Minnesota and North Dakota Voter's Guide

Forum Communications Co., in collaboration with the League of Women Voters of Minnesota and of North Dakota, is providing this voter guide to help keep you informed ahead of the 2024 election.

  • Learn where candidates running for office in your community stand on the issues.
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Voter Guide

Olmsted County Sheriff

The County Sheriff keeps peace and enforces laws to protect life and property. They respond to both emergency and non-emergency requests for law enforcement services and develop an effective, motivated workforce through education, training, and career opportunities. They also execute all processes, writs, precepts, and orders issued or made by lawful authority, attend upon the terms of the district court, and investigate recreational vehicle crashes involving personal injury or death that occur outside the boundaries of a municipality. Sheriffs maintain the charge and custody of the county jail and provide a secure and safe correctional facility with other law enforcement agencies.Use the MN Secretary of State’s Candidate Filing page (https://candidates.sos.mn.gov/) to find specific candidate contact information.

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  • Candidate picture

    Tim Parkin
    (NP)

Biographical Information

Why are you the best candidate for this position? (750 characters)

If elected, what will your top three priorities be and why? (500 characters)

What procedures would you implement to improve or maintain transparency in the sheriff’s department’s activities? (500 characters)

How would you describe your leadership style and how that qualifies you for the role of sheriff? (500 characters)

What can the sheriff’s office do to help respond to the need for gun violence prevention and safe communities? (500 characters)

What role, if any, do you think the sheriff’s office should play in immigration enforcement? (500 characters)

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I have over 20 years of Law Enforcement experience, including over 10 years in leadership within our office and with task forces across the region. I have worked in several different positions within the office, giving me firsthand experience. During this time, I have collaborated with internal and external stakeholders and have gained an understanding of how we can all work together to meet community and law enforcement needs within our community and across the state.

I was born and raised in our community and am now raising a family of my own here. I am personally invested in keeping Olmsted County safe. I want our community to have a strong connection with law enforcement.
My top three priorities are public safety, staff development, and trust and accountability. Public safety requires ongoing engagement and collaboration with community members and stakeholders to understand our shared concerns and identify where we can improve. The Sheriff’s Office has tremendous talent; investing in professional development will help prepare future leaders. By investing in our people, we strengthen our team and provide the professional, effective service our community expects.
Transparency builds trust, and it is a priority of mine. The more forward-facing the office is, the more the public trusts the system. I am proud of the exemplary work the office does every day. At every point of contact with our community, and in communication with other county personnel, our staff needs to be responsive to questions and concerns. We do best when we take time to explain the “why” behind decisions, and we must always provide clear, effective guidance related to community safety.
While there is no one-size-fits-all leadership style, I believe authentic, servant leadership best fits the role of sheriff. Public safety leaders must remember they represent and work for their community and their office. Authenticity means leading with personal integrity, transparency, and a genuine commitment to the community and deputies. The sheriff must show staff that they support, believe in, and can carry out the policies and procedures themselves.
Sheriff’s Offices can work with their communities through education on safe gun practices, promoting responsible, lawful gun ownership, and consistently enforcing firearm laws. We can do this by partnering with schools, community organizations, and families. The sheriff’s office can also work with the community, mental health providers, and the county attorney’s office to apply for and enforce red flag laws when there are concerns that a person poses a danger.
Minnesota sheriff’s offices are not mandated to enforce or assist with federal immigration law. Under MN Statute 387, sheriffs are directed to pursue and apprehend felons and execute lawful processes, writs, precepts, and orders. The statute does not specifically authorize enforcement of immigration detainers, which are civil, not criminal. Therefore, our focus should remain on state and local law enforcement duties, not federal immigration enforcement.
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The League of Women Voters of Minnesota and North Dakota crafted the questions sent to the candidates in the Spring of 2024. They reached out to candidates based on contact information in their public candidate filings. Candidates with email addresses were invited and reminded with emails. Candidates with only mailing addresses were sent a letter. Candidates with phone numbers received a phone call as well.

Candidate responses are published as they responded and have not been edited, except when responses were longer than the given character limit. In those cases, the responses are truncated.

VOTE411 is brought to you by the League of Women Voters Education Fund and League of Women Voters of Minnesota Education Fund. The League of Women Voters does not support or oppose any political party or candidate for office.