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Copyright © 2003 Express Publishing Inc.
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Friday — March 12, 2004

News

Two police officers
challenge Femling
for sheriff


"There are more traffic accidents and drug cases, and violent crime is up. We’ve hired no new deputies in the last ten years. We’re going to be trying to do more with less. It takes a lot of creativity to meet the needs of the community."

— WALT FEMLING, Blaine County sheriff


"There is a need to be able to communicate with (Spanish speakers). I want to take that over to the Sheriff’s office and make it county-wide."

— JEFF GUNTER, Hailey Police Department Lieutenant


By MATT FURBER
Express Staff Writer

The contest for Blaine County Sheriff became a two party race Wednesday when Hailey Police Lieutenant Jeff Gunter, 43, threw his hat in the ring as a Democratic candidate.

Fellow Hailey officer Steve England, 28, two weeks ago announced his intention to run against incumbent Blaine County Sheriff Walt Femling, 47, in the May 25 Republican primary.

WALT FEMLING, Blaine County sheriff

Femling, who is entering his fifth election cycle, is no newcomer to political races. He is seeing a repeat of his first race in 1988 when he beat a Republican competitor in the primary election and a Democratic candidate in the general election.

"Seems like we’re picking up more candidates for this position all the time." Femling said. "I’ve been here before, and I look forward to getting our campaign up and running."

Only in 1992 was Femling re-elected unopposed.

Gunter said he considered running for sheriff in the last election but decided he needed more experience first. He first began working for the Hailey Police Department in 1990. Then, after a two-year stint serving the city of Bellevue as marshall and city administrator in the late 1990s, he returned to the Hailey police force as a sergeant in 2000.

"I am running because I believe the next few years are critical for the law enforcement community and the Wood River Valley," Gunter said. "There are huge tax dollars at stake. I want to ensure that our tax dollars are used wisely and efficiently, and that all options are explored.

"I am also running because I believe the Blaine County Sheriff’s Department will improve dramatically under my leadership."

JEFF GUNTER, Hailey police lieutenant

Gunter, who said he would expand upon his campaign platform before the Democratic primary, did stress cooperation and information sharing between departments as a major goal. He also emphasized the importance of improving communications with the Hispanic population in the county.

"We have three bilingual employees in the Hailey Police Department. Blaine County had to have us help them with language (during the Sarah Johnson murder investigation)," he said. "There is a need to be able to communicate with (Spanish speakers). I want to take that over to the Sheriff’s office and make it county-wide."

Femling has laid his platform out in more detail, selling his 24 years as a police officer as his major card in the race.

"I see some critical issues in store for the sheriff in the next four years," he said. "They are going to take some real experience and leadership to get through."

Femling said implementation of E911 and consolidated dispatch will be important tasks for the sheriff as well as planning for a new jail that he refers to as a "public safety facility." It would house the dispatch center and sheriff’s office as well as hold prisoners.

Femling is on the executive board for E911—which he hopes to see implemented this year. He is chairman of the Idaho State Jail Standard Committee and president of the Idaho Association of Counties.

Femling has done a needs assessments for new jails in Caribou, Twin Falls and Elmore counties. Plans for any new jails have yet been implemented, Femling said.

"We’re starting the process with the needs assessment. It is a tremendous undertaking getting from the design phase and finance phase to building," he said. "Planning is going to continue for the next couple of years to get a model in Blaine County that everybody will feel good about."

March 19 is the filing deadline for anyone wishing to enter the race leading up to the Nov. 2 general election. So far, Gunter has no Democratic opponents.

STEVE ENGLAND, Hailey patrol officer

England has yet to elaborate on his platform, but all three candidates have said one of the biggest challenges facing the county has to do with growth. The county population increased nearly 50 percent in the past decade.

"There are more traffic accidents and drug cases, and violent crime is up. We’ve hired no new deputies in the last ten years," Femling said. "We’re going to be trying to do more with less. It takes a lot of creativity to meet the needs of the community."


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