New sheriff reorganizes command staff

Flathead County Sheriff Chuck Curry has been in office less than a week, but he says he’s already working to make good on all those campaign promises.

One of them was to trim the office’s command staff, a change he implemented immediately by eliminating two lieutenant positions and appointing a new search and rescue coordinator.

Curry, who defeated incumbent Mike Meehan in the primary election, also has surrounded himself with a new team of managers, replacing all but one member of Meehan’s command staff.

“I think it’s important to have an administrative team that shares the same vision and work ethic,” Curry said.

Undersheriff Jordan White replaces Pete Wingert, who served as second in command to Meehan. White has been with the Sheriff’s Office for nine years and is a former search and rescue coordinator.

Curry said he will divide day-to-day administrative duties with White, who he said was chosen in part because of his energetic, eager personality.

“He possesses a lot of qualities that I think complement mine,” Curry said.

In charge of the Sheriff’s Office patrol fleet will be Calvin Beringer, a 19-year veteran of the King County Sheriff’s Office in Seattle, Wash., who Curry recruited to replace outgoing commander Geno Cook.

Curry said Beringer, who worked with him at the Sheriff’s Office prior to his move to Washington, would provide a fresh approach to assigning patrols and overseeing deputies.

“An outside person doesn’t have any history and can certainly press issues without any biases or allegiances,” Curry said.

Brian Heino, formerly a deputy, has been tagged to fill Curry’s newly created search and rescue coordinator position, another change suggested by Curry as he campaigned to become sheriff. Curry said the position will be expanded to include other volunteer organizations, such as POSSE and the reserve officer program.

The sweeping changes also reached the Sheriff’s Office Detective Division, where Commander Dave Leib replaced Jeanne Landis, and the Northwest Drug Task Force, where Russ Papke was replaced by new commander Tom Allen.

Curry said those reassigned were placed on patrol or remained in their respective divisions, though none were hit with a pay cut. He said their current salaries will be frozen until they’re promoted above their current pay grades.

The only member of Meehan’s command staff still in place is Flathead County Detention Commander Kathy Frame.

Curry said he has also altered the command staff’s work week from four 10-hour days to five eight-hour days.

Curry said he plans to press forward with the appointment of a school resource officer when the academic year begins in September. He said he also plans on patrolling area lakes with the county’s two boats.

“They will be back out on the water,” Curry said, adding that patrols will be aimed more at safety rather than punitive measures.

Despite the number of changes within the office, Curry said he’s not been faced with any unforeseen problems in his first two days in office.

He served for 15 years as undersheriff under Sheriff Jim Dupont. During that time 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. He was a deputy in the patrol division for about 10 years.

He said he’ll call on his past experiences and new command staff to form a more progressive sheriff’s office.

“It’s business as usual here and I’m happy to be on the job,” Curry said.

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