All Posts

Thank you for the Oct. 9 coverage of staffing at the Eagle County Sheriff's Office. I'd like to add some perspective from someone who worked there. I served in the Sheriff's Office for 17 years, from 2005 to 2022, helping build a dedicated team of deputies, detention staff, victim services and administrative professionals. When those people leave, they take years of trusted relationships, community goodwill and institutional knowledge with them. Turnover also affects coverage

The El Jebel community is a vital part of Eagle County—and it deserves consistent, connected law enforcement. Because of its unique geography, El Jebel is separated from the rest of the county in ways that make local presence especially important. In the past, deputies were permanently assigned there—living in the community, building relationships, and becoming a trusted, familiar presence. Today, that model has shifted to a rotating assignment, with deputies cycling in and o

Leadership matters—especially in a profession like law enforcement. Throughout my career, I’ve learned that leadership isn’t about rank or title. It’s about setting the tone, supporting your people, and being willing to step forward when it matters most. As a Sergeant, my approach has always been to lead from the front—listening to my team, being present, and making sure they have what they need to do their jobs well. Strong leadership builds trust, and trust builds strong te

The safety of our schools is one of the most important responsibilities we have as a community. Right now, the Sheriff’s Office has three School Resource Officers (SROs) serving schools across Eagle County—two covering the schools on the east end of the county and one covering schools in Gypsum. These deputies do an incredible job, but they are stretched across multiple campuses and communities. School safety is about more than just responding to incidents. It’s about buildin

Some of the most important calls deputies respond to involve people going through a crisis. These situations require more than just a response—they require patience, communication, and the ability to de-escalate safely. How we handle those moments matters, not just for the individuals involved, but for their families and our community as a whole. In my career, I’ve had the opportunity to serve as a Crisis Negotiator and now lead the Crisis Negotiation Team. I’ve seen firsthan

The Sheriff’s Office doesn’t just serve our community on patrol—it also has a critical responsibility inside our detention facility. Our detention deputies play a vital role in maintaining safety, order, and professionalism within the jail. It’s a challenging job that requires strong communication, sound judgment, and the ability to manage difficult situations every day. Just like on patrol, staffing and retention matter in the detention facility. When we have experienced, we

K9s are one of the most valuable tools we have in law enforcement—but they’re also much more than that. Throughout my career, I’ve had the opportunity to serve as a K9 handler at both the Eagle County Sheriff’s Office and the Vail Police Department. That experience gave me a firsthand understanding of how effective these teams are, whether it’s locating suspects, tracking missing persons, or detecting narcotics. But just as important as their capabilities is the bond between

Eagle County is a unique place to serve. Our communities are spread out, our terrain is challenging, and weather can change quickly. From remote areas to busy corridors, deputies are expected to cover a large and diverse landscape—often with limited resources. In a county like ours, response times and coverage aren’t just numbers—they’re shaped by distance, conditions, and staffing. That’s why it’s so important that we approach rural policing with a strategy that reflects tho