Find the Sheriff in Niobrara County: Where’s Waldo Event to Connect with Residents

The speculation appeared on the Niobrara Sheriff’s Facebook page. Participants in the Facebook game “Find the Deputy Friday” tried to answer which rural road a local sheriff’s deputy just visited based on a photo she shared.

Boner Road? Hat Creek Road? Kirtley? Silent Hill?

The fog obscured all landmarks and deceived even the oldest residents of Niobrara County. The hint was dropped. The road passed 10 miles from Lask. New guesses poured in. Silver Springs? Petz Road? Indian Creek Road?

Finally, MP Ashley Clark wrote: “It was on Gravel Road.”

You could almost hear a collective groan as social media users admitted they were stumped.

Niobrara County is the least populated county in Wyoming with a population of 2,480 people. Nicknamed the “Crossroads of the West,” it is located on the high plains where residents primarily depend on agriculture and ranches stretch for miles around. Despite its small population, Niobrara County faces unique challenges because it is also the primary route for those traveling from Denver to the Black Hills of the Dakotas.

The Niobrara County Sheriff’s Office Patrol Division has positions for three full-time deputies who, along with the sheriff and deputy sheriff, patrol seven days a week protecting the cities of Lusk, Manville, Van Tassell and Lance Creek. . They work closely with the Wyoming Highway Patrol, Lusk Municipal Police Department and the Wyoming Game and Fish Department.

Find Deputy Sheriff Friday

Sheriff-elect Randy Starkey’s idea was to bring attention to his rural county on Facebook with posts he called “Find a Deputy Friday.” The plan was to have his two patrol deputies, Deputy Clark and Deputy Daniel Applegarth, post the photos on their Facebook page, “Niobrara Sheriff,” without naming the road. Residents will have to test how knowledgeable they are about their hometown.

“It takes about a minute or two,” Deputy Clark said. “We usually have an idea of ​​where we want to go and we try to show every provincial road. Sometimes it depends on where we are called. We’ll finish the call, and if we have time, we’ll come to the place and take a photo.”

The task of the deputies is to find an area that is not too familiar, but which can still be guessed by those who are knowledgeable in that area.

“Sometimes there’s a landmark in the background that makes it easier than other times,” Clark said. “For example, our photo (October 18) was in the fog. It took a lot of guesswork to get this, but they guessed the previous picture right away.”

Humanizing the icon

The publications serve several purposes, including increasing public awareness and highlighting the beauty of Niobrara County.

“We’re just trying to humanize the icon. We want them to realize that we are people and that we participate in society,” Clark said. “We want them to feel safe to talk to us, tell us things and report crimes that are happening so we can investigate them thoroughly.”

The response has been positive and Clark enjoys reading the comments.

“We get jokes from time to time about people commenting on finding donuts and things like that,” she said. “We love all the feedback, and so far it’s all been positive. We’d like to keep it that way.”

Comments that made Clark smile included a suggestion that the deputy’s truck was “out of gas, out on the lonely prairie” and “Wake up! We found you sleeping. Did you think we wouldn’t find you?

“We have quite a few,” Clark said. “We laugh and move on.”

Highlighting the vastness of Niobrara County

“We cover about 2,600 square miles in the county,” Clark said. “We like to show off the beauty of our county and also show off the difficult terrain we have to navigate. “I don’t think some of the residents realize that it can take a while to get there because of how far we have to travel and the terrain and weather conditions when winter sets in.”

In a rural county, the sheriff’s office faces challenges that residents of large cities and metropolitan police departments did not expect.

“Our primary mission is to solve ranchers’ livestock problems,” Clark said. “We’re dealing with a lot of assistance for motorists. We just want everyone to be safe as they travel through our county.”

Controversy is another challenge facing law enforcement in rural Wyoming.

“We do everything from checking brand consistency to making sure cattle stay off the highways,” she said. “Unfortunately, we also have reports of stolen and missing livestock and we are doing everything we can to investigate these.”

Clarke also encourages local residents and those driving through the area to join their Facebook page, as the platform serves as a good way to inform the public about road closures and accidents. Their goal is to inform and keep people safe in Niobrara County.

Recruiting tool

The Facebook page serves a different purpose, Clark acknowledged. The Niobrara Sheriff’s Office is actively recruiting new deputies. She said they wanted people who wanted to live a rural lifestyle and enjoy nature.

“We are understaffed and are looking for candidates. We always accept applications from qualified individuals,” Clark said. “It’s a quiet and safe environment.”

The Facebook page and weekly posts have given Clark and Applegarth a way to connect with their community. Clark especially enjoys showcasing the county and the beauty around it. She also likes that Niobrara County has a smaller population so she can get to know more people in Niobrara County by name.

“We love dealing with our audience and getting to know them on a deeper individual level,” Clark said. “We like that it’s safe here.”

Contact Jackie Dorothy at [email protected].

Jackie Dorothy can be contacted at [email protected].