Wyoming Sheriff uses billboard to call out Denver city government for defunding the police

WYOMING - “Work in Wyoming where breaking the law is still illegal and cops are funded.” These words are printed on a billboard in Denver that is the center of controversy.

The billboard was paid for by Wyoming’s Laramie County Sheriff’s Office to “recruit deputies while throwing shade at Denver leaders,” according to FOX31.

Laramie County Sheriff Brian Kozak is defending his decision to make the $2,500 billboard, saying, “One of the things is you get to do your job here. So, you get to enforce the laws here. We try to look where officers are not happy with the political environment, and we try to promote our culture here in Wyoming where it’s more of a conservative area. Like I said, the community supports law enforcement.”

A post on the Laramie County Sheriff’s Office Facebook page announcing the billboard is drawing mixed reviews. The caption reads, “SHERIFF KOZAK SENDS A CLEAR MESSAGE TO DENVER LAW ENFORCEMENT: JFK established May 12-18 as National Police Week to honor those cops who have paid the ultimate sacrifice and to thank those who serve their communities.

"National media reported the City of Denver, on the other hand, decided to defund the police $8 million to fund immigrant shelters and restrict the ability for cops to enforce traffic laws, such as expired plates or safety equipment violations. During Police Week, the Laramie County Sheriff’s Office (LCSO) unveiled a billboard in downtown Denver to let those frustrated officers know they can 'Work in Wyoming where breaking the law is still illegal and cops are funded!' Sheriff Kozak thanks his community for supporting law enforcement and welcomes those who have a desire to do their job to join LCSOwy.org.”

The city of Denver is pushing back.

“The Denver Police Department’s budget was carefully crafted with safety leaders and Mayor Johnston to ensure there would be no impact to the department’s public services. To say that Denver is ‘defunding the police’ is a willful mischaracterization of the budget reductions,” Mayor Johnston’s office said in a statement in response to the billboard.

Just over a month ago, however, Mayor Johnston revealed a budget proposal that allotted $89.9 million to aid illegal aliens coming into the sanctuary city. The "Newcomer Operations and 2024 Budget" cut the fire department’s budget by around $2.5 million and the Denver Police Department’s budget by $8.4 million.

Sheriff Kozak’s approach is working. He reports that the county has received 40 new applications already. And to add to his marketing success, one day ago the billboard was the number one trending story on Foxnews.com giving even more exposure to the Laramie County Sheriff's Office and to the strain on police officers as their departments face budget cuts in the name of taking care of the illegal, undocumented people invading our country.  
 
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David

Well Done Sheriff Kozak. Well Done.

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