Q&A with Bryan Lang, who is running for Ramsey County sheriff
DEVILS LAKE - Meet Bryan Lang, a down-to-earth husband, father, grandfather and all-around good ol' boy who is currently seeking your vote for Ramsey County sheriff.
Lang grew up in Lakota and is married to his loving wife of 37 years, Roxanne. Together they have two sons, Matt and Mitch and two grandchildren, Reese and Quinn.
In his downtime, Lang enjoy fishing, hunting and camping and is an active member of American Legion Post #79, the Devils Lake Elks Lodge #1216 and the Lake Region Anglers Association of which he is on the board of directors.
Lang began his law enforcement career in Nelson County as a special deputy and as a correctional officer at the Lake Region Correctional Center in Devils Lake, ND. He went to the ND Basic Law Enforcement Academy in Bismarck, ND and started with the McLean County Sheriff's Department as a deputy sheriff going on to become a Narcotics Investigator with the South Sakakawea Narcotics Task Force.
Lang has also worked with the North Dakota Bureau of Criminal Investigation as a criminal investigator in Devils Lake.
He has 38 years of law enforcement experience and over 3000 hours of continuing education and graduated from the National Forensic Academy at the University of Tennessee as well as the International Association of Chiefs of Police Leadership in Police Organization. Lang has also completed training in the DEA Narcotics Investigations, internet crimes against children, blood stain pattern analysis, and shooting incident reconstruction.
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Elections for this office will be on June 14.
Why did you decide to run for office?
The reason I decided to run is…I’ve been contemplating this [for] a few years now, and I believe what kind of pushed me over the edge is I looked at my career as a whole and what I’ve accomplished and the training and everything that I have obtained. I am going around and teaching some of the new techniques and technologies that we got and some of the specialty trainings I have acquired, and I thought it was time for me to bring some of that back to this area. This is kind of where I got my start in law enforcement, and I’d just like to bring some of that back to repay the opportunity I was given to get into law enforcement. I think I can make a big change and make this department grow.
What will be your main goal you wish to accomplish as sheriff?
My main goal is going to be recruit and retention of deputies, and to train them to the ability that they can handle just about any situation that is presented to them and have the confidence to do that, along with building a better working relationship with the community. Having community involvement, along with other agencies and entities in the area, because my belief is if we all work together, there is nothing we can’t get accomplished.
What is your take on the current crime rate in Ramsey County, and what do you plan to do to combat it?
The current crime rate, it fluctuates as everything. Right now, I believe the illegal drug use and the sales of illegal drugs are probably highest right now. I have definitely worked a lot more with the drug task force [and] get our sheriff’s department up to speed on what to look for and participate in some interdictions. Also, educate the community in the aspect of the drug crimes or any other crimes that are going on and work with the community and the drug task forces and the other agencies to build a better relationship to conquer these problems.
As I said before, once you get everybody working together and everybody understanding the direction we need to go as a group, we can accomplish this.
How will your experience working/living in the community prepare you for this potential role?
Just my career in law enforcement. I was a deputy sheriff for 14 years. I worked with the narcotics task force for eight years. Been a criminal investigator since 2007…and just my experiences that I have gone through in these positions and the knowledge that I have gained and the specialty trainings that come with these positions I have held, set me apart from the rest of them as to what I can bring to the table and provide to the residents of Ramsey County.
What is your overall campaign message to voters?
I believe it is time for a change. I want to bring a different vision [and] different ideas. I have some ideas for how to approach things, and just my overall experience in everything, I think I can contribute to it a lot more.
If there was one word that describes you, what would that one word be?
I would say I am a pretty outgoing person. I am willing to sit down and talk with anybody to [help] somebody out. Kind of always had an open-door policy. I’ll listen to anybody. I’ll hear their ideas. Sometimes, you can use them. Sometimes, you can’t. I am just kind of a people person. I like to talk to people and hear what they have to say.
John Crane is a sports/general assignment reporter for the Devils Lake Daily Journal. Feel free to contact John at jcrane@gannett.com or Twitter (@johncranesports) with any story ideas. K. William Boyer is Managing Editor of the Devils Lake Daily Journal, you may reach him at kboyer@gannett.com or at 701-662-2127 or 850-261-7476 with questions or concerns.
This article originally appeared on Devils Lake Journal: Bryan Lang is running for sheriff of Ramsey County
