There are a lot of misconceptions about what it takes to be the Larimer County Sheriff. This document will answer the following questions so you are armed with an understanding of what is really important:
Should we promote someone from within the department who has law enforcement experience, but little or no business management experience?
Should we elect (hire) someone with business management experience, but little or no law enforcement experience?
What does the Larimer County Sheriff actually do?
To answer the first two questions, we need to understand that the Larimer County Sheriff is responsible for:
- A staff of 420 people
– 3 divisions (Operations, Detention Center, and Support Services), Investigations, and Administration - A budget of ~$43 million
- Law enforcement policies for the unincorporated areas of the county
For the first two bullets it’s clear we need someone with solid business management experience. In fact, without the ability to manage a large staff and large budgets – including negotiating budgets with the Larimer County Commissioners – an efficient sheriff’s department could quickly crumble into disarray.
The third bullet focuses on law enforcement in rural areas of the county, which is substantial in Larimer County. Understand that the policies set by the sheriff will impact communities that have their own police department, but to a lesser degree. These law enforcement policies require someone who has a solid understanding of the U.S. Constitution, the Colorado Constitution, their history, and how to interpret them in relation to laws, regulations, and directives that may be in conflict. It’s the sheriff who can decide how aggressively to enforce the laws. This requires someone with business executive skills who can see beyond aggressive enforcement of a set of state statutes and take into account constitutional requirements and protections.
Many state legislatures across the country recognize the need for business executive experience and therefore don’t place the same requirements for law enforcement experience and certification on the sheriff that they place on those actually engaged in daily law enforcement. Twenty-two states do not require POST (Peace Officer Standards and Training) certification for sheriffs and many more, like Colorado, only require a sheriff obtain certification within a specified period of time after obtaining office.
As a seasoned executive, military leader and commander, Carl Bruning recognizes that good managers need to have a solid understanding of the job functions and skills required of their staff. For this reason, Carl supports Colorado’s requirement that county sheriff’s obtain POST certification within one year after assuming office.
As Carl points out; “Remember, although this election is for a 4-year term, whoever is elected will likely serve for the 12-year term as allowed in our county. This is a long-term investment in a leader for Larimer County.”
Carl Bruning is the only candidate for Sheriff of Larimer County that has the business executive experience, military experience, and understanding of constitutional law necessary to administer the office of Sheriff.
Carl brings a fresh perspective to the Larimer County Sheriff’s Office, and he will be an officer of the peace.
