Spokane County Sheriff

Thu., Oct. 29, 1998

By Adam Lynn adaml@spokesman.com

The race for Spokane County sheriff pits a former state legislator against a career deputy with no political experience.

Republican Mark Sterk hopes to use his name recognition and 5-1 edge in campaign dollars to defeat Democrat Jim Finke.

They are running to replace Sheriff John Goldman, who decided not seek re-election after serving one term.

“The biggest difference between Jim and me is I have the political experience behind me,” said Sterk, who served as a state representative from 1995 until earlier this year.

Finke is counting on grass-roots support to propel him to victory. “I’d like to be known as the people’s sheriff,” Finke said.

Sterk has served his entire 24-year career with the Spokane Police Department and has risen to the rank of sergeant.

Finke, now a lieutenant, has been with the sheriff’s department for more than 24 years.

Hiring more deputies and expanding the department’s communityoriented policing efforts are top priorities for both candidates.

Both also plan to decentralize the department.

Under their plans, deputies would be permanently assigned to specific sectors and work out of substations located in those districts.

Currently all deputies report to the Public Safety Building downtown to receive assignments and attend roll call.

Both candidates said a decentralized department would serve citizens better by allowing deputies to become familiar with their sectors and build a good rapport with the people who live within them.

Sterk also has plans to assign deputies full-time at county high schools, require jail inmates to participate on work crews and create a Career Criminal Unit to focus on repeat offenders.

Finke said he would work to get deputies a new contract (they’ve been working without one for two years), continue to build community support for the department and promote programs to help at-risk children.

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