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Setting the record straight

It’s no secret that Sheriff Bob Braudis was a my friend and my family for over 35 years and we worked very closely for 24 years. I’d be remiss if I didn’t correct some people who almost disrespectfully quote him erroneously since his passing without him being here to correct the record.

My opponents seem to think being on the the road riding with deputies and responding to calls is what Bob wanted. That’s patently false. Here is what Bob believed in his own words in a 2006 local newspaper article: “I think I’m a very logical manager,” Braudis said in 2006. “If it makes sense, I do it. When I first was a sheriff, I responded to every call of any significance: bomb threats, domestic violence scenes, and some of my employees and supervisors said, ‘Hey, Bob, if you’re going to show up at everything, we don’t have to.’ They were basically saying ‘go back to what you’re supposed to be doing: planning and managing and not responding.’” That’s what Bob believed in his own words, anyone who believes differently was not “mentored” by Bob.

I trust the deputies who patrol Pitkin County to do the right thing without me in the car with them. One of my jobs as sheriff is to make sure employees have fair pay, good benefits and the best training and equipment to effectively do their jobs to keep them safe and to better protect you. Based on several high-profile police incidents, this profession is forever evolving, body cameras and more police accountability, use of force and fair treatment are a few examples of why we must stay current, if not ahead.



Both my opponents seem to think the past is best for Pitkin County. If elected you’ll probably see that deputies with Polaroid cameras dangling from their necks and wearing jeans would be a priority for the new sheriff. Finally, the building and funding of a new jail is not my decision, it rests squarely on the Board of County Commissioners and the electorate; the rest is hype peppered with misinformation.

Joe DiSalvo




Pitkin County Sheriff