For the week of July 22 thru July 28, 1998  

Laying down the law of the land

Bellevue Marshal and deputies take to the streets


By AMY SPINDLER
Express Staff Writer

22marshl.gif (14864 bytes)From left to right: Jeff Gunter, Cory Hart, Tom Bennett, Steve England

"I’m trying to provide direction and leadership; we want to provide professional law enforcement that the people of Bellevue can be proud of," said Bellevue Marshal Jeff Gunter.

"We want them to know we’re always here to help."

Gunter is working with deputies Cory Hart, Tom Bennett and Steve England to put a new face on Bellevue’s law enforcement.

"If we wanted to be loved, we would have been firefighters," joked Bennett of the work at hand.

With nine years of law enforcement under his belt, Gunter took the role as marshal of Bellevue three months ago, hoping for the opportunity to face new challenges.

"I wanted to see what I could do on my own," he said.

Already, Gunter spearheaded an ordinance to regulate dogs at large, and provided for better communication between the Bellevue and Hailey police departments, with the Hailey department available to back-up Bellevue’s officers at any time.

"With Jeff here, Hailey’s really taken us under their arm, and we definitely get more respect," said Bennett.

Under Gunter’s leadership, the Bellevue police are available 24 hours a day, with day shifts from 7 a.m. until 5 p.m. and night shifts from 5 p.m. until 3 a.m.

"It’s nice to see problems addressed, and when city hall or city council directs the department, things get done," said Bellevue Mayor Monte Brothwell.

The team’s a new one; England was hired in May straight out of the police program at Idaho State University, and Hart and Bennett have been with the department around a year.

The group dynamic is a balance between mellow and more aggressive personalities, who all share the rewards and trying moments as police officers, and are hard-pressed to describe a typical day. "Long," said Bennett.

"I really enjoy it," said Hart. "It’s never the same, and I meet a lot of new people everyday."

"You can get the same call, or type of call, but once you’re on the scene, it’s always a different situation," said Gunter.

The job detail spans from paper work and traffic enforcement to dealing with a domestic dispute or a life-or-death emergency.

"One minute you’re out issuing a water ticket, and the next you’re searching the river for a possible drowning subject," said Gunter.

"We’re exposed to a lot of people’s personal problems, and that’s hard," said Hart.

To mentally prepare for what lies ahead of them, the deputies have only the time en route from the station to the scene.

"We review all aspects of the situation, and the possible ways it could go wrong," said Gunter.

"I’ve got to do it right for so many people, and for myself," Bennett said of the most onerous part of his job.

Gunter said once in awhile a negative situation turns into a positive one after time. He related the story of a subject he cited for driving under the influence.

"He later thanked me; that was the intervention he needed to find help," said Gunter.

Bennett recalled a similar situation with a subject he cited for domestic abuse.

"I really feel like I’m helping," said Bennett. "I’m not trudging through the day like I was before with my previous job."

Bennett and England said law enforcement is something they always wanted to do.

Gunter said the chief challenge they face is working to grow with the city.

"We have constant travel flow on Main Street," he said.

As a newcomer, England is the friendly face most people see when they violate traffic laws.

"I want to make good contacts with the public, so we get to know one another," said England.

A future goal of the department is to reach out to the community it serves. The marshal and deputies will be visiting schools this fall, and talking with students about their role in society, as well as presenting a "Stranger Danger" program and a "Rules of the Road" program.

"The community really appreciates that they get a response from the police," said city clerk Janice Moroni. "He takes really good care of us."

 

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