Sheriff Appelhans faces two challengers in the Democratic primary

ACSO Patrol Deputy Zeb Gladney and LPD Patrol Sergeant Curtis Lee Moore are seeking to unseat the appointed sheriff, Aaron Appelhans. They answered questions about mental health and oversight.

Welcome to the Laramie Reporter’s 2022 Elections newsletter. This newsletter seeks to introduce Albany County and Laramie residents to the candidates who have filed to run and to explore the issues surrounding what promises to be an interesting, impactful local election.

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Five candidates are seeking to helm the Albany County Sheriff’s Office, with four challengers taking on the current sheriff, Aaron Appelhans.

It’s one of the most crowded local races of 2022 and one of the most hotly contested.

The sheriff’s office has jurisdiction over the entire county. In addition to other duties, the office runs the Albany County Detention Center, which jails individuals arrested by sheriff’s deputies, and by Laramie Police Department and University of Wyoming Police officers. The sheriff’s office is also responsible for the county’s Search and Rescue operations, and serves evictions on behalf of landlords.

The office has been heavily criticized in recent years and its reputation in the community plummeted throughout the final years of former sheriff Dave O’Malley’s tenure. O’Malley hired and then defended a law enforcement officer with a violent past. When that deputy, Derek Colling, killed a civilian in Laramie in 2018, it sparked a local movement for police accountability that ousted O’Malley.

Appelhans was appointed to replace O’Malley. He immediately fired a sergeant who has been accused of leading a “years-long racist tirade,” and Colling resigned just months after Appelhans took office.

The sheriff is now standing for his first election, seeking to keep the position he was appointed to. He is not doing so uncontested.

Zeb Gladney and Curtis Lee Moore are both local law enforcement officers. Recently registered as Republicans, the two will compete against Appelhans for the Democratic nomination.

Gladney is a patrol deputy with the Albany County Sheriff’s Office, who has been with the agency since 2016. Moore has been an officer with the Laramie Police Department for 22 years, serving the past seven years as a patrol sergeant.

Appelhans said he has spent his tenure so far cleaning up the staffing and financial problems left by his predecessor and would like to focus on traffic safety and mental health responses. Gladney said he would like to see better hires, more training, and improvements at the detention center. Moore — the only Democratic candidate not currently employed by the sheriff’s office — said he would not comment on his plans for the agency, adding he would have to be in the role to take stock of what needed improvement.

Appelhans, Gladney and Moore answered a series of questions from the Laramie Reporter about their backgrounds, opinions and hopes for the 2022 election. The two candidates running for the Republican sheriff nomination were featured in a separate story yesterday.

Reporter: What should voters know about your background, profession and interest in politics?

Aaron Appelhans: I’ve lived in Albany County for 20+ years and am familiar with the area, the people and the issues. The duties of Albany County Sheriff require a broad base of knowledge, skills and abilities in everything related to criminal law, civil law, business law, financial management, leadership, ethics and emergency response. I’ve utilized every opportunity to build professional skills in these areas and have integrated these opportunities into the operation of the sheriff’s office during the past two years.

Zeb Gladney: I was raised in Laramie, have considered it my home for a long time and have started a family here. I attended Laramie County Community College and UW, obtaining a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice. In 2016, I was hired as a detention deputy with the sheriff’s office. After two years, I transferred to the patrol division and have since been a key member of that division. I believe that all people should be treated with respect, dignity and should not be treated in a negative manner regardless of their law enforcement contact. I have responded to countless calls and have observed things done the right way and the wrong way. I have seen past and current administrations fail to address pertinent issues such as transparency, proper staffing techniques and nepotism. I would like these issues to be addressed which is why I decided to enter into politics.

Curtis Less Moore: I spent my high school years in Virginia, graduated from Elon College in North Carolina with a BA degree in history. My father was a career FBI agent so I developed an early interest in law enforcement. I spent a little under three years as an officer in Blacksburg, Virginia, prior to moving to Laramie in 2000. I have served as a Laramie Police Officer since that time with the last seven years being the role of patrol sergeant. I really have no interest in politics, but realize the position of sheriff is an elected office.

Reporter: What does the sheriff’s office do well?

Appelhans: The Sheriff’s Office provides professional and effective law enforcement to the community for the variety of different calls for service that we receive. Our department responds well to public safety calls and resolves them peacefully on a regular basis. Our department also works well with the other agencies in the county for emergency response, particularly with Albany County Search and Rescue, Volunteer Firefighters, Wyoming Highway Patrol, and the Laramie and UW Police departments.

Gladney: Deputies at the sheriff’s office come from many different backgrounds. I believe that we communicate with people well and provide assistance in regards to calls for service in a very professional and respectful manner. The sheriff’s office also is tasked with operating the detention center. Although there are some issues that need to be addressed in the detention center, the sheriff’s office has provided a safe and secure environment for individuals who are incarcerated. The sheriff’s office is also responsible for Search and Rescue. I have personally observed multiple calls for service where Search and Rescue needed to be utilized and the sheriff’s office has a very well trained group of individuals that can conduct that responsibility very well. Overall, the deputies at the sheriff’s office are very proactive and strive every day to identify crimes and make the community safer.

Moore: I work with deputies both on patrol side and detention on a regular basis with my current role in the city. They are professional, caring, and knowledgeable in my experiences with them. The area they need to cover is immense, and I am impressed with their work ethic and desire to serve the community.

Reporter: What should the sheriff’s office improve upon?

Appelhans: I filled the vacancy left by the resignation of the last sheriff, who left the office with serious staffing and financial problems. The deputies who were not serving professionally are now gone, and I’ve built a working environment based on respect and dignity, as well as balancing the books. These efforts will continue as well as work toward increasing traffic safety education, enforcement and engineering in more rural areas and roads within the county, and providing more advance notice to our county residents regarding pre-evacuation or staging notices for natural disasters or safety hazards in their area. 

Gladney: I would like to see more stringent hiring practices instead of hiring anyone with an application because our staffing numbers are down. The sheriff’s office needs to also be better about providing more trainings for people. I have seen multiple training requests denied by supervisors due to cost or personal bias. Some also don’t understand that the social climate of our country is changing and we need to change with it. The sheriff’s office needs to allow their people to enforce the law to the fullest while also keeping the public involved in those types of actions and decision-making. I would say the biggest thing the sheriff’s office needs to improve on is transparency. There have been multiple in-custody deaths and critical incidents that were never reported to the public and when the public has asked for clarification, they often get a political answer and are left guessing. I believe this leads to mistrust.

Moore: I am not going to comment on what the sheriff’s department needs to improve on.  Although I do work with them, I am not familiar with their specific policies and procedures, and do not think it’s appropriate to speak on what improvements should be made. That is something that needs to be addressed once you are in a leadership position, and can focus on what is best for the agency.

Reporter: Should local law enforcement be overseen by a civilian oversight board or use-of-force review board?

Appelhans: As Sheriff, community input is important to our operation. We are an office designed to serve the county. I’ve always welcomed the public to contact my office and discuss any issues they have. We’ve had a community advisory board at the sheriff’s office during my tenure. The board provided input and the issues were solved. If county residents would like to have an advisory board started up again, I would welcome the conversation to discuss how a board would function with my agency.

Gladney: As I stated above, I would like the community to be much more involved and informed of what law enforcement does. However, there are many things that law enforcement does for good reasons that most civilians are likely to not understand. For that reason, I want to educate the public more on why we do the things we do. I would be open to allowing a civilian board to participate in policy changes or general decisions and weigh in on the options. I do not support a civilian oversight board or use-of-force board being the sole oversight to those types of decisions and reviews, but I would welcome participation.

Moore: Civilian oversight boards have become a topic in many communities in this country. Of the about 18,000 departments, there are approximately 200 with civilian oversight boards, and there doesn’t appear to be any consistency in how they are applied. If citizens are willing to attend trainings, go through processes that officers and deputies are required to and experience it, then they can provide some input. Obviously, this can be a difficult agenda to complete as it takes time, finances and a real commitment from those seeking to be on a board such as that.  If there were some policies developed as we look to the future of oversight boards, I think they could be beneficial, but it seems currently it is just an idea developed out of the public’s disapproval of certain agencies.

Reporter: Would you make any changes to the way the sheriff’s office handles mental health calls?

Appelhans: The sheriff’s office responds well to mental health calls since I’ve been in office. Deputies better utilize their training in recognizing mental health issues in individuals and frequently de-escalate potentially dangerous situations. The challenge we face with mental health calls is the availability of mental health resources after hours. If the crisis hotline is busy and Ivinson Memorial Hospital’s behavioral capacity is full, we aren’t left with much. My office has been working with county boards, local providers and grant funding providers to expand service availability in Albany County.

Gladney: I would ensure that every deputy would receive required CIT training and other trainings that focus on communication and especially de- or non-escalation. My goal would be for deputies to be better about recognizing individuals who are experiencing a mental health crisis and know how to utilize proper resources. We are not mental health professionals and I would like to utilize mental health professionals to respond to different incidents as needed. An example would be a response team that could get called out at any time. I would also ensure that the detention center was staffed with individuals who can provide care to incarcerated individuals.

Moore: I have worked the street in this community for 22 years and there are certainly folks suffering from mental illness whether it be local citizens, or transient folks passing through. I have attended Crisis Intervention Training, which is a 40-hour intense course on how to deal with the mentally ill. This is a good base, but the best experience has been actual calls for service with mentally ill individuals. All entities must work together with this issue, such as Volunteers of America, Ivinson Hospital and the community at large. I know nationally there has been a call to have counselors respond with officers on calls involving mental illness. This might be something that can be implemented for certain jurisdictions, but logistically and financially it can be difficult. I have learned that folks suffering from mental illness do not just have problems from 8-5.

Reporter: What are the greatest challenges facing law enforcement today?

Appelhans: Regaining community trust through professional and effective law enforcement is our top challenge and one that I’ve prioritized since my appointment as sheriff. Deputies who break the law or have been terminated from other agencies no longer work in the Albany County Sheriff’s Office, and every deputy now serves with respect, compassion and professionalism, meeting your expectations.

Gladney: One of the biggest issues is developing and maintaining a positive relationship with the public and establishing trust. Much of the time law enforcement is portrayed in a negative light by many media outlets. There are serious issues within law enforcement that need to be addressed, however implementing true transparency will help the public understand law enforcement better and build a positive relationship. That is my biggest priority. Law enforcement also lacks competent and experienced leadership often and much of the time also lacks competent candidates for hire. Currently law enforcement in America is experiencing a profound staffing crisis and it will be a tough barrier to get over.

Moore: If you look across the country, there are major issues right now with retention and hiring of officers and deputies. Many experienced folks are retiring, or leaving the profession all together and that can be difficult to replace. Hiring standards need to be high which is so crucial to the survival of an effective LE agency. There will always be challenges to any agency, but if you develop good policy and training, those challenges can be overcome.

Reporter: Are there laws you would refuse to enforce?

Appelhans: No. As sheriff, I took an oath to uphold the laws of the State of Wyoming and the U.S. Constitution. Disputes on criminal or civil charges are left up to the courts to decide. Disputes on the legality of laws also fall to the judicial branch of government to determine on. Elected representatives make the laws and I do not get to pick and choose which laws to enforce. The office of sheriff does not have the power to become a judge or jury — nor should it.

Gladney: The sheriff is responsible for enforcing any and all Wyoming state statutes and I would enforce or support enforcement of those laws whether I support them or not. I would never enforce laws that are oppressive in nature or unconstitutional.

Moore: I am bound by the Constitution of the United States and the laws of the State of Wyoming.

Reporter: Do you own or manage rental property in Albany County?

Appelhans: No.

Gladney: I own a house for me and my family. I do not own or manage any rental property.

Moore: I am not sure this is pertinent to the office of sheriff, but I have a second home that my upcoming junior at UW lives in with two friends.

Reporter: When did you become a member of your political party? Why are you a member of that party?

Appelhans: Over the years I’ve been in Wyoming, I have been a registered voter as a Democrat, Republican and Independent (more years as an Independent than the other two). I am currently a registered Democrat and have been for the last two years. I chose to register as a Democrat because out of our two-party system (which I am not a fan of), the Democratic Party currently is more aligned with my political views and beliefs.

Gladney: I was a registered Republican for a long time but have always shared views from both sides. I was raised in a Democratic household. I have recently transitioned to the Democratic Party because I believe they are moving in the right direction to achieve equality and fair police reform for both the public and law enforcement personnel.

Moore: I do not think the office of sheriff should have anything to do with political party. In my 25 years of serving the public in a law enforcement capacity, I have never asked one person what particular party they represent. I am a Democrat for this election, but I consider myself an independent, as I vote for the best person for that particular office.

Reporter: If elected, what would be your priorities in office?

Appelhans: When I first came into office, my priorities as sheriff were to focus on de-escalation responses to calls, increase diversity and inclusivity within the office, and being transparent to the public on what the sheriff’s office does. Having accomplished those goals, my office is now transitioning its focus on mental health crisis response, alternative sentencing for mental health and substance abuse issues, and reducing traffic fatalities on our county roads. County residents have been clear with my office that these are the issues they would like to see solved and as sheriff, I will work to solve them.

Gladney: My immediate priority will be to open communication up with the public and be as transparent as possible as the law allows. I would also focus on hiring very qualified and compassionate people who are capable of performing the duties required by this profession so they can serve the public to the finest level that they deserve. I would make sure the deputies of the Albany County Sheriff’s Office are provided all the necessary gear, equipment and training needed to perform their jobs. I will not only make sure they are supported in terms of equipment but also emotional support because this profession can be traumatic for all parties involved, including law enforcement. I would also like to get the public involved in participating in law enforcement matters and decision-making.

Moore: My priorities are as follows: staffing, accountability, professionalism, transparency, and as has been stated before, a complete “open door” policy to the community.

Reporter: Finally, why should the residents of Albany County vote for you?

Appelhans: Residents throughout Albany County depend on the sheriff's office to focus on their needs. As sheriff, I've committed to listening to the concerns of both rural and town residents and have followed with action. My goal is for our office to provide the professional, effective law enforcement that our residents expect and deserve. I'll continue to work with urban and rural organizations, including volunteer organizations like firefighters and search and rescue,  to make sure the sheriff's office is always available to lend a helping hand.

Gladney: I am a younger candidate that has always had a passion for this community. I understand the need for police reform and change. I have profound respect for people who can be compassionate and trustworthy toward the public and coworkers. I have personally seen multiple facets of this job in real time and I have seen the negative and the positive ramifications of poor and proper policing. I am willing to listen to the public and take their recommendations to heart. There is no reason a sheriff’s office should operate in the dark. We are here for the community and regardless of the national climate, my primary focus is on our beautiful high elevation portion of this awesome state.

Moore: I have 22 years serving this community in a law enforcement capacity. I have developed many relationships with folks from all walks of life, and have cherished my time being here, and want to continue in the role of sheriff. I feel strongly that I can provide the citizens with the leadership they desire in the sheriff’s department. I have the experience and credibility to unify all of the agencies that serve this county, and look forward to the challenge. I will add that, as stated, I am not interested in politics, just results. I am self-funded, and do not accept contributions from anyone as I feel this can be a conflict with the office itself.