New Ramsey County sheriff vows greater department diversity

The newly appointed Ramsey County sheriff says that increasing the racial and ethnic diversity of his agency will be a priority.

Jack Serier, who was sworn into office Tuesday, brings decades of experience in law enforcement, most recently as the sheriff's chief deputy.

"A big piece of this is building bridges with people outside our agency to come to work for us," Serier said. "Recruitment isn't something you can do by turning on the now hiring light anymore. Those days are long gone."

Serier says he also wants to address low staffing at the detention center, improve services to victims of domestic violence and better connect inmates who are experiencing mental health crises with the treatment they need.

Serier was appointed by the county board to replace Matt Bostrom, who retired last week. His term will expire after the next election in November 2018.