Huff named new undersheriff

Changes are coming to the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office. Effective March 28, Undersheriff Brent Faulkner will turn over his responsibilities to Detective Brandon Huff and return to patrol duty.

While the promotion surprised Huff, both Faulkner and Sheriff Roby Bowe said the change has been coming for nearly a year.

“I’ve been considering this for about a year,” Faulkner said. “Roby and I have spoken about it, and it’s time. The bottom line is the family comes first. The family is the priority and this is what I needed to do. There’s never a right time to do something like this, but there is a time when you just have to do it.”

Faulkner has been with the department for 15 years, off and on since 1991. He has worked in just about every department of the Sheriff’s Office, including jailer, reserve deputy and patrol deputy. He also did short stints with the Troy and Eureka police departments. He became a regular deputy with the department in 1994.

In addition to his local experience, Faulkner did contracted consulting rotations as  a police advisor and trainer in Kosovo, Jordan, Afghanistan and Iraq between 2000 and 2010. In between those rotations, he served with the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office. He became the full-time undersheriff in 2010 and has served in that capacity since that time.

Faulkner said the turning point for him came one day about a year ago, when he pulled on his uniform shirt and noticed a hole in the elbow.

“I put a hole in my shirt from rubbing my elbow against a desk,” he said. “It really got me thinking about what I want to do. I never imagined I’d wear out a shirt sitting behind a desk.”

While his official duties are changing, Faulkner said his commitment to the department and the community remain.

“I’ve always been a sworn deputy,” he said. “An undersheriff is just a sworn deputy with a rank. I’ve just decided I want to be in a different place when I put on the uniform and go to work in the morning. This is not a sad thing for me and I’m looking forward to getting back on the street. My family and I are quite comfortable with this decision.”

Faulkner leaves big shoes behind him as he transitions away from administration.

“Brent has accomplished a lot in his tenure,” Huff said. “We can’t overlook the contributions that he’s made to the organization.”

Sheriff Bowe echoed similar sentiment.

“Brent’s been like a bulldog,” he said. “Once he gets his teeth into something he won’t let go until it’s done, even if that means staying up all night to do it. He’s always working for the good of the community.”

Faulkner said Huff is just the man to fill those shoes.

“I’ve got all the faith in the world that Detective Huff will serve as a great undersheriff,” he said. “He’ll probably do the job better than me, and I mean that. I have complete faith in him and his abilities.”

Huff has been with the department for about five years, in addition to three as a reserve deputy. He started his career on an entirely different track, working in information technology. 

He was working for Delta Airlines and going to school at Idaho State University, studying mechanical engineering, when the opportunity came to move to Libby. He accepted a position with Cabinet Peaks Medical Center, in the IT department and moved.

During his tenure with the Sheriff’s Office he has worked patrol, evidence, civil process and narcotics, and is now making the jump to administration. He has also spent 10 years as a volunteer with David Thompson Search and Rescue and is currently the dive team leader and coordinator between the Sheriff’s Office and Search and Rescue.

He said he’s looking forward to the new challenge of being undersheriff, although the transition will mean a changing job description.

“This is pretty early in the transition,” Huff said. “Some of the old responsibilities will be moved to the Sheriff and some will be shifted around. The job description is still a work in progress.”