In Episode 51, we sit down with Mercer County Sheriff Doug Timmerman for one of our most honest conversations yet.

With policing under a national spotlight — from Minneapolis to cities across the country — we wanted to zoom in on what it actually looks like to serve in a small community where everyone knows your name.

Sheriff Timmerman opens up about his first year in the role, how the job has changed over the last two decades, the pressure of making tough calls, and what it takes to build trust when perfection isn’t possible.

We talk about the heroin epidemic of the past, the rise of fentanyl, where Mercer County is headed, and what gives him hope about the future.

We also get personal — from how the work affects family life, to the moments that stay with you long after the shift ends, to why he chose a career rooted in service in the first place.

This episode is about responsibility, leadership, and protecting a place you call home.