The incumbent Rodney Bartsh has a challenger for the County sheriff position this fall. Bartsh is a 34-year veteran of law enforcement and has been sheriff for the last twenty years in Wabasha County. He grew up on a small dairy farm outside of Plainview, and still lives in the area with his wife Denise. They have two grown children and five grandchildren. Bartsh served as president of the Minnesota Sheriff’s Association and is currently the chair of Southern Minnesota Violent Crimes Task Force.
Sheriff Bartsh believes his past experience in law enforcement in Wabasha County makes him the best candidate for the job. He has grown through the years of service and has the understanding and patience to handle the issues facing the department and he knows the citizens of the county. Rodney commented, “my interaction with the people during the campaign tells me I still have their trust.”
The big issue facing his department currently is retaining good officers in the department. The Wabasha County pay scale is a below other communities and it is hard to keep good officers when they can make more elsewhere. He believes the commissioners will be working to increase wages to help with this problem in the next year. The drug problem is still an issue in the community with cheap meth being imported from Mexico. He supports the Minnesota Adult and Teen Challenge and is committed to rehabilitation for those who are willing to turn their life around. Another problem is scammers who target the senior citizens with financial cons. Sheriff Bartsh commented that he does not like bullies and he will stand up for and protect those who need protection from con artists who prey on those who are vulnerable.
Deputy Jason Bade is running for Wabasha County Sheriff this fall. Jason earned his Associate of Applied Science in Law Enforcement in 1998 from Alexandria Technical and Community College and started his career as a part-time officer for the city of Plainview. He was promoted to full-time with the city of Plainview in 1999 and followed by joining the Wabasha County Sheriff’s Office. He also has over thirty-years training police dogs and has worked fourteen years with K-9 units. He is also the Towards Zero Death coordinator, a training officer and an investigator.
Bade met his future wife, Janelle, while they were in college and they have been married for 23-years. Janelle has worked for the John Deere dealership in Plainview for nineteen years. They have two adult children. Bade has also served on school board and sixteen years on the Plainview Fire Department as well as president of the Fire Relief Association. Law enforcement has been in Bade’s family, as his grandfather was a part-time police officer and his father was a full time police officer, serving part of his career with the Plainview Police Department as a K-9 officer. Bade has also coached youth sports teams and served as a youth firearms safety instructor.
Bade believes staff retention is a big issue for the Wabasha County Sheriff’s Department. The sheriff office, jail and dispatch center have struggled with employee turnover and it costs the tax payers each time they have to train new officers and staff.
Jason Bade believes he will bring consistency, accountability and efficiency to the department as sheriff. Fiscal responsibility is important to deliver the service the local taxpayers are funding. Bade will work to use all available resources, equipment and workforce assistance for maximum budget effectiveness. He also has positive relationships with the commissioners, the County Attorney’s Office, area police departments and county and state departments.
