Dodge County Sheriff Steve Hespen doesn’t remember any great words of wisdom from former sheriff Dan Weddle when he was hired as a deputy back in March of 1987.
“I think he just told me to stay out of trouble,” the sheriff said with a laugh.
Hespen’s career in law enforcement is coming to a close. He announced in November that he would be retiring on Jan. 28.
Hespen’s sheriff’s department career spanned two months short of 35 years. He has served as sheriff since 2007.
“It has been a long time,” Hespen said. “I tell people it has been the best job anyone could ever ask for. I don’t know what else I could’ve done that I would’ve enjoyed more. I really enjoyed my time with Dodge County.”
Hespen first served as a corrections officer when – at the time – the new jail opened in November of 1986. He served in that role a little more than four months when he was hired as a deputy.
“It has been a great run and I’ve worked with some really terrific people,” Hespen said. “That helps the years go by when you work with good people.”
Hespen said there have been numerous changes in law enforcement since his career began.
“I have a picture that is probably from my first month on the job where I’m standing by my first patrol car that I believe was a 1983 Dodge Diplomat,” he said. “That is a little change from the patrol vehicles the deputies are driving today. Technology is also a big thing with the radio system and just what’s in the cars like the in-car computers. There are printers in the cars that print citations and scan driver’s licenses. I’m pretty proud to be a part of all technology and changes.”
The sheriff said tragic events, such as fatal accidents, will stay with him forever. However, there have been positive memorable moments as well.
The sheriff said he has been at gas stations or other places around town where someone will come up to him and tell him of an arrest, such as a DUI, that Hespen made. The individual will say that the arrest served as a wake-up call and helped that person get their life back together.
“They say they want to thank me for taking them off the road and turning their life around,” Hespen said. “That really makes you feel good. I’ve had that happen multiple times.”
Hespen said a big part of his job was making sure his deputies have the right tools to perform their work.
“I’ve always told people this job is not about me being sheriff,” he said. “It is about providing for the deputies to make sure they have the training and the equipment to go out and do their job. They are the ones that the public sees. They are the ones that promote the image of the sheriff’s department and so I need to make sure I provide the tools and the means to do that. I hope I’ve done that.”
Discussions continue about a potential joint law enforcement center. Hespen offered his views about that possibility.
“I don’t want to get real political about it, but there are a lot of proposals,” he said. “But, and this is strictly my opinion, it needs to be outside the City of Fremont. The judicial center is on a street corner and is landlocked. Part of the problem is we can’t expand that. I think if we build downtown on another parcel of land that in 10 to 20 years from now whoever is sitting in our seats will say that we repeated the same mistake. Here we are again and we can’t expand because we are landlocked downtown. I think that is the wrong direction.”
On Air Now
Liz Stark
Mon- Fri: 10:00 AM - 03:00 PM
