Four are vying to become Havre police chief

Four men are seeking the top spot at the Havre Police Department - three career police officers who each have nearly 20 years of experience and an Air Force veteran who is relatively new to law enforcement.

Havre Assistant Police Chief Mike Barthel, Lts. Stan Martin and George Tate and police officer Terry Frandsen submitted resumes to Havre Mayor Bob Rice earlier this week. Rice said Thursday he hopes to choose the replacement for former Police Chief Kevin Olson from within the department, but has not ruled out the possibility of soliciting applications from outside the department if he decides not to promote someone in the department.

Olson resigned last week to take a job as administrator of the Montana Law Enforcement Academy in Helena. Following Olson's departure, Barthel was appointed acting police chief and Tate is acting assistant chief.

Rice will appoint the replacement for Olson, which must be approved by the Havre City Council. Rice gave Havre police officers until Tuesday to submit their resumes.

He said he's limiting applications initially to members of the Havre department because he believes an agreement with the police union requires him to first seek a replacement internally.

Rice said he plans to narrow the field to two before making a final decision by the end of April.

"I want to give each of them a fair shake," he added.

Barthel has been a Havre police officer for 18 years and assistant chief since February of 2003. As assistant chief he has served as the department's lead criminal investigator and its public information officer, his resume says. He also supervises the lieutenants and serves as a school resource officer and liaison with Havre Public Schools. He serves on the Adult Protective Services board and the Mental Health Awareness Council.

According to his resume, Barthel graduated from Dawson Community College in Glendive in 1986, and has accrued more than 2,000 hours of law enforcement training during his career. In 2001, he graduated with honors from from the FBI training academy in Quantico, Va.

In his resume, Barthel cited his work ethic, physical condition, management skills and experience in law enforcement as his primary qualifications.

"I fully believe that in order to effectively lead a team you need to have served in all aspects of the department and are capable of working with the elected and appointed government officials," the resume said. "Over the past 17 years, I have been promoted through every rank of the Havre Police Department from patrolman to Assistant Chief. This has been achieved through hard work, loyalty and dedication to the Department and especially the people of the City of Havre."

Martin has been a police officer for 19 years. He joined the Havre department on Dec. 16, 1987. In addition to working for the Havre Police Department, he has also served as the team leader of the Tri-Agency Task Force and a police officer for the Bureau of Indian Affairs.

As a lieutenant, Martin is responsible for supervising the patrol sergeants, maintaining schedules, reviewing daily reports and investigating officer complaints. His resume said his work has included gathering evidence for criminal cases, testifying in court, conducting narcotics investigations and supervising the use of grant funding.

His resume lists additional training in many areas of law enforcement.

Tate received an associate degree in law enforcement from Dawson Community College in 1987 and was hired as a police officer in Havre the same year. In 1993, he was promoted to sergeant. Two years later he was assigned to the Tri-Agency Task Force, where he worked until 1999. In 2000, he was promoted to lieutenant.

His responsibilities have included supervising patrol activities, performing background checks and conducting felony investigations, including sex crimes and drug cases. According to Tate's resume, he has participated in undercover operations and has worked complex financial cases and conspiracies.

Tate is also a graduate of the Backster School of Lie Detection and has performed more than 100 polygraph investigations. He is project director for the Tri-Agency Task Force, a duty that entails submitting an annual grant application for funding and preparing quarterly reports for the Montana Board of Crime Control.

According to his resume, Frandsen served in the U.S. Air Force as a jet engine specialist from 1983-87.

He graduated in 1997 from Montana State University with a bachelor's degree in sociology and criminal justice. He graduated from the Montana Law Enforcement Academy in 1999.

According to his resume, he began work as a reserve deputy for the Cascade County Sheriff's Office in February of 1999, then transferred to the Havre Police Department that December.

He left the department in February 2002 and returned that June.

Frandsen has also served as a reserve deputy for the Hill County Sheriff's Office since February of 2001.

"I have a reputation for being a reliable and enthusiastic employee. I am hard-working and eager to expand my future with the City of Havre," his resume said.

Frandsen listed his special interests as sign language, Spanish, athletics and religion.