By Deb Kroon
Review Staff Writer
For nearly twenty years Sheriff Kent Wilkening has been the Sheriff of Nobles County. He has recently announced he would seek a sixth term as Sheriff. “I still enjoy the job and really enjoy coming to work,” Sheriff Wilkening said. “I’ve got a good group of staff that I have the pleasure of working with — both in the jail and the deputies. They do a great job, and I enjoy working with them.”
The filing period for county office candidates doesn’t open until May 22, but the veteran sheriff said he felt it was time to announce his bid for re-election. “I’ve had enough people wondering what my plans are,” said Sheriff Wilkening about his decision to publicly announce his intent to be on the ballot on November 6.
Wilkening has consecutively served five terms as Nobles County Sheriff since being elected in November 1998. A former Nobles County deputy for approximately 11 years, Wilkening joined under leadership of former Nobles County Sheriff Dale Peters.
Wilkening said he decided to run for the position in 1998 after his predecessor, Les Ebeling, announced he was going to retire.
“I thought I could do a good job as the sheriff and continue to provide the citizens with good law enforcement service,” Wilkening said about his decision twenty years ago.
Sheriff Wilkening said that in addition to continuing to enjoy the job and serving Nobles County residents, he is also inspired to seek re-election to continue some of the programs his office has implemented under his leadership.
One such program was the addition of the office’s one K-9 to the force in 2005. “Previous K-9s and K-9 handlers were also very successful and very good,” he said. “We’ve had good K-9 handlers.”
Project Lifesaver, a tracking wristband available to qualifying individuals with autism or dementia was implemented in June 2016 and currently used by six Nobles County residents, is another program.
More recently, Wilkening said, the office completed a court security project — a two-way security booth with metal detecting capabilities on the court’s side of the Prairie Justice Center — that Wilkening said has enhanced courtroom security.
The office also adopted a new project this past December. ‘Shop with a Cop’ provided a Christmas shopping experience to Nobles County kids whose families needed a little extra assistance around the holiday time. Fourteen kids shopped the aisles of Walmart with their deputy partner.
Wilkening said his office is also frequently implementing and collaborating with other counties in less visible ways. “I’m always looking to share resources with other counties,” Wilkening said. “It’s saving them money, saving us money and it just makes sense.”
As technology has changed at more rapid rates, the need for keeping systems up-to-date has also enhanced. To most efficiently utilize resources and taxpayer dollars, Wilkening said Nobles County is involved in multiple collaborations with area counties. For example, he said, Nobles County shares a radio traffic recorder and 911 answering system with six surrounding counties. The 911 answering system technology has resulted in a cost savings of approximately $100,000 per county, he said.
Wilkening also has his sights on the next project. His goal is to soon equip his deputies with Narcan — a brand of nasal spray containing Naloxone, which is used to treat a narcotic overdose in emergency situations. The nasal spray is currently available in the Nobles County Jail, he said, and is also being used by the Minnesota State Patrol. The emergency drug would also be available to the office’s K-9 should he sniff in an overdosable amount of controlled substance while performing a drug sniff. “You can give that to the dog, just like you do a human, and it brings them out of it,” Wilkening said.
Thinking back to running for the first time in 1998, Sheriff Wilkening said he had intended to run as long as he was enjoying the job and feeling like he was making a difference. “I just want to make sure people in the county get good law enforcement,” he said. “I want to be a good leader to the staff and the programs we continue to do. I like working with people and like working for the people in the county.”
