Incoming sheriff plans big changes for leadership team

Incoming El Paso County Sheriff Bill Elder confirmed to KRDO NewsChannel 13 that he’s making plans to shake things up at the sheriff’s office when he takes over in January.

Elder said his undersheriff will be Joe Breister, a former sheriff’s office bureau chief. Current undersheriff Paula Presley is retiring after 29 years in law enforcement. Elder said attorney Charles Greenlee will also leave the department.

Elder said Larry Borland will serve as Comptroller under his administration. He said Borland will be a civilian administrator. He said he has not made a final decision about the future of current Comptroller Dorene Cardarelle.

Also uncertain is the future of dispatch training head Tiffany Huntz.

Cardarelle, Huntz and Presley are at the center of a scandal surrounding the current Sheriff, Terry Maketa.

Like Maketa, Elder will have three bureau chiefs. He said Brad Shannon will be his law enforcement bureau chief. The other two bureau chiefs will be Detention Security Division Commander Mitch Lincoln and Support Operations Division Commander Bob McDonald.

Elder said he will reduce the number of commanders at the sheriff’s office from eight to six. Clif Northam will be assigned to patrol, Richard Hatch will be assigned to investigations, Tom De Luca will be assigned to detentions, Rob King will be assigned to detentions, John Padgett will be assigned to the Emergency Services Division and Rodney Gehrett will be assigned to the Administrative Services Division.

Elder said that while it’s true that he plans to reorganize the office, which will likely mean the addition of more high level positions, he still expects to spend less on salaries than Sheriff Maketa.

Bill Elder takes over as El Paso County Sheriff on January 13, 2015.