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Let the rematch begin

Saaranen, Sullivan face off for Houghton County Sheriff

Saaranen

Joshua Saaranen

HOUGHTON — Houghton County’s sheriff race is a rematch of 2022’s ballot.

Joshua Saaranen, who was appointed sheriff to replace the late Brian McLean in 2022 before being elected to a partial term, is running for a four-year term against Roger Sullivan. 

Saaranen, who is running as a Republican, said he had learned a lot in his three years in office. His priorities in office would include working with the community to help build a new county jail, continuing the work of fighting crime locally, and working with local partners on mental health issues in the county. He also plans to continue being a leader in the sheriff’s office.

“We have a really good crew and I can’t give them enough praise,” he said. “…It’s a pleasing and humbling experience to lead them and maybe impart some knowledge as far as the experiences I’ve had in the past.”

Sullivan

The county is seeking to replace its 28-bed jail with a new facility to be built on recently purchased property on Sharon Avenue. It has frequently been overcrowded, with numbers reaching into the mid-40s at some points, he said. 

“In my opinion, that’s a great spot for a jail,” Saaranen said. “…At the same time, I think it’s going to be important going forward that there’s transparency and we make sure that the community is involved in the building of the jail.”

Saaranen said the potential jail would likely wind up with somewhere between 50 to 100 beds. The county has had initial meetings with partners in law enforcement and the courts; a wider task force will begin meeting at the end of the month. 

Saaranen said a new jail facility will need to offer more space for the growing female population, and more space for patients who come to jail when they’re potentially in crisis, which could include mental health or substance abuse issues.

A new jail would also need better facilities for juveniles, said Saaranen, who called the current holdover room “antiquated” and “not secure.”

The safety of the employees and corrections officers who work at the jail on a day-to-day basis are also important, Saaranen said. 

“These corrections officers are in the building and within the facility for 12 hours at any given time,” he said. “We want to make sure that they’re as comfortable as possible while being at work and also safe.”

Since taking office, Saaranen has talked with the area’s legislators about local inpatient care that would reduce the number of transports required for downstate. While a recent state law allowed for mental-health transports to be taken over by private companies, only one company has stepped in so far, he said. The county has continued to transport inmates itself, with assistance from the Michigan State Police. 

“I think having something more local or even regional would be a lot healthier for the individuals, and it would be healthier for our office,” he said. “We wouldn’t have to have deputies drive all over the state. It would ease up on our budget, and it would ease up on liability from having to drive all over the place in all conditions.”

The biggest trend Saaranen has noticed since taking office is the growth in population and greater number of visitors to the area. Calls for service have gone up 20% in the past year, with the department getting busier across the board. 

With three murder suspects stemming from two incidents, it marks the first time in at least 15 years there have been multiple murder suspects in the jail, Saaranen said. The department also partners with the Upper Peninsula Substance Enforcement Team, which has led to convictions locally and federally of people bringing crystal meth and other opiates into the county, as well as a human trafficking task force that has led to arrests of several people who had intended to victimize youth. 

While the increased visitor level is contributing to greater activity, it doesn’t necessarily add to revenue coming in. Saaranen said the deputies are doing an “outstanding job” of managing, but that he continues to seek outside funding sources.

The county receives $80,000 to $100,000 through the Border Patrol grant Operation Stone Garden, which provides for overtime money and several pieces of equipment. The department also gets state grants for a deputy to do full-time patrols on ORV, snowmobile and boat.

“If anybody has any questions, needs any help, we point them in the right direction,” he said. “I’m looking forward to the future to serve all the citizens. That is my main priority, public safety and the service of the citizens. They elect me. I work for the people of Houghton County.”

Roger Sullivan 

Sullivan, who is running with no party affiliation, is a residential business contractor with close to 20 years of business experience. He has roots in law enforcement; His grandfather served as chief of police in Calumet, and his sister has worked for Houghton and various other departments.

Sullivan said his campaign revolves around victims’ rights and advocacy, and trying to create a “fair and balanced” justice system in the county.

“I’m looking to stomp out public corruption, and first I tried to address it locally in my township,” he said. “Upon studying the laws of what I could do to help out my neighbors, I realized that I could help out a lot more people in the sheriff’s office than I could in the township role.”

“Only a select few people get access to the justice system, and other people get defrauded and extorted out of everything they own,” he said. “So I’m looking to be the checks and balances of local government and make sure that everyone stays on their side of the law, and those who don’t follow the law, the proper evidence is gathered and brought to the prosecuting attorney to do his job.”

Sullivan said he would refuse to enforce the state’s “red flag” laws, which he called “unconstitutional.” The package of bills enacted in 2023, among other things, allow spouses or family members to seek a court order to prevent a person from having firearms if the court determines they pose a threat to themselves or others. He said such a step should only be taken after a trial where people get to face their accusers and question the evidence.

“You bring someone in front of a judge, and they get a fair trial, and it’s judged by the judge or the jury, and they’ve been able to argue their evidence and argue their case, and facts have been presented and decisions have been made on those facts, then that’s due process,” he said. 

Sullivan said his first priority if elected would involve opening an investigation into the death of Twila Apger, a Mission Point resident who died in 2020, and reopening the investigation into the death of Leah Harding, a South Range resident who was reported missing in 2015. 

“I don’t think the local law enforcement gave it enough of an effort, and that’s what I’m looking to do,” he said. “I’m looking to put effort into these investigations. I’m not looking to just shelve it and say ‘Hey, we’ll get to it.’ I’m looking at putting boots on the ground and turning things over and, again, asking some very uncomfortable questions.”

Sullivan said he would also be willing to rehear old complaints victims did not feel were properly handled by the sheriff’s office.  

Sullivan said people should vote for him because he will put everyone else in the county before him, and fight “tooth and nail, every waking moment” to get closure for victims. 

“They’re not going to get representative once they become a victim in Houghton County, unless they’re part of the good old boys club,” he said. “If they’re part of the good old boys club, they have no worries. get red carpet service the whole way through. But if you’re part of the general public, our elected officials have never done anything for you.”

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