Four West-Central Minnesota Sheriffs, Including Otter Tail's Fitzgibbons, Set to Retire

Barry Fitzgibbons is hanging up his badge. The Otter Tail County sheriff is one of four longtime northwest and west-central Minnesota sheriffs who plan to make their final calls this year, closing out careers that, combined with those of his three counterparts, span 136 years of law enforcement service.

Joining Fitzgibbons are Clearwater County Sheriff Darin Halverson, Becker County Sheriff Todd Glander, and Polk County Sheriff Jim Tadman. The four men represent some of the most experienced law enforcement leadership in the region, and their departures are arriving in the same year.

For Fitzgibbons, the decision comes down to time he cannot get back. "You miss Christmases and birthdays and special events. Now I have the opportunity to really focus on those things that are important with family," he said. Glander, for his part, spoke to what the job has meant: "Putting on this uniform and the badge, and what the badge stands for," he said.

The retirements extend beyond those four counties. Sheriffs in Wadena, Hubbard, and Grant counties are also planning to step down this year, deepening the leadership transition across the broader region.

Statewide, the wave is even larger. The Minnesota Sheriff's Association notes that the office of sheriff is a four-year term tied to midterm elections, and that historically about one-third of the state's 87 sheriffs retire each cycle. This year, however, more than 30 sheriffs are expected not to seek reelection, a number that significantly outpaces the historical norm.

The result, heading into the midterm election season, is a regionwide search for new faces in some of the most visible elected offices in rural Minnesota.