PHOTO OF THE DAY: NEW SHERIFF IN TOWN

Maurice Waltner, who began his first four-year term as Hutchinson County Sheriff in January, is pictured in the county police pickup on Tuesday. Waltner was in Freeman for The Courier’s 5-Minute Interview, which is published in the April 6 edition. Below is a sampling. To read it in its entirety, check out this week’s issue available online to subscribers later today and in print tomorrow.

The first three months have been …

Exciting. Not overwhelming, but busy.

What’s your department’s primary focus?

First and foremost, to protect the rural citizens. We do a lot of civil paper service. We do transports for all the cities; since we don’t have our own jail in the county we have to transport anybody who is arrested to a jail, and to provide backup for any agency requesting help.

Favorite part of the job?

Getting to interact with people. I love kids, and when you go to a crime scene, sometimes kids are upset or not knowing what going on, and I must seem friendly, because they run up to me and I can hang out with them. Hold them if they’re younger. I enjoy that — putting a smile on a kids’ face during something like that is big deal.

How much has the increase in gun violence changed what you do?

I’ll start with this. In 10 years working for Freeman I drew my gun twice. In six years working for the sheriff’s department, I drew it once. In the last four months, I’ve drawn it six times. We’ve had some pretty crazy calls. I didn’t start wearing a vest until January because it was big and bulky, and I didn’t want to. But it’s protection and also gives me a place to put all my gear. We carry tasers, body cameras, our pistol, handcuffs, phones, a safety light for traffic stops, and our radios.

Are you in this for the long-term?

Until I can’t do it anymore.