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On September 12, Oneida County residents will reduce the field of candidates for sheriff. But before heading off to the polls, here are the facts.

The local contestants for this year's race include Democrat Jeff Hoffman, Republican Keith Keppert, Republican William Treder and Constitutional Party of Wisconsin Tom Wakely.

The September primary will eliminate one Republican candidate from the race.

Below is a summary of all of the candidates for the office. Treder and Keppert will face off in the September race.

Hoffman is currently completing the last two years of a four-year Sheriff's term left vacant by Tim Miller, who resigned for health reasons. He was appointed Sheriff of Oneida County by Gov. Jim Doyle in March 2005. Hoffman has 20 years of supervisory experience and has been with the Oneida County Sheriff's Department for 31 years.

If elected, Hoffman hopes to upgrade communication abilities throughout Oneida County. “This will provide better safety to everyone in Oneida County by allowing better communications for law enforcement, EMS and fire departments,” he said.

Hoffman also says he will work hard to be fiscally responsible, helping save taxpayer's dollars.

“For instance in 2005 under my leadership, $120,000 from the Oneida Sheriff's Department was returned to the Oneida County general Fund,” Hoffman said. “I have projected the return of approximately half a million in this fiscal year.”

Hoffman is a member of the Wisconsin Sheriff and Deputy Sheriff Association, the Wisconsin Law Enforcement Officers Association, former president of the Oneida County Deputy Sheriff's Association and a member of the Badger Sheriff's Association, where he served on the board of directors.

He received an associate's degree in police science from Nicolet College and has completed many specialized law enforcement-training classes. Hoffman is a 2004 graduate of the Criminal Justice Executive Institute from FVTI, which is the highest management program consisting of 400 hours of continued education.

He has resided in Rhinelander for 32 years.

Keppert, owner of K&B Construction, hopes to enhance sentences for convicted child molesters, crack down on illegal drugs- particularly methamphetamine and relax overly-strict drunk driving policies.

“People work hard all day long and if you have a couple beers out on the lake, you have cops chasing you around,” Keppert said. “Enough is enough.”

As an avid hunter and sportsman, Keppert firmly believes that all U.S. citizens have the right to own guns.

“Gun control is not an issue and should never be,” he said.

Although he does not have a background in law enforcement, Keppert hopes to restore the words “to serve and protect” at the Oneida County Sheriff's Department through common sense law enforcement. As an honest and hard-working person, Keppert represents the commoner.

He has lived in Tomahawk for the past 17 years.

Treder, a 20 year veteran and senior deputy of the Oneida County Sheriff's Department, hopes to improve programs dealing with safety and crime prevention.

“I intend to expand these programs to keep up with a growing need to provide education to senior citizens, parents and children of the dangers of Internet crime, crimes through mail solicitation and fraud, identity theft and child enticement,” Treder said. “'Homeland Security begins at home' is the cornerstone of a safe and healthy environment in which to raise families and enjoy the northwoods.”

Treder has served on the Oneida County's Elder Abuse Interdisciplinary Team, which meets monthly to discuss and counsel specific cases of elder abuse, neglect and exploitation. He has been the president of the Oneida County Deputy Sheriff's Association for the past 10 years, a member of the Wisconsin DARE Officers Association for 12 years, a member of the Wisconsin Crime Prevention Practitioners Association for six years, and has been elected to the Board of Directors for the Wisconsin Professional Police Association (WPPA) for the last nine years.

Currently, he is serving as chairman of the WPPA's legislative committee and serves on the finance and scholarship committees. In 2005, Treder was appointed by the Governor's office to serve on the Wisconsin Office of Justice Assistance Law Enforcement Work Group for Homeland Security.

Treder has also been involved in the Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics and in organizing fund raisers to support the continuation of the DARE program.

Treder attended Martin Luther College for three years, graduated from NTC Police Recruit School and is a certified DARE officier. He has lived in Rhinelander for 31 years.

Wakely, a former Military Intelligence Specialist for the 319th Military Intelligence Unit of the U.S. Army and former Wisconsin State licensed security specialist for The Wisconsin Intelligence Agency, hopes to curb abuses in law enforcement and run the office of sheriff more efficiently and economically. He plans to investigate monies donated by the Federal government to manage the Oneida County satellite station based in Minocqua, making sure the station is run most effectively, and he will examine whether deputies need to drive squad cars home.

Dedicated to defending the rights of citizens, Wakely will consider everyone charged for a crime innocent until proven guilty, and he will not conceal any corruption in the Oneida County Sheriff's Department.

“I'm not entrenched in the power structure,” Wakely said. “I intend to run an open sheriff's department for the benefit and protection of the citizens and not for the benefit of powerful politicians.”

Currently, Wakely is retired. He is a nationally certified NRA Police Firearms Instructor, a certified private investigator, and has worked as a logger, truck driver, factory laborer, mill worker and for numerous State of Wisconsin licensed and certified private detective agencies.

As a member of the United States Concealed Carry Association, Wakely believes that one must at least be a marksman to carry a gun.

Wakely wants periodic drug testing for deputies, district attorneys, judges and all those involved in law enforcement as well as psychological testing for judges. He has lived in Rhinelander all his life for 66 years.

Residents of Rhinelander can vote for Oneida County Sheriff candidates at the Northern Advantage Job Center or at the YMCA.

For more information on polling places, Rhinelander residents can call city hall at 365-8600, and residents in townships can call the county clerk at 369-6144.

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Comments »

Leslie A Reuter wrote on Aug 22, 2006 4:55 PM:

" I am formerly a Tomahawk resident and I grew up in the area for the most part of my life. I am also a close personal friend of Keith Keppert that I know as family. He is a up front and very honest individual, Keith is the type of person who wears his heart on his sleeve and will help anyone, knowing or not knowing in the time of need. I have seen Keith stand by his values of life and fight what he believes in. He is more than what you call a commoner he is exactly what Onedia County needs in the office. "

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