Mineral County Sheriff's Office Profile: Shawn Visintin
Mineral County Shawn Visintin feels like he hit the jackpot when he was able to come here with his family snd serve the county's residents. (Courtesy photo)
As a native Montanan, Shawn Visintin feels he hit the jackpot when he became a deputy last year with the Mineral County Sheriff’s Office.
“When I looked into getting into law enforcement, which is something I’d been interested in doing for the last decade, there was practically every option geographically across the state,” he said. “I specifically chose Mineral County because it closely resembles Madison County where I grew up and it’s the small-town communities of Montana that I appreciate most. You’ll find good folks, hardworking people with a strong core of ethics and value structure that is our lifestyle. And a river.
"It has to have a river or lakes along with mountains to play on. That’s pretty much the recipe for success when you put all of those together. So, we chose it and so far, everything has been fantastic!”
Prior to moving to Mineral County with his wife and 4-year-old son, Visintin was involved with private security and private investigation. He was a firearms instructor and still does fitness training online all over the globe and in person when time and travel allow.
The latter is not surprising with ‘sports’ being his favorite class in high school, followed by history. Visintin has an older brother who is an officer in the Navy and a younger sister who was a medic in the Army and now pursuing dental hygiene so ‘To Serve and Protect’ is in the bloodline.
Like many men, Visintin credits much of his maturity to their marriage and becoming a first-time father when the world takes on a different view.
“My hobbies today are range-shooting but I’m a huge fan of coaching because when I understand something, I’m pretty good at teaching it to others. I like working out, hiking, fishing but spending time with my wife and little boy is no doubt number 1 on the list.”
As a recent graduate of the Montana Police Academy, Visintin said the training, both physical and instructional, was intense and valuable, especially his understanding of the sheriff’s Office role from a constitutional standpoint.
“Our constitution is absolutely beautiful. Supposedly there are only a handful of states with the protections that go deeper than the U.S. Constitution and ours is one that goes much, much farther in depth.”
Asked where he sees himself in five years, Visintin responded with “Here in Mineral County and potentially in a leadership role within the sheriff’s office, depending what positions are available. Also, I would like to throw a shout-out to the Sheriff and Undersheriff and fellow Deputies.
Their hard work, dedication, leadership, and positive influence have created a refreshing atmosphere to be a part of, and one that this county should be proud of.”
Deputy Shawn Visintin is the first to say that he and his family are blessed to be here. His understanding of the justice system along with his non-judgmental mindset of fairness make him a valued team member of the MCSO and a stand-up guy in our county.