Sean Smith, a deputy with the La Plata County Sheriff’s Office, is running for election against his boss, longtime Sheriff Duke Schirard.

Smith, 43, who began his work for the county in 2000, returned from a two-year stint in Oklahoma in 2012 and hopes to take fiscal responsibility for the department’s $14 million budget and allocate resources to areas most in need.

During his years with the Sheriff’s Office, Smith has overseen several programs that offer an alternative to incarceration, which can include intense supervision and treatment programs.

He’s seen the jail population decrease from about 200 inmates per day to about 120 per day. With an emptier jail, he believes more deputies can focus on ensuring public safety. On a given night, five or six deputies are on the roads, while 10 are overseeing a half-full jail, he said.

“I think public safety is something citizens want,” he said.

Additionally, several school resource officer programs – which offer education programs to reduce drug use, teach gun safety and assist in providing a safe environment for children – have been affected by the deficit.

As a result of decreasing countywide revenues, finances are tight. All departments, including the sheriff’s office, have become stuck with frozen or decreasing budgets.

Smith is an advocate for sustainability, he said, and was part of the team that obtained hybrid county police cars for the department. In his research, he found a particular vehicle that would have a low-maintenance cost and would be fuel-efficient and good for the environment.

The car, he said, gets about 28 mpg, thus saving the department some additional costs.

He looks forward to implementing other sustainable practices if elected.

Though some inevitable awkwardness may occur in running against his boss, Smith said he and Schirard have remained amicable colleagues.

“He gave me his blessing to run,” Smith said.

Schirard asked that Smith not malign the department or anyone in uniform, Smith said.

“I believe that Schirard is a good man, and he has been good to me over the years,” Smith said.

Smith moved to Western Oklahoma in 2010 to pursue a career as a law-enforcement coordinator for the Department of Justice, which oversaw a 40-county region. After two years, he returned to Durango.

“My wife and I took some big pay cuts to come back to the place I love,” he said.

He’s also thankful to Schirard for his current position within the department.

Though he admits that the sheriff has done a good job over the years, he believes it is time for change and he no longer wants the department to remain “stagnant,” he said.

The La Plata County Sheriff’s Office is the largest law-enforcement force between Grand Junction to Pueblo, he said. With a staff of 133, he sees a great potential in the department.

La Plata County residents need to feel that the budget will be spent wisely, he said.

He plans to meet with several county civil groups to discuss plans for the future and gather an understanding of what people want with his motto in mind: “Community first through shared vision and leadership.”

“I think I have to earn their vote,” Smith said.

vguthrie@durangoherald.com

An earlier version of this story misquoted Sean Smith’s motto.