Brian Kozak (Republican)

PO Box 21176
Cheyenne, Wyoming 82003
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I am Brian Kozak, and I am running for sheriff of Laramie County. My mother died of leukemia after I was born in Duluth, MN, and my father suffered a brain injury at work requiring lifelong hospitalization. My eight siblings and I were split up into foster homes. I was lucky to have been adopted by the Kozak’s, who moved to Phoenix, Arizona, where I grew up. I became an Eagle scout and a police cadet explorer; I knew from this experience (and because of the CHiPs TV show) I wanted to be a cop. I spent 22 years with the Mesa, AZ Police Department. I was a motorcycle cop for 10 years, which is when I started my hobby of riding motorcycles. I was selected in a national search to lead the Avon, CO Police Department in the ski resort of Beaver Creek. After four years, I was recruited in a national search to lead the Cheyenne Police Department and became the longest serving police chief in Cheyenne. I am married to Janine and have two daughters who live in Colorado.

Putting experience to work for you:
• Cheyenne Chief of Police – 11 years
Lowest employee turnover in policing
Lowest crime in decades
• Avon, CO Chief of Police – 4 years
Achieved national accreditation
Earned the National Human Rights & Community Policing Award
• Mesa, AZ Police Section Commander – 22 years (500,000 city population and nationally accredited agency)
City Jail (19,000 bookings a year), Gang Investigations, Media Relations, Recruiting and Hiring, Motor Division, Patrol

Higher education for challenging times:
• Master’s degree in Education from University of Phoenix
• Bachelor’s degree in Business from University of Phoenix
• Northwestern University Police Staff and Command Graduate
• University of Arkansas Rural Law Enforcement Executive Graduate
• Force Science Use of Force Expert
• Drug Recognition Expert Instructor
• Criminology Professor for LCCC

• Cheyenne Depot Museum Board
• Wyoming Brewers Festival Board
• COMEA Homeless Shelter Board
• Cheyenne Chamber of Commerce
• International Association of Chiefs of Police Drug Recognition Expert Section
• Law Enforcement Leaders to Reduce Crime and Incarceration
• National Eagle Scout Association
• Volunteer Reserve State Parks Ranger

We want to make sure PUBLIC SAFETY COMES BEFORE POLITICS. On May 13, 2022, County Human Resources (HR) reported 47 vacancies in the Sheriff’s Office and more employees have left since then. HR conducted a survey with sheriff employees this year, which showed 62% of the remaining employees are looking for other jobs. The survey also revealed poor morale to be a concern from 73% of the employees, poor communication from 65% of the employees, and unfair favoritism from 65% of the employees. The agency is in critical condition and needs a proven leader to fix it. I have the experience in creating positive leadership cultures with two police departments; they are now successful, transparent, and engaged with their communities. I want to take responsibility and fix this critical situation the Sheriff’s Office is in. We had the highest rate of burglary and auto theft in our history in 2021. This spike in crime was partly due to the jail administration’s Covid 19 policy to close to property and drug offenders without any alternatives. I became concerned about this policy because we had 453 more victims of burglary and auto theft in 2021, which is why we obtained a contract to use Platte County Jail. If elected, we will keep the jail open for criminals and will implement drug treatment programming to reduce the root cause of property crime. We hope to reduce the drug recidivism rate by 50% with diversion and treatment programs.

As chief of police I saw many opportunities with the Laramie County Sheriff’s Office, which if cultivated, would help the employees reach their potential in serving our community. We have three goals:

1. Reconnect with residents and businesses to fight crime:
Implement community outreach programs and form task forces to go after criminals to lower record high crime.

2. Invest in the employees:
Implement professional leadership while focusing on employee development, retention, and recruiting.

3. Restructure jail operations to lower recidivism:
Implement drug addiction assessments and launch lower-level treatment programing to reduce the revolving jail door with repeat offenders. We will also negotiate with the US Marshal Service to bring Cheyenne federal offenders back to our jail and use the revenue to invest in the employees of the sheriff's office.

Learn more details at www.BrianKozak.com