WALLACE — Capt. Seth Green submitted his resignation to Shoshone County Sheriff William Eddy on Monday, becoming the fourth administrative leader to leave the agency in the past three months. 

Green was the last remaining member of former Sheriff Holly Lindsey’s administrative team. Eli Lopez resigned in October, followed by Lindsey later that month after an alleged hit‑and‑run incident for which she now faces misdemeanor charges. Lance Stutzke resigned in November, leaving Green as the final holdover until his own departure. Green’s last working day was Tuesday, Jan. 13, and his official final day will be Feb. 2. 

“I want to thank everyone at the Shoshone County Sheriff's Office for all they have accomplished as a team over the last three years,” Green said. “I have watched the men and women who work there give their all, day in and day out. It has been an honor to work alongside them as we strived to provide the best law enforcement service possible with the resources we had.” 

Green was one of the Shoshone County Democratic Committee’s top three nominees to replace Lindsey, but he was deemed ineligible because he did not meet the residency requirement. After Eddy’s appointment, both Green and Stutzke were thought to be strong candidates for undersheriff, though neither was selected. 

During his tenure, Green oversaw increases in drug arrests, child sex‑crime arrests and the agency’s overall crime‑clearance rate. He also helped establish the Rapid Action Team (RAT) and worked closely with the Shoshone County Drug Task Force. 

“I am proud of the accomplishments the sheriff's office had as we conducted numerous search warrants to decrease overall crime, arrested many drug traffickers, illegal weapons dealers, rescued numerous children, and worked many sex cases to make our community as safe as possible,” he said. “This, of course, merely scratches the surface of what we accomplished over the last three years, all while staying under budget every year.” 

Green added that those achievements were only possible through cooperation with surrounding agencies. He said the office’s progress depended heavily on strong partnerships with neighboring law enforcement. “We could not have accomplished these things without having amazing relationships with our local law enforcement partners,” Green said. He also thanked multiple police departments, the prosecutor’s office and Commissioner Dave Dose for their support. 

As an administrator, Green was heavily involved in the department’s budget. In Shoshone County, commissioners and the county clerk oversee spending and have final authority over departmental appropriations — a structure that contributed to ongoing tension between SCSO leadership and county officials. 

Green said he had planned to retire at the sheriff’s office but felt compelled to resign because of the agency’s direction and the number of experienced employees leaving. 

He referenced former Undersheriff Lance Stutzke’s resignation, in which Stutzke blamed political and personal agendas for undermining the agency. 

“As ex‑Undersheriff Stutzke stated in his resignation, ‘It would seem that political and personal agendas aim to tear this agency down, and I refuse to be a part of that,’” Green said. “I echo the prior Undersheriff’s words, as I am unable to support the current direction of cutting law enforcement that is currently taking place.” 

According to Green, three deputies and multiple civilian staff members have also left the agency due to the political climate. He expects additional resignations in the coming weeks. 

Green, who serves as president of the local Fraternal Order of Police chapter, sent the commissioners a unanimous recommendation supporting Spike Angle for sheriff before Eddy’s appointment. He believes the commissioners disregarded that recommendation. 

“The local Fraternal Order of Police unanimously voted against the newly appointed Sheriff Will Eddy, and many voiced their concerns,” Green said. “Commissioner Zimmerman and Commissioner Cowles ignored the voices of law enforcement and appointed a Sheriff to further cut law enforcement services by defunding the Sheriff's Office by another large sum. 

“Since this point, the jail has conducted a soft closure, and numerous programs that were used to go after drug dealers and serious crimes against children have been abandoned.” 

Green also alleged that Eddy’s staffing changes have made the county less safe, citing the Dec. 26 shooting in Wallace as an example. 

“After a renewed push to not have as many deputies on the road, a man entered our office equipped with four firearms to do as much harm to our people as possible,” he said. “We had low staffing, and the staff who were at the office had to wait eight minutes for Kellogg units to respond as the man opened fire upon staff and civilians. It took approximately 20 minutes for the patrol unit on shift to respond to the office because they were the only unit on in the eighth-largest county in Idaho.” 

Following the shooting, the sheriff’s office employees requested an anonymous command climate survey. Green said responses were overwhelmingly negative toward Eddy. Commissioners Zimmerman and Cowles indicated more resignations were likely. Several employees expressed fear of retaliation if they voiced concerns publicly. 

“They expressed numerous concerns about the direction the agency is heading under the new leadership, and the fact that they believe the commissioners do not care about the deputies and their families,” he said. “Many more expressed that they were looking to go elsewhere due to the many decisions made that they simply can't support. It is for this reason that I chose to express their concerns and my own to the public. Many of them feel as though their voices are not heard or that they cannot voice their opinions without retaliation. 

“In my long military career and policing career, I have never witnessed a command climate survey like this.” 

Despite the turmoil, Green said he hopes the department doesn't suffer further damage and encouraged those who remain to continue serving with pride. He also urged residents to get involved. 

“Regardless of what happens, I know the men and women who have chosen to don their uniforms and badges will continue to serve their community to the best of their ability with the resources they are given,” he said. “We have chosen this profession because we believe in the mission. That mission is to walk with our fellow citizens through some of their darkest moments. I am sure that those who are left will continue to serve to the best of their ability. 

“I am asking the citizens to start asking more questions as to why there has been a mass exodus from the sheriff's office and work with your local leaders to help find a solution.”  

Commissioners Dave Dose and Melissa Cowles both declined to comment until they have a chance to read Green's resignation letter. Commissioner Zimmerman and Sheriff Eddy could not be reached for comment.