Anoka County Sheriff's Spokesman Paul Sommer Collects Cameras

Cmdr. Paul Sommer appears frequently in posts at Fridley Patch as the spokesperson for the Anoka County Sheriff's Department. 

He is also a native of Fridley and a collector of old cameras . A Star Tribune feature detailed his camera-collecting side:

"I just like them," said Sommer, who has 89 antique cameras at his home, in Ramsey. "I like how different each one looks. And I like finding them when I least expect them." ...

As a child, Sommer was given a camera that his father got while overseas during World War II, possibly in the Philippines. Something intrigued him far beyond the photographs the camera produced. ...

Paul Sommer represents the sheriff's office when dealing with the media. James Stuart is Anoka County's sheriff, but when it comes to sound bites, Sommer is the face of the department.

He previously worked as a member of the Anoka-Hennepin Drug Task Force -- although to see him these days, you'd never know it. He's cleaned up nicely, his wife said.

He also spent years with the Anoka County sheriff's office investigating sex crimes. Before that, Sommer served as a police officer in Lindstrom and as a deputy with the Ramsey County Sheriff's Office. The latter job was short-lived. A Fridley native, Sommer jumped at the opportunity to work in his home of Anoka County when a position came up.

He said he was following somewhat in the footsteps of his older brother and sister, both of whom had jobs in law enforcement. He also decided while at the University of Minnesota that some of the math courses that intrigued him in high school might not be as interesting a criminal investigation.