Beltrami County DFL hosts public pizza forum with Sheriff Riggs

Sheriff Jason Riggs is set to take questions on the new county jail, public safety, emergency response and transparency at a public Pizza and Programs forum at the Beltrami County DFL Office in Bemidji.

The session is scheduled for Thursday, May 21, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at 1510 Bemidji Ave. N. The Beltrami County DFL says the gathering is open to the public and is designed as an informal discussion and dialogue forum, giving residents a chance to speak face-to-face with a county law enforcement leader about issues that affect daily life in Beltrami County.

The county jail is likely to be one of the main topics, along with how the Beltrami County Sheriff's Office handles emergency response and what steps are being taken to build stronger relationships with community members. For residents who want to ask about staffing, response times or how public safety decisions are being made, the forum offers a direct setting instead of a formal meeting at the county level.

Pizza and Programs is held on the third Thursday of each month at the same Bemidji office. The local DFL also hosts Coffee & Conversation on the first Thursday at 10 a.m. and game night on the third Wednesday at 6 p.m., part of a steady schedule of low-key gatherings at 1510 Bemidji Ave. N. The office is open Tuesdays and Thursdays from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., giving residents a regular window to stop in and connect.

The Beltrami County DFL describes itself as an all-volunteer organizing unit, and the Minnesota DFL identifies the Bemidji gatherings as part of its broader local organizing effort. For county residents, the value of Thursday’s forum is practical: a chance to hear directly from Sheriff Riggs about a major public-safety issue, ask about transparency, and raise concerns in person before decisions around the new jail and emergency operations move further ahead.