Lindsey assumes SCSO undersheriff role

In a small community such as Shoshone County, it is not uncommon for an individual to work in the same field for several years.

This dedication to a certain career can create seasoned veterans in important positions who can handle the pressures of responsibility.

Our area is no exception to this.

No matter what job you look at, the Silver Valley has an impressive list of individuals (love them or hate them) that keep this place moving.

One such individual that has been on the list for a while now is the newly promoted Shoshone County Undersheriff, Holly Lindsey.

Lindsey was born in Grangeville, Idaho and raised early on in the area of Kooskia, Idaho.

Coming from a law enforcement family, her father was a deputy with the Idaho County Sheriff’s Office for many years.

After her parents divorced, Lindsey moved with her mother to Rose Lake where her grandfather lived and worked as miner at the Bunker Hill mine in Kellogg.

Lindsey would spend much of here childhood living in Rose Lake, growing up on Tamarack Ridge and hanging out with a group of friends that collectively called themselves “the Ridge Runners.”

“We had a lot of fun out there,” Lindsey said, “always swimming, fishing, and all that stuff you do when you are kids.”

This experience with the outdoors and the local area has been incredibly beneficial to her — helping her understand the people of this area and, in many cases, their problems.

When it comes to why she got into her profession, Lindsey joked that a small part of it was the mystique of being a cop (i.e. carrying a gun, driving fast cars, wearing the uniform, etc.)

The main reason though is that she wants to help those in need.

Now, Lindsey acknowledges the standard cliché of people saying that they got into law enforcement because they want to help people.

“That’s such a generic answer,” she said.

To truly understand what Lindsey means when she says she wants to help people, a deeper look at her history is needed.

Being raised by only her mother in a modest household here in Shoshone County, Lindsey explained that she had a difficult time growing up when she was younger.

It was not until she had her son is when things got serious for her.

“I ended up having my son at a very, very young age, I had just turned 18 and was a single mom. I think having my son at such a young age is pretty much what saved my life, because I hung out with people who were great people, but were making really bad decisions with their life as far as drinking and using drugs. And I think if I didn’t have my son, I could easily be somebody who is coming in on a weekly basis here (jail).”

This life changing moment was the one that put Lindsey on a path to a career in law enforcement.

In 2002, she enrolled North Idaho College’s Law Enforcement V-tech program.

While in school, Lindsey worked part-time at a gas station where she would get a lot of her homework done.

That same year, she became an intern and reserve officer with the Coeur d’Alene Police Department.

After two years there gaining certifications and experience, she came back home to Shoshone County and joined the Shoshone County Sheriff’s Office in 2004.

With these humble beginnings, Lindsey has a unique perspective on life and her career.

“I wanna help people get back on track in life,” she explained.

“My heart goes out to people who are going through a rough time, and that could (be due to) various things- drug addiction, alcohol addition...or something as simple as getting laid off (from work).”

“I truly want to help someone’s situation,” she added.

Gaining experience from the three Sheriffs she has worked for in her time with SCSO, Lindsey is always looking to improve herself and those she has been responsible for.

“I’m always searching for solutions, I’m always searching for how to make us run better, I’m always searching for ways to innovate.”

This drive to improve herself and those around her explains the command/ leadership positions she has assumed during her time at SCSO.

Going from the Wallace patrol deputy, to Sergeant, to Captain, and now to Undersheriff- Lindsey has shown that she can work with people in a variety of position.

A skill that is incredibly handy in her line of work.

What she likes most about being in a supervisory role is being able to mold deputies into people that can handle responsibility, such as herself.

“I like trying to take new people and help them grow into professionals- carrying guns and doing an incredibly hard job.”

This is going to be key to her leadership style as Undersheriff- both with handling employees and citizens.

“You can’t lose if you’re always putting people first,” Lindsey explains, “If you can sell, to the people that you work with that are out there in the trenches, where we’re going- we’re all going to do better and accomplish more.”

As the first female Undersheriff in the history of the county, Lindsey’s main goal is to follow through on the direction the Sheriff (Mike Gunderson) sets.

She explains that one of the many ways this can be done is by setting goals for the various divisions throughout the Sheriff’s Office and building relationships with the community.

Her biggest challenge in this new role- shifting from a position where being hands-on was the name of the game to a position where a more lighter touch is necessary.

Personally, Lindsey has been happily married for 10 years to Kellogg High School art teacher, Rachael Krusemark.

Her son, Josh Lindsey, lives locally.

Both her parents and aunt & uncle live locally as well.

Her father is a reserve officer for SCSO and works in the St. Joe region of the county.

Her aunt and uncle reside in Avery.

Lindsey has a total of five brothers, two of which work as attorneys.

In her free time, Lindsey enjoys the outdoors, keeping healthy, and even has a bit of a nerdy side.

Who else can say that they can fly fish and play Dungeons & Dragons?

Probably not many.