Larimer County:
I am honored to receive your support and I look forward to serving as your next Sheriff.
Together, we will work to assure that we make our county a safe place to live, work and raise your family.
Justin Smith
Our sign supporters: If you have a yard sign, big or small, please do not throw away. Over the coming days the Smith team will be around collecting the large ones and any of the small ones that are still displayed. We really need to hold on to these if you have already pulled them, please drop Team Smith and e-mail and let us know where and when to pick them up.
Already have them pulled? Feel free to drop them by Republican HQ. (4020 S. College Ave, Unit B6, Fort Collins, CO)
Thanks again for everyone’s support!
10/19/201 – The Loveland Reporter Herald Endorses Justin Smith for Sheriff.
(click here) Experience gives Smith qualities to be sheriff
10/14/201 – The Fort Collins Coloradoan Endorses Justin Smith for Sheriff.
(click here) Justin’s focus will benefit the Community. Other sheriff’s candidates have strengths, but Smith excels in vision, leadership.
Are you tired of the typical political rhetoric?
Are you looking for a candidate who is a true leader, not the same old politician that we hear from every few years?
If you are, Justin Smith is the unconventional candidate that you’ve been looking for!
Justin didn’t arrive on the scene, making the same old promises and courting the special interest groups. He started over two decades ago, serving and protecting the Citizens of Larimer County. In 1991, he took an oath to the Citizens of Larimer County uphold and protect the Constitution of the United States and the State of Colorado and he has upheld that oath every day since.
How do you know that he’ll keep his word? Look at his track record. Justin is a lawman of integrity who stands up for his community, stands up for his employees and stands up for his family.
Justin was raised on the traditional, small town, Midwestern values that keep this country strong; service to God, country, family and community. Those values guide him as a leader in our community.
Family
Justin is very proud of his family. His wife, Anne, is a graduate of CSU and she is a small business owner in the community. Their oldest son, Taylor, is a freshman at CSU Pueblo, where he is studying history. Alex, their youngest son, is a freshman at Fossil Ridge High School in Fort Collins. Alex is a self described “computer geek” who hopes to study computer science and graphic design at the University of Washington. Both boys are involved in the marching bands at their schools.
Justin and Anne enjoy taking advantage of the recreational opportunities that living in Colorado provide. Their family enjoys camping, hiking, skiing, snowshoeing, kayaking and cycling throughout the area
Values
The product of a Midwestern upbringing, Justin was taught the values of honesty and commitment to community by his parents and family. His parents, who have been married forty-five years, are both small-business owners and instilled in him from a young age the importance of hard work.
Justin strongly believes that our country’s founders intended government to have a limited role in the lives of its citizens. Our Bill of Rights was adopted to ensure the rights of citizens were forever protected from a sometimes overzealous government. In the same fashion, the Office of Sheriff was created to be the community protector. The Sheriff is not just a law enforcement officer, but also a corrections officer, a court officer, the head of countywide search and rescue operations, as well as the county’s fire warden. The Sheriff has to wear many hats and they all have to fit.
A Sheriff has to be committed and prepared to provide for the safety of his community in these various ways. He also has to protect the pocketbooks of his constituents by providing those required services in the most economic way.
Beliefs
- Government derives its power from the people, not the other way around
- A Sheriff’s solemn duty is to protect the community
- Without the Second Amendment, the rest would be irrelevant
- Those who break the law should be held accountable for their crimes
Priorities
Justin understands the challenges that the current economic conditions to local governments. While it has created some true difficulties for local leaders, it has also presented a unique opportunity for governments to learn to streamline, like many businesses have been doing for years.
Justin’s priorities center around continuing to find better ways to deliver services to the community. He will:
- Continue to build partnerships between local police agencies to share resources and reduce duplication of specialized services.
- Continue to seek out proven technologies that better enable officers to do their job of protecting the community.
- Work to assure that jail operations are run as efficiently as possible, so that those who need to be locked up will be.
- Stand up for his community against out of control politicians and bureaucrats.
- Continue to be available to the citizens through forums held throughout the year in their communities.
- Continue to improve access to information for the public.
- Support the many fine employees of the agency, while assuring that those who betray the public trust continue to be held accountable for their actions
- Be personally involved with the youth of the community through the schools
- Work to assure that the community continues to be safe from crime, so that businesses and individuals can prosper
Professional Experience
Justin has committed his adult life to law enforcement and public safety. He has more than 23 years of experience in the profession, including time as a student officer at Wichita State University and a reserve deputy for the Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office in Wichita, Kansas.
Justin has dedicated himself to providing for safety to the citizens of Larimer County since he began working for the Sheriff’s Office as a patrol deputy in 1991. Over the last 19 years, he has worked in every division of the agency, including assignments in patrol, investigations, detention, emergency services, professional standards, public information, and administration.
He began his career as a patrol deputy, but throughout his career he has aspired to challenge himself to become the best leader that he can be. For the last six years, Justin has held the rank of major, responsible for leading the men and women under his command. He truly has the rounded experience to lead the organization into the future.
Educational Background
Justin is a dedicated lifelong learner who strives to always be open to learning new ways of leading and believes in sharing what he has learned with those around him.
Justin earned his bachelor’s degree in Administration of Justice from Wichita State University in 1991 and his master’s degree in Criminal Justice with an additional certificate in Executive Leadership from the University of Colorado’s Graduate School of Public Administration in 2003.
In 2005, at the invitation of the FBI, Justin attended the 223rd session of the FBI National Academy in Quantico, Virginia, which is an executive leadership program accredited by the University of Virginia. The FBI National Academy is an eleven week intensive study program that is the law enforcement equivalent to the U.S. Military’s War Colleges.
In 2001, Justin graduated from the Command Staff Institute presented by the County Sheriffs of Colorado. The Institute has frequently invited him back to participate in panel discussions for current students.
Justin is currently an adjunct professor in the sociology department at Colorado State University, teaching students about correctional organizations. He has also instructed students of the Northern Colorado Police Academy.
Professional Certifications
Justin has prepared himself for the office of Sheriff over the last 20-plus years by receiving education and training in a broad array of public safety topics. In addition to the state-mandated Peace Officer Certification, Justin has received training and/or certifications in the following fields:
- Emergency Management training through FEMA
- Emergency Medical Technician certification
- Basic Wildland Firefighter certification
- Incident Command System training
- Strategic Planning
- Terrorism Fighting Strategies
- Police Ethics
- Community Policing
Professional Organizations
Over the last 19 years, Justin has earned the respect of his peers and has been asked to participate in leadership positions in a number of professional organizations. He enjoys these opportunities and believes that professionals can accomplish more if they work together to learn from each other.
Justin has participated in many professional organizations, panels and boards, including:
- 2010: Elected Second Vice President for the Rocky Mountain Chapter of the FBI National Academy Associates
- 2009: Speaker at the FBI National Academy, Quantico, VA
- Current member and immediate past chair of the Larimer Emergency Telephone Authority
- Founding member of the Larimer County Resource Allocation Committee, which has been rebuilding the county’s budget process
- 2003: Author of the Colorado Sheriff’s Resource Guide
- 2003: President of the Colorado Jail Association
- Current elected member of the Larimer County Retirement Board
- 2000: Founder of the Larimer County Law Enforcement Commander’s Group
- Regular panelist for the Law Enforcement Command Staff Institute presented jointly by the state Chiefs’ and Sheriffs’ Associations.
Community Involvement
Justin recognizes that it is important that the Sheriff is truly a community leader and that demonstrated leadership goes beyond just the Sheriff’s public safety role. Over his career, Justin has demonstrated his commitment to the community beyond his role as a professional public safety leader. Over the last 19 years, Justin has been involved in numerous community projects, boards and commissioners, including:
- Shepardson Elementary School, Site Improvement Team
- Island Grove Regional Treatment Center, Board of Directors
- Partners Mentoring Youth, Estes Park, Board of Directors
- American Red Cross, Northern Colorado Chapter, Board of Directors
- Harmony Presbyterian Church, Deacon
- Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics
- American Cancer Society -Relay for Life, Fort Collins, Team Organizer
- Catholic Charities – Soup Kitchen volunteer
