Stephenson: Have not attacked staff

This letter is in response to Parker Lathrop’s opinion piece in the Aspen Daily News. I would point to an important fact: Those supporting Michael Buglione have never criticized current or past patrol deputies or jail deputies. Their service and commitment has never been in question. Our questions throughout have been about the management, or lack thereof, of Joe DiSalvo.

Deputy Lathrop’s statement — “When these comments started targeting and hurting the 59 proud and dedicated professionals that comprise the Sheriff’s Office, most without providing little more than a whisper of hearsay or some archaic remembrance” — is factually untrue. Supporters of Michael Buglione have never done this. There is factual support for each statement in support of Michael.

Michael supports the hard-working deputies of the Pitkin County Sheriff’s Office. He and his supporters do not support a sheriff who is admittedly profiting from his friendship with a disgraced former bicyclist and finding it justifiable to be absent from his office for two months a year.

Supporters of Michael simply want integrity, truthfulness, and ethics returned to leadership. And, perhaps most strongly of all, we know that he will participate in every way to investigate housing alternatives for his staff that keep them in Pitkin County rather than as far away as Rifle for emergency response to Pitkin County residents. Joe has had 12 years to address housing for his dedicated staff and has not. Time for a change.

Ann Stephenson

Basalt