Three candidates vie for county sheriff
The Daily Inter Lake
The next Flathead County Sheriff/Coroner will be elected June 6 when three Republican candidates face off in the primary election.
No Democrats filed for the office.
Current Sheriff Jim Dupont is not seeking re-election after 16 years in office.
Bruce Parish, John Weaver, and Mike Meehan answered questions about issues the next sheriff will likely face.
. Is manpower at the Flathead County Sheriff's Office adequate at the current level? What changes, if any, do you propose to make in staffing in the next four years?
Parish - Manpower at the Sheriff's Office is not adequate at this time and has always been an issue with the Sheriff's Office. The first thing I would like to do is meet with employees and explore scheduling options that would give us better coverage. I would also like to explore the possibility of using POST-certified sworn officers from other departments as part-time employees. Many of our deputies work with other departments part time and I would like to see if that is a cost-effective way to boost our manpower.
Meehan - No, it is at a bare minimum now. The national average in the western part of the United States is 1.3 deputies for every 1,000 citizens; we have .41 deputies for every 1,000 citizens. In the very near future we will have to have an increase in the millage for additional deputies. I will seek grants for additional deputies and look at ways to schedule our existing deputies to put the largest number of deputies on the street during the heaviest call times.
Weaver - I am deeply concerned for the safety of our deputies and our ability to retain our quality of life. As Sheriff, I will distribute resources to the areas that need them most by establishing substations in Hungry Horse, Evergreen and Bigfork to start. I will establish a Sheriff's Community Advisory Council in each of these and other areas to ensure that the community has a direct line of communication with the Sheriff's Office. I will develop a highly trained corps of volunteers to provide support services for our paid volunteers and with the goal of placing a school resource officer in every school. Finally, I will work with the city police chiefs to pool our resources in order to get more done with the manpower we have.
. Do you believe Flathead County needs a new or expanded detention center?
Parish - Flathead County continues to grow with no end in sight. I cannot remember a time in the last 15 years that it was not full. The detention center will have to be expanded, but we should put some thought into the design of a new facility and plan for the future, not just today. Regardless how large we build a detention center, law enforcement could fill it. Since the Sheriff's Office is required by law to house inmates, the new sheriff will need the cooperation of the cities, the county attorney and the judges in order to correctly manage the jail.
Meehan - No, not at this time. At the existing facility, we must look at ways to streamline our current system of getting inmates through the court system. I do feel we need a cheaper, low-cost facility in conjunction with a work-release program for non-violent offenders. I will actively seek ways to obtain this low-cost housing and make violators accountable for their actions.
Weaver - The question might be, have we explored all the options in our current situation? I will immediately establish a Criminal Justice Steering Committee to evaluate all elements of the criminal justice system responsible for sending offenders to the jail. I will seek new funding sources to build a low-cost holding facility for DUI and low-level, nonviolent offenders. These offenders shall be required to work and, if illiterate, will be required to attend classes to learn to read and write. They will be required to attend counseling regarding substance abuse and healthy living. I will work with the commissioners and other county department heads to evaluate all county facilities, including a new detention center, and to develop a long-range building plan that meets the needs of our growing county.
. Do you believe Flathead County needs a new 911 emergency dispatch center?
Parish - Once again, as the county continues to grow, the need for services increase. Several years ago, the county began dispatching all fire and medical for the cities of Kalispell, Whitefish and Columbia Falls. This drastically increased the workload and the recurring problem within the 911 center is once again manpower. A new consolidated 911 center should be a priority.
Meehan - I feel the 911 center should be consolidated and run by a small board of directors. I feel prior to putting a levy on the ballot for a new building, we should look for an existing building with more space, which will be needed if a consolidation takes place.
Weaver - I have been a member of the 911 administrative board for nearly two years. The board recently hired an independent consultant to review the existing operations in the Sheriff's Office and to make recommendations. What we found out through this process was alarming. Here are a few comments from the report: "There are a high number of abandoned calls, Flathead County radio system does not supply adequate coverage, the lack of initial training and recruitment is a liability."
As a former Sheriff's Office dispatcher, I know what it is like to take a call from a frantic mother whose child has stopped breathing or a husband whose wife has been injured in a car crash. We depend on our 911 call center to link us with the emergency services we need. As your Sheriff, I will immediately take measures to bring our existing center up to professional standards. I will work very closely with the commissioners, police chiefs, fire departments and other agencies across the county that depend on the 911 center to develop a long-range plan for emergency communications that best serves our communities. I will ensure that there is trained, professional leadership in the 911 call center.
. What changes in the operation of the sheriff's office will you make if elected?
Parish - I have no drastic changes planned. I want to ensure that all the employees at the Sheriff's Office have the tools and training that they need to get their jobs done. We have a fantastic, professional department right now and I am very proud to say I work there. There is always room for improvement and we should all strive to do our jobs better.
Meehan - I will establish a major crimes unit to more effectively and efficiently solve serious felony crimes, utilizing existing manpower. I will establish a chaplain program. I will expand the school resource deputy program. I will establish a citizen advisory board.
Weaver - 1) I will ensure that the Sheriff's Office has explored every opportunity for innovative solutions before asking the taxpayer to pay more for Sheriff Office services. 2) I will foster an environment of mutual respect within the Sheriff's Office that does not rely on micro-management. All employees will be encouraged to participate in problem-solving and in the development of innovative and efficient solutions to the challenges we face. 3) I will immediately form an anti-gang task force made up of representatives from law enforcement, the medical community, utilities, and schools to monitor our county for signs of gang activity. Under my leadership, the Sheriff's Office will assume a zero tolerance policy on gangs.
. Is there anything else you want voters to know about you or this election?
Parish - I believe that local government should be basic and free of bureaucracy. There is no substitute for common sense when it comes to getting the job done.
Meehan - I'm the only candidate that is a state-certified coroner. I have more law-enforcement training hours than any other candidate. I'm 100 percent committed to the safety of the citizens of Flathead County.
Weaver - Our next sheriff will have the opportunity to make a profound impact on the future of our valley. It is important to realize that the sheriff is responsible for administering much more than law enforcement. He is responsible for adult and juvenile detention and county corrections, coroner services, county search and rescue, court security and civil service. Our next sheriff must be a trained and experienced administrator and leader with a background beyond that of a police officer. I have this experience and I wish to put it to work for the people of Flathead County.
John Weaver,
Whitefish
Age: 47
Occupation: general manager of Rocky Mountain Builders
Family: Wife, Karen; four sons.
Background: Career in criminal-justice work includes firefighting in New York; patrol, detention and dispatch work in Missouri; and working for the U.S. Department of Justice in prison facilities in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Washington, D.C. Weaver worked in a federal witness security program, helped start a 1,500-bed prison, and forged a high-intensity supervision program for paroled inmates. In Montana, he was president and chief executive officer of Hope Ranch. He teaching police organization and behavior, criminal procedure and corrections at Flathead Valley Community College. He serves on the jail planning committee, the Kalispell Police Advisory Council and county 911 board.
Mike Meehan,
West Valley
Age: 50, West Valley
Occupation: Flathead County Undersheriff
Family: Wife, Alexis; three sons.
Background: 19 years in law enforcement, first as a patrol officer for the Houston Police Department. The past 14 years have been with the Sheriff's Office. Certified deputy coroner. Supervisor of Northwest Drug Task Force from 1998 to 2002. He has attended the FBI National Academy. He implemented a free national locator program for missing children and people suffering from dementia, and worked with the National Institute of Corrections on an intense evaluation of the county jail.
Bruce Parish,
Kalispell
Age: 42
Occupation: detective commander of Flathead County Sheriff's Office
Family: Wife, Corby; two grown sons and one at home.
Background: 23-year career in law enforcement, beginning as a law-enforcement specialist with the U.S. Air Force. He served for eight years in New Mexico, Korea, and Spokane, earning the rank of staff sergeant. In 1991, he was hired as a patrol officer with Flathead County. He was a member of the SWAT team from 1992 to 1996 and is now commander. In 1999, Parish was assigned to the detectives division and became leader in 2002. He took over supervision of the 911 emergency center. Parish also is involved with a new multi-agency team designed to minimize trauma to sex-assault victims while collecting evidence to make a case.