We were affected, as most were, with the 416 fire. It started about a mile from our home, and having just moved here from the Denver area in April, we were immediately concerned.
We attended one of the first community information meetings held in Durango and were extremely impressed listening to Sheriff Smith address the crowd. He had control and command of a tense situation, and seemed confident that everyone responsible for fighting this raging wildfire was doing their jobs without interference from other agencies. We talked with Sean personally afterward, and since we've both been around law enforcement for many years (my husband Wes was a Colorado State Trooper and Coroner for Douglas County for 16 years), he impressed us with his knowledge of law enforcement and especially the La Plata county Sheriff's office.
In addition, I worked over 15 years in Denver for a well-respected lobbyist who represents the County Sheriffs of Colorado at our state capitol. Dr. Ackerman's personal opinion of Sheriff Smith is that he's smart, knowledgeable and manages his department honestly, with integrity and transparency and as a true leader.
More recently we had a chat with officers of his department, and they are extremely supportive of him as a leader in a complicated profession. We urge you to re-elect a proven leader.
Julie Riber
Durango
