SHOSHONE COUNTY, Idaho – The Shoshone County Sheriff’s Office is undergoing a leadership change following the unexpected resignation of Sheriff Lindsey. Undersheriff Lance Stutzke, now serving as interim sheriff, shared his thoughts on the transition.
Stutzke expressed admiration for Lindsey, saying, “She was my good friend, you know, and I really care about her and respect her.”
Stutzke highlighted Lindsey’s approachable nature, stating, “Even as a sheriff, they could come in and talk to her about all their family problems.”
He also praised her leadership skills.
“She taught me how to interact with the community and be a real leader in the community and just be real involved and active in that realm. She really had a open door policy,” said Stutzke.
Stutzke explained his previous role as undersheriff, describing it as overseeing the management of the office and ensuring the sheriff’s vision was followed.
“I kind of oversaw the management of the whole office and made sure everything was on track and that the sheriff’s vision is getting followed by everybody,” he said.
Now, as interim sheriff, Stutzke is focused on stabilizing the team. On Wednesday, the Shoshone County Sheriff’s Office released a statement regarding Lindsey’s resignation, quoting her as saying, “I have loved this community with everything I have, but it is with a heavy heart that I must resign from the position of the Shoshone County Sheriff.”
Her resignation follows an investigation into a crash she was involved in on Tuesday.
Community members have been expressing support and curiosity toward the situation. Idaho code mandates that a sheriff must have an appointed chief deputy or undersheriff. The Board of County Commissioners has about 30 days to choose a new sheriff after accepting Lindsey’s resignation, with Lindsey having input on the candidates.
Stutzke acknowledged the current challenges, including an upcoming public safety levy vote.
“I’m filling the role of the sheriff and the undersheriff and putting it all on my shoulders right now,” he said.
He referred to the period as a time crunch, noting, “And without that levy, one of my first acts as the sheriff could be to lay people off.”
The department is hoping for a $1 million levy to be passed, with nearly $1 million planned to be cut from their budget.
“This is a massive county, a lot of square miles in real remote. When you only have a couple officers on per shift, a lot of people just don’t want to do that,” Stutzke said.
He mentioned that five employees could be laid off, which is 10% of their staff. He added that the last couple of years and lack of funding have been a constant challenge.
“To keep funding for our office has took a tremendous toll on Sheriff Lindsey. You just saw it wear down, and slowly just eating away at her to the point that it was having, you know, negative health effects,” he said.
Stutzke also faces uncertainty, as the undersheriff position is at-will.
“I may be out of a job as well and so my 20 year career could be gone in a heartbeat if that doesn’t happen,” he said.
