Sheriff Jesse Jahner began employment with the Cass County Sheriff’s Office in May 1998. Sheriff Jahner started his career by working as a Correctional Officer in the Cass County Jail. In 2000, Sheriff Jahner was promoted to Patrol Deputy, where he served as a Field Training Officer and worked with four adopted communities. In 2006, Sheriff Jahner was promoted to the rank of Detective, where he served on the Cass County Drug Task Force. In 2008 and 2009, Sheriff Jahner worked as an Officer for the Sturgis Police Department during the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally. In 2011, he was promoted to the rank of Sergeant and supervised the Cass County Sheriff’s Office Investigations and Patrol Division. In that same year, he was transferred to act as Training Sergeant for the department overseeing training for at that time 185 employees. In 2015, he was asked to supervise the Metro Area Street Crimes Unit. In 2016, Sheriff Jahner was promoted to the rank of Captain, where he oversaw the Patrol Division, Training Division, Special Operations, Search and Rescue Operations, and Use of Force Deployments. Sheriff Jahner was the commander of the Cass County Corrections Emergency Response Team from 2011 to 2013. Sheriff Jahner also served on the Red River Valley SWAT Team from 2002 to 2018 and acted as a Team Leader and Assistant Team Commander. During the flood fighting efforts of 2011, Sheriff Jahner served as Airboat Search and Rescue Operation Commander. In 2019, he was elected Cass County Sheriff.

Sheriff Jahner is a Certified Police Instructor for several disciplines, including firearms, active shooter, room clearing, taser, less lethal and chemical munitions deployment, use of force, emergency vehicle operations, and pursuit driving. Sheriff Jahner has received over 3500 hours of specialized training and has provided over 2200 hours of Peace Officer Standards and Training Board (POST) certified training hours to officers in North Dakota, Minnesota, and South Dakota. Sheriff Jahner has been nationally recognized through the International Association of Directors of Law Enforcement Standards and Training (IADLEST).

Sheriff Jahner has been awarded three Distinguished Service Medals, Meritorious Unit Citation, the Sheriff’s Medal, Combat Action Ribbon, and Combat Action Cross, and was picked by peers as Deputy of the Year and Supervisor of the Year.

Sheriff Jahner has a Bachelor of Science degree from North Dakota State University in Humanities and Social Sciences emphasis in Criminal Justice. In addition, Sheriff Jahner has attended several leadership courses, which include the Department of Homeland Security’s National Academy, National Command & Staff College, FBI Trilogy Leadership Courses, Dale Carnegie Leadership Course, International Association of Chiefs of Police Leadership in Police Organizations, National Tactical Officers Associations Training Management and Risk Mitigation Course.

Sheriff Jahner serves on several boards, which include the Crime Victim Services Board, Domestic Violence State Board, National Sheriff's Association Board and currently chairs the Red River Regional Dispatch Board.