Maxine Monte (Spidle) has had a significant amount of experience in law enforcement. She had climbed the ladder of responsibility from a reserve deputy, where she was paid nothing, to her current post as lieutenant for Cibola County Sheriff’s Office. She has attended a number of trainings and was even involved in FBI Leadership trainings; Monte looks to keep the momentum of the sheriff’s office going and use it to further tackle crime in Cibola.
Monte started her law enforcement career in 1992 as a reserve officer for Grants Police Department. She had friends joining GPD as reservists, and after speaking with her mom about it, she was encouraged to take the leap into law enforcement, and she never looked back. Monte’s mother told her, “You need to do it,” and continued encouraging her all the way, pushing her to become a regular patrol officer. As a reserve officer, Monte was not paid for her work.
“I liked being able to people. Some would just ask for simple directions and other people needed help, I liked being able to help them and answer their questions,” Monte said. Monte said that she appreciates the current course CCSO is on, and that if she is elected sheriff, she wants to continue the positive trend the department is on. “Sheriff Mace has been amazing with the community; he always takes time to listen to the people. I want to expand on that. I plan on keeping our department community-based and helping the community grow with a strong law enforcement presence,” Monte said.
Monte has significant experience in administrative affairs, she attended an FBI National Academy, this was a training that Monte reflected upon kindly. At this training she learned new strategies for policing, she learned about policy and how to implement them for a new age of policing, Monte learned about police rights, civilian rights, and a series of management tools. This is only one of dozens of trainings she has attended to prepare for leadership roles. “I would utilize what I’ve learned in all of my trainings. Because, what worked in 1992 might not work in 2022. I want to factor in evidence-based policing and make sure that my department runs strong with the tools and trainings necessary to confront modern day challenging, because policing is nothing like it was when I first started,” Monte said.
Monte prides herself on the ladder she has managed to climb, from a reservist, to patrol, to lieutenant. “I’ve held so many positions in law enforcement that have prepared me for sheriff, and I’m asking for the public’s vote because I have plans to keep this department running strong and make it stronger.”