Sheriff candidates agree on problems, not on how to lead the office

Terry Frost says his staff would probably have to call him back to the office to get him to sit down and do administrative work. Reed Reinbold says he has spent eight years doing much of that work as chief deputy of the Otter Tail County Sheriff's Office.

Both men are running to lead the office, and both said they want it to be visible and accessible. Their answers at a candidate forum showed two very different ideas of how to lead.

Frost, a Marine Corps veteran who has worked for Wadena police and Wadena County, built his case on frontline experience. Reinbold, who joined Otter Tail County in 2004, built his on a record of promotions within the office he wants to run.

Two paths to top job

Frost grew up on a dairy farm north of New York Mills and later served in the Marine Corps and National Guard. He described his policing background as including part-time work in New York Mills and Perham, full-time work in Wadena, and his current roles as firearms instructor, Taser instructor, K9 handler, and field training officer.

Reinbold grew up in Henning and has worked in small-town departments, Benton County, and Otter Tail County. Within the county, he has served as patrol deputy, detective, patrol sergeant, detective sergeant, chief deputy, SWAT commander, and deputy emergency manager. He also cited 16 years on the Henning School Board and nine years on the Lakes Country Service Cooperative board.

Choosing between technology, jail improvements

Frost said he would invest in artificial intelligence and changing technology to help deputies and office operations. He said AI would be expensive but did not identify a specific product, cost, or plan.

Reinbold named the jail, built in 1987, as the county’s major long-term concern. He described it as well-maintained but increasingly limited by changing Department of Corrections rules. He said he is not campaigning for a new jail right now, but the county should seriously evaluate the facility’s future within about 15 years.

On mental health, repeat offenses

Both candidates said they want to reduce people cycling in and out of jail. Frost described what he called the “revolving door” of incarceration, and he wanted to connect people to human services, a jail nurse, and mental-health care.

Reinbold described a social worker embedded in the jail who helps inmates connect with services before release. He said the jail increasingly holds people with serious mental illness while they wait for placement elsewhere. His ideal facility would include a dedicated mental-health wing.

On women in law enforcement

Reinbold supported a goal of 30 percent representation of women in sworn positions by 2030. He said the shortage of female applicants is the main obstacle. He also said the office was recruiting from a female-only correctional-officer list because the jail needs women on staff.

Frost also supported recruiting more women. He pointed to accountability during arrests and searches, including body cameras, and said female jail staff can be effective at de-escalating situations.

Cautious answers on immigration enforcement

On immigration enforcement, neither candidate gave an explicit endorsement or rejection of a federal 287(g) agreement. Reinbold said entering an agreement would be a county-board decision and cited legal concerns about holding immigration detainees on civil detainers. He also said federal grants he had reviewed tied eligibility to participation, while emphasizing that agreements bring legal complications.

Frost named immigration as a sensitive subject. He acknowledged limited familiarity with the program and said he would rely on the county board and county-attorney advice. Later, Reinbold described competing public demands that deputies either help enforce immigration laws or stop ICE agents, saying the office’s role was to address violations of Minnesota law.

Where the two men agreed

Both candidates said unsafe driving remains a problem, citing speeding, impaired driving, and distracted driving. Both said current staffing is adequate. Both supported extra patrols around elections without police intimidating voters.

Both also favored preserving local police departments and supporting them with county resources and pointed to the voters’ trust as the central issue.

Frost said respect is the foundation of policing. “You got to give respect to get respect,” he said.

Reinbold said he could lead the office “from day one.”