Sheriff’s office outlines hiring progress, equipment upgrades and drug treatment court plans

Sheriff Brian Hino and senior staff on Feb. 12 gave the Flathead County Commission a quarterly briefing highlighting personnel progress, equipment upgrades, a proposed drug treatment court and detention challenges.

Hino described staffing moves and training: several new deputies were sworn in and the agency has candidates in background checks and academy classes. Under sheriff Luke Foster said the sheriff's office completed procurement and rollout of new patrol vehicles, upgraded Motorola radios and updated in‑car body‑worn video and audio systems. "We have worked through the procurement and rollout of new patrol vehicles from Chevrolet, upgraded radio equipment through Motorola, implemented updated in car body worn video and audio systems," Foster said.

The sheriff's office also reported planning and coordination with District Court, the County Attorney's Office, Probation and Parole and the public defender to launch a specialized drug treatment court program intended to provide structured treatment supervision for people with substance use disorders.

Detention commander Jennifer Roet said the jail housed 102 inmates that day, with 15 sentenced inmates awaiting Department of Corrections placement and others waiting for state hospital beds or competency evaluations; she described delays and an average 30‑day wait for placements in some categories. "From November till yesterday, we booked in 633 inmates with an average population of 107," Roet told the board.

During questioning, commissioners asked about local regulation of cannabis potency and enforcement tools. Foster said measuring THC impairment remains scientifically and legally complex and suggested state or federal legislation and better field measurement tools would help local enforcement. "I do believe that it's probably likely, that at some point in our lives that legislation needs to be enacted to put some kind of a limit on THC percentages," Foster said, adding that enforcement technology for THC impairment lags alcohol measurement.

Why it matters: Staffing, equipment and treatment‑oriented court options shape the sheriff's office capacity for patrol, investigations and corrections. Jail population and delays to state placements affect local detention operations and budgets.

Next steps: The sheriff's office will continue hiring and training, proceed with technology and vehicle rollouts, and coordinate interagency planning for the drug treatment court.