SHERIFF CANDIDATES SHAWN LESNIK AND DAN HANSON

In last weeks article, I introduced the two candidates for Sheriff in Musselshell County. This week I can expound a bit further on both of their positions for running, as well as some insight on the experience they feel will be helpful if elected. I had the privilege to speak to both candidates with a small range of important questions. I asked them both about the experience they could bring to the department, the difficulty of increased drugs and crime in our county, working with others, and the budget.

As Shawn Lesnik is running for reelection, he already has experience being the sheriff for our county, and can seamlessly transition. He has been in law enforcement in Musselshell County for eighteen years. He has had every position in the sheriff's office, including undersheriff for Mike Thomas. He has his coroner certificate as well as law enforcement certificate. He was a Marine NCO, leading men under his direction. He also has a four-year bachelor of science in Criminal Justice from MSU Bozeman.

Dan Hanson wants to run for sheriff to bring the department and the community together. He feels that "now people are afraid to call into the department because they always have a reason that they won't show up". Dan has been a local firefighter in Musselshell county for many years, he was also in the military in combat situations. He feels that his experience in emergency situations and his military experience would help him fill the position as sheriff suitably.

Shawn gave me some shocking data about drugs in Montana. He explained that 393 dose units of fentanyl were seized in 2020, and the number jumped in one year to 34,745 dose units seized in 2021. This is a tidal wave of drugs. Shawn states that one thing he has done to help with drugs in our county is that he started a k9 program in 2019, but all in all, he states that we are losing the war on drugs as a nation. In Montana, Shawn states that the department doesn't advertise when they have caught someone with drugs, as they often use that person to hopefully catch a bigger fish. Recently two people who were supplying much of the drugs in this county were apprehended. One passed away, and the other is in federal prison. The difficulty in dealing with known drug users and pushers, is the right of privacy of Montanans even exceeds that of the United States Constitution.

Dan would like to prosecute drug users in the county, he feels that people in the county already know who most of the users are, but nothing is being done. Following the laws, he would "strongly push to bring them in, or at least try to decrease it the best we can working towards ending the situations that we have."

Shawn is proud that during his term as sheriff for our county, he has deputies that want to stay here and continue their career here, where in the past there was plenty of turn over, losing deputies to other areas. He is also happy with his work within the county government, and the positive collaboration with the commissioners as well as city government. He feels that everyone is working well together for the greater good.

Dan has delt with most of the county and city government employees through his work on the fire department, and feels that he would have no problem working with them as a sheriff.

Shawn explains that he has been involved with the sheriff office budget for the past ten years. He saves money wherever he can. He has been underbudget every year of his term as sheriff, and is very proud of that because it is one of the points he ran for sheriff on four years ago. Some things he does not have control over such as raises, insurance, and inflation, but he has been within his budget in spite of this.

Dan understands that the budget has to follow guidelines, and hopes that if he became sheriff that the current sheriff would help him understand the process.

Shawn enjoys his small place out of town, roping, haying, skiing, and helping others, but his biggest way of coping with the stress of his job is his family, his wife and son.

Dan has a lot of experience with stress and criticism with the fire department. He deals with stress in his daily life as a truck driver. He feels that he is calm under pressure, and measured in responses.

Both of these interviews are available on the Facebook page Musselshell Media, where I posted the voice interview of Dan Hanson in two parts because he was not able to meet in person as he is a full time over the road truck driver, and Shawn Lesnik's interview can be seen in full where there is even more information than what is included in this article.