After over 25 years of service to the Missoula County Sheriff's Office, Brad Giffin has spent his last day in his captain's uniform, and will begin a new chapter in his career on Monday, when he joins the University of Montana Police Department. 

Appearing on KGVO's Talk Back radio show on Thursday, Giffin confirmed his support for write-in candidate Josh Clark, but hoped that whoever wins the election on November 4, will work to repair a fractured sheriff's department.

"Who is the guy that I believe can come in and be the biggest team player?", Giffin asked. "I ran and lost twice. I thought I ran and lost graciously, but that's what it takes. Leadership needs to be seen in every part of the department. The first line supervisors need to be able to, whether they like the person in charge or not, they need to set all of those personal issues aside and get down to the brass tacks of running the sheriff's office, and that's what I look at when I consider who I'm going to vote for."

Giffin went on to talk about how the department would run after November 4.

"I hope that however this turns out, that the leader would have the insight to say, OK, November 4th is over, the new sheriff, whoever it's going to be is in place now," he said. "Let's all get behind that person and support him, because that's a really difficult job. I have looked from all different aspects of working in the sheriff's office and that position, and at one time really wanted it. Until I got close enough to it and realized, man, what a job that is! You can't make a single decision that everybody concurs with."

He added that he feels a deep burden for those fellow employees he is leaving behind.

"Overall, my heart breaks for the department right now," he said. "I would really hope and encourage the two candidates right now, that the one who walks away at the end can be as gracious a winner as the one who walks away a loser, because both of those roles are critically important. Get those folks behind you, put everything else behind you and get the job of policing the residents of Missoula County done professionally, as it should be."

Giffin also thanked the citizens of the county for the privilege of serving in the sheriff's department for over 25 years.

 

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