Phillips County Sheriff’s Office now fully staffed

Following a period of staff turnover combined with a challenging workforce shortage, the Phillips County Sheriff’s Office is currently at full peace officer staffing with the sheriff, undersheriff and two deputies. The latest staff members to be sworn in by Sheriff Michael Beard are Undersheriff Jack Wieland, on June 1, and Deputy Emali Torres, on June 12. 

Carrying vacant positions in law enforcement agencies is particularly challenging because of the length of time it takes to complete the certification coursework and the on-the-job field training. If a person without prior peace officer experience is hired, it typically takes at least six months before the person is able to work independently from a trainer, such as when a deputy works alone in a patrol car. 

In addition to the officers, Kelley Sullivan serves as the administrative assistant and the Victim’s Advocate program director. Beard describes his staff, which also includes deputy Robert Corrado, as a “strong team” of committed individuals. 

Wieland maintains continuity of service

Wieland joined the sheriff’s office on a part-time basis in 2014 to specifically handle prisoner transports and court security, plus reserve officer duties as needed. Prisoner transports to another holding facility, such as the Logan or Washington county jails, are necessary because the county does not operate a jail that would otherwise detain individuals upon arrest until determined if they can bond out or need to be held for a trial.

Wieland began his career in public service when he joined the Colorado Division of Wildlife in 1985. He did seasonal work in fisheries in the Denver-metro area. Three years later, he became a district wildlife manager in the Dolores County area in southwest Colorado. His transfer in 1992 to serve as the district wildlife manager for what was then called the Phillips County district is what brought him to Holyoke. The district later became the Phillips Sedgwick district.

As the district wildlife manager, Wieland had duties in three areas, which were public relations, biological research and law enforcement. Examples of work included conducting hunter safety classes, reporting counts of species and enforcing state wildlife laws. When needed, he could also enforce federal fish and forest service laws. 

It was in 2012 that Wieland retired from his state career. In regards to choosing part-time work with the sheriff’s office, he says, “I didn’t think I was done serving and working.” He notes that the conversion to the full-time undersheriff position is that “it’s a sharp learning curve to catch up to all the changes that have happened in the 11 years since retiring with the state.” 

While undertaking the broader duties of the undersheriff, he still handles prisoner transports and court security but anticipates that the department’s two deputies will eventually share in those tasks. 

WieIand says, “I still enjoy being able to get out and about helping people. That’s what has always been the favorite part of the job.” He added that “many of the adults I’ve helped with wildlife issues were the kids I used to teach in hunter safety classes.” His longevity in the county and familiarity with so many people are assets that he will continue to make use of on the job. 

Torres prioritizes relationships with the public

Torres, a native of Phillips County and a 2021 graduate of Holyoke High School, is a success story of the Holyoke Re-1J school district’s Homegrown Talent Initiative program. The self-assessments she completed as part of the program indicated that working a regular desk job was not for her. Other results indicated that she was good at problem solving. 

In deciding what local business or agency to pursue for an internship, she thought the sheriff’s office “looked cool” and wanted to see more of “what they did on the job.” She interned for one hour each school day for the length of each internship during the 2018-19, 2019-20, and 2020-21 school years.

Most of her internship time entailed ride-alongs with patrol deputies. She also got some exposure to the workings of the county communication center, which is co-located with the sheriff’s administrative office. As her interest grew, she often voluntarily stayed much longer than the one-hour assignment, saying there were times she wouldn’t get home until late at night.

A motivating factor that solidified Torres’ decision to not only make law enforcement her career but to stay with the sheriff’s office was the way that the sheriff at the time, Thom Elliott, managed the staff. As Torres put it, “He included everybody and treated you like family. I thought it was a good work environment and knew it was the place I wanted to be.” 

Torres completed the state’s Peace Officer Standard and Training certification course at La Junta Junior College and graduated May 9. 

When asked about what is one of the most appealing parts of the job, she stated, “The community policing aspect.” She is especially interested in working with children. She hopes to convey the friendship side of policing to the youth of the community. She related that while working the recent county fair, she came across two little girls who seemed a bit terrified upon seeing her in uniform. She discovered this was due to them being in the car with their dad when he was stopped for a traffic violation. Torres was able to establish a positive rapport with them, in part because she was handing out suckers to kids, which these girls enjoyed getting. It was gratifying to see them overcome their fears and see a side of policing different than only the enforcement role. 

Torres is looking forward to meeting more people. Even though she says she already knows a lot of people from growing up here, there are still a lot of people in the community she’s never met. She also has the added asset of being bilingual in English and Spanish, which will enhance the community service that the sheriff’s office provides. 

A well-rounded team sums it up

The staff, as a whole, exemplifies the diversity public agencies hope to achieve to reflect the diverse community they serve. For the Phillips County Sheriff’s Office, that diversity includes age, gender and ethnicity. As described by Sheriff Beard, “I’ve got a good quality team around me.”