Former undersheriff unopposed in election

With one day left until general election ballots are tallied, would-be Flathead County Sheriff Chuck Curry is in the favorable position of being a candidate with no competition.

And that’s just fine for Curry, a 25-year veteran of the Flathead County Sheriff’s Office who retired as a law enforcement officer in 2005.

When deciding whether or not to pursue elected office earlier this year, his trepidation was based more on the political process than the rigors of the position.

“Do I want to go through the whole election process?” Curry remembers asking himself. “It’s pretty arduous and it’s not always pleasant. A lot of people don’t seek elected office because of that.”

“Now I’m just glad I don’t have to do it twice,” Curry adds.

In June, Curry defeated incumbent Mike Meehan and longtime Sheriff’s Office Sgt. Lance Norman in a hotly contested Republican primary that essentially determined the winner of the race.

There were no primary candidates from other parties and therefore no general election opposition for Curry.

Barring an unforeseen write-in campaign, he will return to lead the county’s largest law enforcement agency beginning in 2011.

The period between his primary win and the general election has provided Curry plenty of time to plan. He said he will follow through on promises of openness for the public and fair and consistent management for his staff.

Another of his chief goals will be to trim the command staff at the Flathead County Sheriff’s Office, which he feels has become bloated in recent years.

“Top-heavy is a good way to put it,” Curry said. “I see that as a waste of resources. Having too many middle managers can bring bad things.”

Curry says he doesn’t plan to cut staff but likely will reappropriate current resources.

Among his goals will be to re-establish the position of search and rescue coordinator. He said the position is an important tool in uniting the many groups and volunteers throughout the county.

Likewise, he hopes to appoint a school resource officer to shore up law enforcement at area schools not currently served by other departments. He said he also would like to increase the Sheriff’s Office presence on waterways by utilizing the county’s two boats to a higher degree.

“These can all be accomplished by using our existing personnel,” Curry says.

As far as who will fill the top administrative positions under his command, Curry said he isn’t ready to make any announcements.

“I certainly have people in mind,” Curry said. “But the voters are picking me, they aren’t picking my administrative staff.”

Curry said another goal will be too increase what he perceives as dwindling morale in the Sheriff’s Office.

Without speaking specifically, Curry said some personnel in the Sheriff’s Office have become frustrated in recent years, though he emphasizes that he is not criticizing Meehan.

Despite his five-year hiatus from the Sheriff’s Office, Curry said he has remained in contact with many members of the office. He said he thinks his years of service combined with fair management policies will help generate a level of respect and optimism that will improve the office.

“I think I’ll have the advantage of having a little bit of a honeymoon period,” he said.

Curry served for 15 years as undersheriff under Sheriff Jim Dupont, during which he was responsible for the day-to-day operation of the Sheriff's Office, the jail, the juvenile detention center and the 911 dispatch center, as well as budget and coroner duties. That’s in addition to just over 10 years in the patrol division.

Since 2005, Curry has served as chief flight paramedic for the ALERT air ambulance program. He said the sum of his experiences will strengthen the Sheriff’s Office, though he will gauge his success based on the performance and happiness of his personnel.  

“My goal is to work on uniting the organization to do the best job for the people,” Curry said.

Reporter Eric Schwartz may be reached at 758-4441 or by e-mail at eschwartz@dailyinterlake.com.