadwell both made it into the top three of Bulleit and Strome. Kelly’s choice had been Sleeman, chief criminal investigator special at the Wisconsin Department of Justice. Bulleit and Strome agreed that her résumé was impressive, but were concerned about how long she had been away from the community.
After everyone had discussed their choices, Kelly considered at the table for about three minutes. She changed her voice to Saaranen and quoted his cover letter, which she said touched her.
Saaranen said he described some of his personal qualities, such as his empathy.
“Many people find law enforcement very tough” he said. “That’s not the kind of person I want. I’ve worked as a drug officer, but another important goal of mine is rehabilitation. In this capacity, we tried to persecute the drug dealers, not the users. I would really like to work with the treatment court and other agencies to ensure that some of these people are getting help for themselves and that this option is available. â€
After the vote, Cadwell said he believed Saaranen would be a good sheriff.
“I was hoping to get the position and have him on the team to advance the sheriff’s department, but I will now support him in his endeavors.” he told the committee. “Thank you very much. You had a difficult job and did it well.”
A native of the South Range, Saaranen graduated from Northern Michigan University’s Police Academy in 2004. He started with the Forsyth Township Police Department in Gwinn before returning to the area in 2007. He began working part-time with the Houghton Police Department and the Houghton County Sheriff’s Office before moving to the sheriff’s office full-time. He held several positions, including in prison and in the street police.
Saaranen replaces Sheriff Brian McLean, who died in July. He will serve part-time until 2022. He has announced that he will run for elections this year.
There was no public comment at the meeting. Former 97th District Court judge Mark Wisti has asked the board of directors to verify that the candidate understands that COVID-19 emergency orders are laws and that the candidate is committed to personally abiding by the orders and the COVID laws and to follow rules governing the sheriff’s department and general public.
Kelly also referred to comments made by 2020 sheriff’s candidate Roger Sullivan at the county board meeting on Tuesday, which said he had not been included in the application process. She said she did not receive an application from him before he presented his resume on Tuesday night.
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