The end of February saw Sheriff Stadler swear in two new Lake County Deputies, Pierce Risdon and Jacob Ihfe. Deputy Risdon will be working out of Silver Bay, and Deputy Ihfe will be working out of Section 30 in Fall Lake.
Hailing from Saginaw, Deputy Pierce Risdon, 28, grew up playing sports, primarily baseball, in school. Graduating from Marshall School in 2014, his interest in baseball led him back to his alma mater to coach the Hilltoppers for five years. Deputy Risdon’s other interests include the outdoors and fishing. “Ever since I was a first mate on a Duluth Charter boat, I really found a love for Great Lake fishing. I really enjoy the regular trips out on Lake Superior, and the occasional trips to Isle Royale and trips to Lake Michigan.” Risdon married his wife, Eden, in 2023, and the couple is “very excited to move up the shore and establish ourselves in Lake County.”
Risdon has had an interest in law enforcement since he was young. Having family from Texas that work in law enforcement and “hearing their stories as a kid was always intriguing and seemed like a very fun and exciting career.” In high school, Risdon was a Duluth Police Explorer, where he got to see the “inner workings” of law enforcement and meet many Duluth police officers. After high school, he attended Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College, where he graduated in 2016 with a law enforcement degree.
Before becoming a Lake County Deputy, Risdon worked for a short time with the Cloquet Police Department, then the Department of Corrections for just under four years, and finally the Virginia Police Department for just under a year. He said, “While I was growing and learning from those positions, I knew I wanted something different, and wanted to get out in the woods and out on the water.”
Law enforcement was Deputy Risdon’s choice as a career due to his desire to help people, be part of a community, be “someone people can trust in a uniform,” and have a work environment where each day is different. “Getting to know the people you serve is very important to me, and having every day be a little different, you never stop learning, and the job never gets stale.”
Going forward into his Silver Bay assignment, Deputy Risdon is looking forward to learning the ATV, snowmobile, and watercraft patrols. “That is something I have never done before in my career. I am excited to learn and get out there myself and help educate and keep people safe.”
Welcome to Lake County, Deputy Risdon and Deputy Ihfe! Thank you for your willingness to serve our communities.