Clearwater County Sheriff’s Office Establishing DWI Court and Chaplaincy Service

By Laura Hamilton laurahamilton@rjbroadcasting.com (10/19/2021)

The Clearwater County Sheriff’s Office has made some recent personnel changes. They have hired an additional deputy to work closely with the Department of Human Services to investigate child protection and vulnerable adult cases. Additionally, the Deputy will be working with a newly established DWI Court. Clarence La Croix has been hired for the new deputy position. He was the jail administrator, a position that Catherine Coulter will now fill. The Sheriff’s Office currently has openings for a program trainer and and two full time community corrections officers in the jail.
DWI Court is a voluntary program intended for repeat offenders who must meet certain criteria to be in the program. The goal of the DWI Court is to increase public safety and reduce repeat DWI offenses as Sheriff Halverson explains.

Funding for the new deputy position comes from grants and other revenue sources in the Sheriff’s Office and will have very little impact on the taxpayers according to Sheriff Darin Halverson.

Another new program the Clearwater County Sheriff’s Office is implementing is a Chaplaincy program where local clergy would provide guidance and counseling for law enforcement, first responders and citizens when a traumatic event occurs.

The Chaplaincy service would be available 24/7. Local clergy who sign up will be on call on a rotating basis.