Lunde appointed Pierce County Sheriff
Matt Lunde served as deputy sheriff in Pierce County for nine years under Robert Graber.
Now he will succeed Graber as sheriff.
Lunde, 32, was appointed sheriff by the Pierce County Commission last week.
He will job shadow with Graber for the month of December before taking over the office in January.
“I’m looking forward to this opportunity,’ Lunde said. “I’m familiar with the area and I know the people. I couldn’t couldn’t ask for a better fit.”
He resigned as deputy sheriff over a year ago to move to the Fargo area. However, he still has a residence in Rugby.
Lunde, who grew up in Davenport in southeastern North Dakota, knows there are going to be challenges and a period of adjustment ahead. That includes handling the administrative functions of the job and overseeing his staff and working with other law enforcement entities that serve the region.
Pierce County is a large county in terms of square miles and a lot of ground to cover. However, whether it’s in Rugby or the far reaches of the county, there will be regular patrols and a presence of law enforcement, Lunde said.
He will bring fresh ideas and some changes to the department, noting a greater emphasis on communication with the public and developing programs to involve them more into law enforcement.
In addition to getting public input, Lunde said it’s critical the other law enforcement agencies work together.
“It’s a team effort and we are here to serve the public and do the best possible job we can to provide law enforcement to the county,’ he said.
He goes into the job knowing he doesn’t have all the answers, and welcomes input from the community.
He also knows his appointment is only for a year, and he will have to run for the sheriff’s office next year to secure a four-year term.
“Obviously I knew there was going to be an election right away,’ he said. “Hopefully, I can prove (this coming year) to the people that I can do a good job and the commission made the right decision in hiring me.”
Lunde and current sheriffs deputy, Jeff Bercier, interviewed for the position. Both have experience and know the county well, but the commission selected Lunde for his ideas and approach to how the department should be operated.
The sheriff’s position became open after Graber, who has been sheriff since 1999 and was in his third four-year term, announced he would step down at the end of the year and retire.