Former Havre officer investigated for unethical behavior

  A former Havre Police Department officer who is being investigated for allegations of unethical behavior during his time in Havre could lose his certificate to be a Montana law enforcement officer.

Curtis Smith is being investigated by the Montana Public Safety Officer Standards and Training Council in connection with a stabbing incident in September. Public documents from the council say they received information that Smith lied about his wife stabbing him during an investigation by the Department of Justice's criminal investigation division.

Before the council started looking at Smith, the September incident led to dual investigations - one by the Department of Justice, the other an internal inquiry by the Havre Police Department. Both have been closed and Smith was allowed to resign from the Havre Police Department as a result, documents say. He resigned Dec. 8, a little more than a month after the police department's investigation was complete, Havre Police Chief Gabe Matosich said Friday.

The investigations of the September incident looked at another officer in addition to Smith. The other officer, Matosich said, is still on the force. Matosich said he couldn't release anymore details on Smith's resignation, or who the other officer is because of privacy issues.

The Public Safety Officer Standards and Safety Council document alleges that Smith lied to his employer and criminal investigator about an injury he received Sept. 17 when he was allegedly stabbed by his wife and he didn't cooperate by providing a sweatshirt for evidence during the course of the investigation.

The council sets employment and training standards for all public safety officers as well as certification and recertification for public safety officers.

A letter dated April 6 from the council's executive director, Perry Johnson, to Smith, tells Smith of the allegations of misconduct and asks if he would surrender his officer certification. If not, the letters says, Smith is asked to explain what happened during that incident, to provide documentation supporting the report, and to propose a resolution.

The council sent Smith a voluntary surrender of certificates. Safety Council paralegal and investigator Katrina Bolger said Smith has yet to sign the letter. Bolger added, as of now, unless the allegations are proven, Smith is still allowed to be an officer in Montana.