Stutzke tapped for SCSO Undersheriff position

The top leadership positions at the Shoshone County Sheriff’s Office officially have new, yet also familiar, faces as of last Thursday.

Three days after being sworn in as the new interim Sheriff on Dec. 12, following the retirement of Mike Gunderson, Holly Lindsey swore in longtime Detention Captain Lance Stutzke to serve as her Undersheriff for at least the remainder of her interim term.

"I chose Lance for the Undersheriff position for many reasons, but the main reasons are his intimate knowledge of our community, his experience, his beliefs, values, and last but certainly not least, his leadership skills," Lindsey told the News-Press.

Originally born in Sandpoint, Stutzke moved to Murray when he was 11 years old, as his dad pursued a career in gold mining.

Living in the rural community until he was 18, he said he mostly enjoyed growing up there.

“It was definitely different, but I love the outdoors,” he said. “For me, I really enjoyed it until I got to high school and I wanted to play sports. The travel and everything was really difficult for my family, but I loved it in my youth — fishing, hunting and riding my dirt bike.”

When he was 19, he married his wife, Jessica, and got a job working at the Lucky Friday Mine in Mullan. He worked there for four years until he and numerous other employees were laid off.

Unemployed, Stutzke then decided to apply for an open position in the Detention Department at SCSO and was hired a week later.

“It was something that I realized I was pretty good at and I really enjoy it,” he said. “I enjoy the people I work with, the camaraderie. I enjoy interacting with people in the community and feeling like you’re doing something to help out. Something more than just making money for a corporation.”

Over the course of 11 years, Stutzke would work his way up the ranks in detention from deputy, corporal and then to Detention Sergeant. He held that rank for four years until he went back to the Lucky Friday in 2013 for financial reasons.

When the union miners at the Lucky Friday went on strike in 2017, Stutzke returned to SCSO, but this time as Captain of the Detention department under Sheriff Gunderson.

“I came and had a meeting with him and Undersheriff Lindsey, at the time, and I liked the direction they were going.”

As Detention Captain for the last five years, Stutzke has been responsible for overseeing the safety and security of both the inmates incarcerated at SCSO and the building itself. Despite numerous staffing and facility issues, the SCSO jail has maintained a state certification throughout the entirety of Stutzke’s term. The jail recertification was a plank of former-Sheriff Gunderson’s election campaign in 2016, as SCSO had lost certification in the years prior.

“You’re looking more at jail standards and making sure we are in compliance with that,” Stutzke said of the Captain role. “Making sure prisoners are being treated fairly and that we’re not violating any rights.”

Just like any job, Stutzke said his time as Detention Captain has had its ups and downs.

“The main issue has been staffing,” he said. “We’ve had two open positions for a year that we haven’t been able to fill. We’ve had a few people hired on and they usually quit within four to five months…it’s not an easy environment to work in and not an easy profession.”

With his promotion to Undersheriff, Stutzke is looking forward to opening a new chapter of his life that will require him to not only keep an eye on the detention department, but all the other ones as well.

As this new position will require him to be involved with the patrol department and his detention certifications don't transfer over, Stutzke will have to attend the Idaho Peace Officer Standards and Training academy and obtain his patrol certification, on top of log some Field Training Officer time. He estimates this will occur in mid-2023.

While he and Sheriff Lindsey are not discussing specific initiatives or goals at this time, Stutzke is looking forward to creating a healthy atmosphere at SCSO for everyone.

“I’m super excited and looking forward to working with Sheriff Lindsey to develop relationships with our community and promote a positive environment to work in for our employees,” he said.

“Overall, I’ve always wanted the Sheriff’s Office to be an environment where people enjoy coming to work, feel like they’re going to be supported by the administration, whatever it may be. They can come to us with any issues and feel like they’re being heard,” he added.

A replacement for the position of Detention Captain has not been decided at this time.

Lindsey will serve out the remainder of Gunderson's current term, which ends in January 2025. The primary election for the position of Shoshone County Sheriff will be held in May 2024 and the general election in November of that same year.

"Lance and I have become great friends, even family, during our time serving for the SCSO," Lindsey said of Stutzke. "I trust him with my life and the lives of our team. He has high performance standards, yet understands the need to mentor his team and support them. He is a compassionate man who always has a positive outlook on life and people. He is constantly trying to build up the people around him, sometimes even at his own detriment. I'll probably receive retribution for saying this, but I've seen him cry many times when a member of his team is hurting- he REALLY cares. Politics is new for the both of us and neither of us are politicians, which I absolutely love. It's vital we keep our minds open to new ideas and opportunities despite the politics of our positions. He and I both agree that doing the right things for our community as well as our team comes first, always. Lance and I are very similar in many ways but he compliments my weaknesses and I compliment his. Together, that equals an unwavering strength. Simply put, we make an amazing team and I know in my heart that together we will will lead our office into the future of public safety."