The Mower County Sheriff's Office will never be the same.

Figuratively and literally.

That's because Terese Amazi is poised to become Mower County's and the state of Minn-esota's first elected female sheriff.

She will be sworn-in Monday morning.

But her gender is not the only thing that sets her apart. Amazi can flat-out do the job. Just ask anyone. No one -- not even her 2002 election opponent -- said Amazi could not do the job.

"As a little girl, growing up, I was more interested in fishing than TV or anything else," she said. "I didn't really watch any of the cop shows. I just knew I wanted to be in law enforcement."

"After I got my first job as a jailer in Montana, while my husband, Wayne, worked for the Helena police department, I really just went with the flow," she said.

"I thought if I would work hard and always put forth a good effort, the job would take care of you and it did," she said.

Barry J. Simonson chose Amazi, his chief deputy, to succeed him. Amazi benefited by the endorsement as she entered the 2002 campaign.

Todd Clennon, an Austin police officer, challenged her, but Amazi won the Nov. 5 election.

Now, she is ready to step out of the shadows of her predecessor and be county sheriff.

She first dared to think she could become a county sheriff five or six years ago, but it wasn't a formal goal of her's.

"I thought to myself 'I can do this job and set my goal to just do a good job and see what happens,'" she said.

It happened Nov. 5.

When she won the election by a comfortable margin, she became an instant media celebrity.

Gary Harrison, a Mower County jailer, christened her thusly: "The best man for the job is a woman."

Congratulatory calls, cards and letters came from all over; particularly from the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension's agents, other county sheriff's and deputies in Minnesota and Iowa and elsewhere in law enforcement.

There wasn't a single discouraging word about a female becoming a county sheriff.

"Not a one," she said.

Amazi has done everything in law enforcement except civil process duties. In the Mower County Sheriff's Office, those are done by Sgt. Martha Anderson.

Amazi, the first female hired in the Sheriff's Office by then-Sheriff Wayne P. Goodnature, and Anderson, bring the total of female peace officers to three: Amy Morgan, an Austin patrolman, is the other.

Amazi said she has never experienced any form of sexual discrimination, during her career in law enforcement.

She and her husband, a long-time Austin patrolman, have two teenage children: a son and a daughter.

Amazi is the only member of her family pursuing a law enforcement career.

When she takes office, Amazi will set out to try a 10-hour schedule for deputies. The goal is to have more officers on patrol.

She has already appointed Mary May, a detective, specializing in child protection cases, to be her chief deputy.

May will be replaced in the detective ranks, but she wants to hire another detective to join veteran detective Glen Farnum and May's replacement.

Presently, interviews are taking place to hire another deputy to fill the vacancy created by Sheriff Simonson's retirement.

There are immediate challenges ahead for Amazi. The jail over-crowding situation is one of them, but a new communications system is another.

In addition, Amazi has taken over the Mower County emergency management director's duties.

The issue of a new communications systems for deputies is an obvious priority to Amazi.

"We can't have public safety without officer safety," she said. "I know that."

Computers in patrol cars, tasers for each deputy and new ballistics vests for officers are some of the resources she wants to equip her deputies with.

She will be a hands-on county sheriff and frequently her hands will be on Tia, a Black Labrador retriever, who will be her canine partner. Tia is a drug-sniffing dog.

The preseason of the Inland Empire group in Mower County and their reputed connections to methamphetamine drug trafficking present a formidable challenge for law enforcement.

Amazi favors a multi-agency approach to crime-fighting.

That approach will aid local law enforcement in quelling the Inland Empire and other criminal organizations' activities, which Amazi characterizes as "very serious."

The new sheriff also said citizen involvement is encouraged, particularly the "eyes and ears" variety. She wants citizens to call with details of suspicious activities and she promises complete anonymity for the tips.

The prevalence of methamphetamine drugs is as big a concern as any in the drug wars, according to Amazi. Citizens can help eradicate it.

She is also aware of the administrative chores which will be hers as county sheriff. Budgeting, meetings with the county commissioners and other paper-shuffling exercises.

"I enjoy a good working relationship with the county commissioners and I plan to continue it," she said.

All that and homeland security, too. As the new county emergency management director, Amazi will direct the response to natural disasters and other emergencies in the county.

Rocky Schammel, the former Mower County deputy, once said of Amazi, "She can go through any door with me anytime. She's tough."

Jim Richardson, Grand Meadow's police chief, also praises the new sheriff's toughness.

It's a reputation she has legitimately earned many times over; particularly doing one of her favorite law enforcement jobs: undercover narcotics work.

So, Mower County is getting a new sheriff, who happens to be female and Mower County deputies are getting something else.

"I take it personally," she said of threats and attacks on fellow peace officers. "I want my deputies to know I am a stand-up person. One who will stand beside them. I won't be afraid."

Lee Bonorden can be contacted at 434-2232 or by e-mail at :mailto:lee.bonorden@austindailyherald.com