Former Pequot Lakes Police Chief Eric Klang began his first day back as Crow Wing County Sheriff on Monday after being elected to the position last November. Klang had previously served as Crow Wing Sheriff from 2003-07.

“I love this job to this day. If I had to do it all over again, I’d do the same thing,” said Sheriff Klang. “This is a great job where you can really give back to the community and help them.”

One of Klang’s plans going forward is to perform lateral transfers, where the Sheriff’s Office can bring in people who have worked in other departments or areas of law enforcement. With the Brainerd Lakes Area serving as a hub for outdoor recreation and activities, they’re trying to seek out those who might want to move there.

Klang also says he plans to look at the executive summary of their operations and make sure they stay true to their mission statement.

“Protecting and serving, obviously, [is] number one,” said Klang. “Another thing is the jail. We have two of the pods that are shut down right now, so I’m gonna have to really look at the jail and our operations over there. Again, another recruitment and retention issue that’s happening over there, and we need to find people that are interested that want to serve and help people to come and work for us.

Andy Bradley has also been sworn in as the new Crow Wing County Chief Deputy, and Klang says Bradley will serve the county well in his new position.

“He’s well respected by all the officers, the county employees, outside police agencies, so he is a good fit in a time like this for us here at the Sheriff’s Office,” explained Klang.

Ultimately, Klang says that his department will work towards improving life in the county.

“We’re gonna be collaborators, we’re gonna be helping one another, we’re gonna be helping our outside agencies, we’re gonna be helping our stakeholders coming up with plans and sitting at the table and being part of the conversation to help make Crow Wing County the best place to live,” said Klang.

By — Hanky Hazelton