Marion resident and retired law enforcement officer Evie Cahalen, 65, is running against incumbent Brian Heino, 47, in the Republican race for Flathead County Sheriff.  

Cahalen and Heino, who is seeking a third term, will square off in the June 2 primary. With no other candidates filed for the spot, the June election will likely decide the next sheriff of Flathead County. This is Cahalen’s first run for county sheriff.  

She retired from a 25-year career in law enforcement in 2007 and moved to Marion from Maryland in 2013. Her law enforcement career began at the Montgomery County Police Department Public Service Training Academy in Maryland when she was 21 years old. She went on to work for the county police department and later became district commander.  

She earned a master’s degree in police management from Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, and a bachelor’s degree in justice administration from American University in Washington, D.C.  

During her career, Cahalen consulted for various law enforcement organizations, including the National Sheriffs’ Association and International Association of Chiefs of Police, and taught criminal justice as adjunct professor at Montgomery College. 

“I love law enforcement. It’s just a passion,” Cahalen said earlier this year. “People who I know, who talk to me about it, they can tell right away.” 

A LIFELONG Republican, Cahalen serves as president of the Flathead County Republican Women and second vice president of the Montana Federation of Republican Women. She joined the Flathead County Republican Central Committee this year.  

The county’s Republican Party surprised some when it endorsed Cahalen for sheriff. Heino said he couldn’t recall the last time the local Republican Party formally backed a candidate for Flathead County sheriff — no such endorsements were made in either of his previous races for sheriff. Both he and Cahalen were interviewed by the vetting committee.  

“Whatever I said to them must have compelled them to want to support me,” Cahalen said. “I'm honored by that endorsement, and it has absolutely nothing to do with the fact that I am on the central committee.”    

She said she stands by her previous statement that there’s no room for politics in law enforcement. As sheriff, Cahalen said she will retain her Republican values while serving everyone in the community, regardless of political affiliation. 

“It doesn’t matter what their politics are,” Cahalen said. “I have to ensure that I am providing every single individual in this community fair, professional service.” 

DEPUTY SHERIFFS’ wages in Flathead County fall slightly below the state average, at about $32 an hour. Heino has long advocated to raise their salaries and stay competitive with other counties.  

Cahalen agrees that deputies need a raise, given the rise in cost of living, “but it’s not going to happen overnight.” Her approach is to appeal to taxpayers.  

“That’s where the money comes from; it comes from the taxpayers,” Cahalen said. “If the taxpayers support law enforcement, and they believe in what we are doing, and they think we are good at what we are doing, we’re more likely to get more of that support.”  

While it would be nice to double the size of the Sheriff’s Office, she said, her biggest concern is retention, since it takes a year to train a new hire before they go into the field.   

“We have people that leave the Sheriff’s Office now because they can’t afford to live here,” Cahalen said. “We have to focus on retention. We can’t focus on hiring.”  

Cahalen plans to retain deputies by creating pathways to promotion and encouraging a healthy work environment, she said. 

THANKS TO a $105 million bond passed by voters last November, Flathead County is working on a new detention facility. Construction is expected to get underway soon, with a groundbreaking planned for early June, after the county sold $95 million in bonds in April.  

For almost two decades, the county’s existing detention center has weathered overcrowding, unsafe working conditions and limited space for inmates with mental health needs.  

Cahalen said one of her aims as sheriff is to reduce liability in the county by amping up maintenance in the existing facility. The jail is a county-owned facility, which means repair work is already budgeted by county commissioners.  

“The money is already there,” Cahalen said.   

Her primary focus is to fix plumbing issues within the facility, saying it’s “the most noticeable” problem. Jail staff have weathered flooding from clogged toilets and water stains are visible on the ceiling. Cahalen didn’t list any other repairs she planned on tackling.   

Cahalen said she plans to work with Jail Commander Jenny Root to ensure all design plans are followed through for the new detention center, which is designed to hold 200 general inmates and an additional 42 inmates with severe mental health issues or violent charges.   

Cahalen said she hopes the new facility will provide enough space to hold inmates.   

“We don’t know what’s going to happen 10 to 15 years from now,” she said, “but it is in a location where there’s room for expansion.”  

The Marion resident also wants to invest in mental health resource programs in the community to curb substance use disorders.  

THE SHERIFF’S Office signed a Warranted Service Officer 287(g) agreement with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in 2020. It is the most restrictive of three types of agreements with the federal immigration agency.  

The agreement allows trained Sheriff’s Office personnel to serve and execute warrants within the jail for immigration violations. It also allows the Sheriff’s Office to hold a detainee for an additional 48 hours at the time of their scheduled release if they’re found to be in violation of immigration law. 

Flathead County is still listed as a participating agency, along with Gallatin, Garfield, Treasure and Carter counties, according to ICE’s public list of 287(g) agreements. A spokesperson with ICE confirmed in an email that the current list is accurate.  

Cahalen said she'd like to see more law enforcement personnel trained by ICE. 

“I don’t see that we’re in compliance right now with that agreement,” Cahalen said. “That has to be corrected.” 

She added she would pursue contracts with federal agencies, including ICE, after the new facility is built.  

Report for America reporter Hannah Shields can be reached at (406) 758-4439 or [email protected]. If you value local journalism, pledge your support at dailyinterlake.com/support.