Colbert selected as new Lewis and Clark County Undersheriff

Lewis and Clark County's new undersheriff is a familiar face to Lincoln residents.

Sheriff Leo Dutton selected Helena native and former Lincoln substation deputy Brent Colbert to fill the position held by Jason Grimmis until Sept. 30.

Colbert's promotion into the position became effective Oct. 14.

Grimmis retired after 27 years with the LCCSO to pursue a new career as the first director of campus security and public safety at Carroll College.

Colbert was one of three members of the Sheriff's Office to apply after Dutton advertised the position internally.

"The process I put them though was a...five minute presentation on what qualitifed them to be undersheriff and the things they would bring to the office,' Dutton said .The process also included 12 questions related to being the undersheriff, their personality types and leadership styles, experiences and even a question about what Dutton could do better.

"(I) kind of put them on the spot, to be honest, because I know there are things I can improve in. They were all honest, I can tell you that," he said.

While Dutton said all three candidates, Colbert, Alan Hughes and Eric Gilbertson were all good, he chose Colbert because he had character traits that compliment some of what Dutton believe are his own shortcomings.

"I hate to say it, it's detail, being the 'steady eddy,'" Dutton said. "I look at five years down the road, I make the budget plans, I bring the ideas of leadership plans, development I need somebody who is grounded here at the office, or who can take over for me, but fills in my weaknesses."

Dutton said a predominate issue was also his overall knowledge of the office.

Colbert's experience spans a wide array of duties within the office. He earned an Associate's degree in law enforcement form North Idaho College, in Coeur d' Alene and served for six years in the Army before beginning his law enforcement career as a detention officer under Sheriff Chuck O'Reilly in 1995.

In 2003, after reaching the rank of detention sergeant and a reserve deputy, he was sworn in as a full deputy with the LCCSO

Colbert's first assignment after completing his training was in Lincoln, where he served alongside longtime resident Deputy Gary 'Buford" Weisner, at a time when Lincoln had two deputies posted here.

Colbert returned to Helena a couple years later to help out during a busy time with prisoner transports, before returning to duty in the substations outside the Helena Valley. He served at Wolf Creek before returning to Lincoln in 2012 Following Weisner's retirement.

The following year he was named the Lewis and Clark County Sheriff's Office Deputy of the Year.

Colbert earned additional recognition for his actions during a May 30, 2014 stand-off with an armed and suicidal woman at the Roost. He and Deputy Jason Crum attempted to diffuse the situation, and Colbert eventually saw the opportunity to use his Taser - at its maximum range - to subdue the woman without the loss of life.

While serving in Wolf Creek and Lincoln , Colbert was a Field Training Officer, a Taser Instructor, a member of the Civil Disobedience Team and the Reserve Coordinator.

Colbert served as the Lincoln deputy until early 2016, when he returned to patrol in Helena after his promotion to Patrol Sergeant. By 2017 he'd earned a promotion to Patrol Captain. A year later he became the Special Operations Captain and in 2019, Colbert attended the F.B.I. National Academy in Quantico, Va., a ten-week advanced leadership and management training course.

Colbert's time with special operations acquainted him further with the intricacies of the Sheriff's Office

"That made him familiar with probably 75 different committees or special operation units," Dutton said.

Colbert said special operations included offices such as such as the Civil Disturbance Team, SWAT, the Water Emergency Team and the honor guard, as well as committees such as recruitment. Colbert also oversaw the Coroner Division when the coroner's office was consolidated with the Sheriff's Office about two years ago.

Colbert said his primary duties as second-in-command includes keeping Dutton's vision and direction, as well as being aa leader and mentor to the rest the Sheriff's office staff.

He believes his time in the substations has added a lot to his overall experience and perspecgtive.

"A lot of the time you spend up there is on your own. You're not supervised, you're expected to do your work and be proactive and be a part of the community you're in up there," he said, adding it also provide a view from an outlying persons perspective

"I will tell you, sure, you want to go as far as you can in the organization while you're here, but some of the best times I've had with the sheriff's office so far was when I was the deputy in Lincoln."

Colbert still owns a place in Lincoln and enjoys spending time here when he can.