A new billboard in Denver aims to recruit lawmakers to come to Wyoming at the expense of Colorado politicians and leaders.
“Work in Wyoming, where breaking the law is still illegal and the cops are defunded!” “” read the billboard, according to a social media post.
The Laramie County Sheriff’s Office in Wyoming funded the billboard to recruit deputies by subtly attacking the city’s progressive government.
Sheriff Brian Kozak paid $2,500 to post the message on a billboard in Denver during National Police Week.
He told Fox News Digital that he had been sheriff for a little over a year and that the force had about 90 vacancies when he started.
“We launched a digital media campaign and we really focused our efforts on areas where there seemed to be, I guess, liberal policy dictating enforcement,” he said. “We knew agents in those areas were probably a little frustrated, which is why we really focused our advertising on Denver.”
“National media reported that the city of Denver, in contrast, decided to take $8 million from the police to fund immigrant shelters and restrict police officers’ ability to enforce traffic laws, such as license plates. expired or safety equipment violations,” the Laramie County Sheriff said. Reading the office message on Facebook.
Cheyenne, the capital and largest city of Wyoming, is the seat of Laramie County.
“During Police Week, the Laramie County Sheriff’s Office (LCSO) unveiled a billboard in downtown Denver to let these frustrated officers know they can ‘work in Wyoming where breaking the law is still illegal and where the cops are funded!’” the post added. “Sheriff Kozak thanks his community for its support of law enforcement and invites those who want to do their job to join LCSOwy.org..”
Kozak said the marketing campaign has already helped the county with 40 new applications and 20 to 40 additional contact requests each day since the billboard went up Sunday.
“We actually hired 72 people last year because of our marketing strategy, and the feedback we got from the law enforcement officers we hired in the Denver area was that it was a strategy effective campaigning,” he said.
The officers and deputies hired by Laramie Couty enjoy their jobs because they can do their jobs and the community supports them, Kozak said.
“We started thinking about how best to get the attention of law enforcement in this area who are frustrated at not being able to do their jobs, and particularly those who are considering going into law enforcement. order, don’t waste your time working in this area. a city that won’t let you do your job,” he said. “Come here to Wyoming and we welcome you here.”
Johnston’s office said the idea that the city was defending the police was a misinterpretation.
“The City of Denver’s adjustment to the Denver Police Department budget was carefully crafted with security officials and Mayor Johnston to ensure that there would be no impact on the department’s public services,” a spokesperson told Fox News Digital.
“Saying that Denver ‘defund the police’ is a willful misinterpretation of budget cuts, which really only delay the purchase of new furniture and shift the funding source for a cadet class. In fact, Mayor Johnston has invested millions to add 167 new police recruits to our force in 2024, and will continue to invest in public safety to ensure the safety of every Denverite in his city.
The campaign received mixed support, but many comments in the Laramie County Sheriff’s Office post expressed enthusiasm for the move.
“Thank you to all Laramie County residents for voting for a proactive sheriff who isn’t afraid to ruffle feathers,” one user said.
“I live in Denver. This is awesome,” a second person said.
“There are still a lot of great cops around Denver. A few might be enough to come to Wyoming. Congratulations,” posted a third.
Kozak told Fox News Digital that he received several calls Tuesday from members of the Denver community expressing their desire to fund the billboard.
“Because they’re not happy with the political direction in Denver, they were happy to see the billboard and so they want to send a check to pay for it,” he said.
New York Post
