Urban sparked controversy again in 1999 for his vigorous pursuit of drunk drivers. In January he was ordered by superiors to stop targeting patrons of bars on Rice Street in Little Canada. In the prior two years Urban had arrested nearly 450 people for drunk driving. After a backlash from Mothers Against Drunk Drivers, as recounted in the Star Tribune at the time, Fletcher relented and agreed to keep Urban on the DWI beat. But Urban says he was never provided the proper equipment to fulfill this mission.
The disgruntled deputy was eventually transferred to the property room, working the 3:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. shift. The only problem? The property room closes at 3:45 p.m. Urban claims there was literally nothing for him to do on his shift. "I didn't have a desk, I didn't have a phone," he recalls. "I didn't show up most of the time. If I did show up, I'd watch TV and work out. I wouldn't stay past 7:00. I basically had a government no-show job for three years. I did absolutely nothing." Urban retired in 2003.
Adam Turman
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Fletcher's purported tendency to retaliate against those who disagree with him is a constant theme of Finney's campaign. "People don't want to be scared or intimidated by their chief law enforcement officer," says Finney. "And there's a lot of people in this county who feel like they've been intimidated and they're scared to speak out against him."
But Fletcher insists that the perception that he's a bully is completely misguided and only held by people who don't know him very well. "I think it's a typical political allegation, but I don't think it has any foundation," he says. "Do I look like a bully to you?"
On a Monday morning in September, Sheriff Fletcher is meeting with his inner circle. Sitting around a conference table on the third floor of the Ramsey County Law Enforcement Center are seven of his closest associates, plus a secretary. Fletcher is dressed in civilian clothes: a blue blazer and yellow tie.
First on the agenda is personnel matters. Dimitri Burroughs, who oversees the jail, reports that he had to send an officer home with pay on Friday after he got into an altercation with a superior. George Altendorfer, who manages the transport division, states that he needs two additional officers. "When do you need them?" Fletcher queries. "As soon as possible," is the response. The possibility arises that the St. Paul police might add an additional drug dog.
Then it's on to operational issues. The pros and cons of entering into a transportation agreement with other law enforcement agencies are weighed. It's noted, however, that as one of the larger law enforcement agencies in the area, Ramsey County would likely end up getting the short stick in any such pact. Preparations for the upcoming jail open house are discussed, along with plans for the looming North St. Paul parade.
About the only item of a non-administrative nature is a recent drug bust in Dakota County. Inspector Nicholas O'Hara reports that officers seized nine ounces of heroin, some methamphetamine, and $12,000 in cash during the raid. The investigation that led to the raid was initiated by a Ramsey County deputy. "There's a lot more heroin coming in of late," Fletcher notes.
Then it's back to the mundane: preparations for the White Bear Lake Senior Triad Dance. "Ninety-nine percent of the time we're not worried about politics," Fletcher notes at one point. "We're worried about running the department."
At present it's difficult to handicap the sheriff's race. Fletcher has the support of the St. Paul Police Federation and a strong base in the suburbs, while Finney boasts the coalition that propelled Chris Coleman into the mayor's office last year. But whatever happens, one thing is certain. Come November 8, whoever is assigning parade marshals in North St. Paul and battling street crime in Gem Lake will have fought tenaciously for the privilege.
