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A new billboard in Denver aims to recruit deputies to come to Wyoming at the expense of Colorado policies and leadership.
"Work in Wyoming where breaking the law is still illegal & cops are funded!" the billboard read, according to a social media post. The Laramie County Sheriff’s Office in Wyoming paid for the billboard to recruit deputies using a subtle jab at the city's progressive government.
Sheriff Brian Kozak paid $2,500 to put up the message on a billboard in Denver during National Police Week. He told Fox News Digital that he’s been a sheriff for just over a year, and the force had about 90 vacancies when he started.
"We started a digital media campaign, and we really focused our efforts on areas where there seemed to be, I guess, liberal politics dictating law enforcement," he said. "We knew that probably officers in those areas are a little frustrated, so we really focused our advertising on Denver."
The Laramie County Sheriff’s Office billboard (The Laramie County Sheriff’s Office)
"National media reported the City of Denver, on the other hand, decided to defund the police $8 million to fund immigrant shelters and restrict the ability for cops to enforce traffic laws, such as expired plates or safety equipment violations," the Laramie County Sheriff's Office Facebook post read.
Cheyenne, Wyoming's capital and largest city, is the county seat of Laramie.
"During Police Week, the Laramie County Sheriff’s Office (LCSO) unveiled a billboard in downtown Denver to let those frustrated officers know they can ‘Work in Wyoming where breaking the law is still illegal and cops are funded!’" the post added. "Sheriff Kozak thanks his community for supporting law enforcement and welcomes those who have a desire to do their job to join LCSOwy.org."
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Kozak said the marketing campaign has already helped the county with 40 new applications with an additional 20 to 40 contact requests every day since the billboard went up on Sunday.
"We actually hired 72 people last year as a result of our marketing strategy, and the feedback that we got from law enforcement officers that we hired from the Denver area was that that was an effective campaign strategy," he said.
Police watch an Occupy Denver protest march through downtown Denver November 5, 2011. REUTERS/Rick Wilking (REUTERS/Rick Wilking )
The officers and deputies that Laramie Couty has hired enjoy their work because they can do their job and the community supports them, Kozak said.
"We started thinking what better way to get the attention of those in law enforcement in that area who are frustrated that they can't do their job, and especially those who are thinking about entering law enforcement, don't waste your time working in a city that's not going to let you do your job," he said. "Come here in Wyoming and we welcome you here."
Johnston's office said the notion that the city was defending the police was a mischaracterization.
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"The City of Denver's adjustment to the Denver Police Department's budget was carefully crafted with safety leaders and Mayor Johnston to ensure there would be no impact to the department's public services," a spokesperson told Fox News Digital. "To say that Denver is 'defunding the police' is a willful mischaracterization of the budget reductions, which actually just delays the purchase of new furniture and shifts the funding source for one cadet class. In fact, Mayor Johnston has invested millions to add 167 new police recruits to our force in 2024, and will continue to invest in public safety to ensure every Denverite is safe in their city."
The campaign has received mixed support, but many of the comments in the Laramie County Sheriff's Office's post expressed enthusiasm for the move.
"Let’s thank all the Laramie County Residents in voting in a proactive Sheriff who isn’t afraid of ruffling feathers," one user said.
"I live in Denver. This is great," a second person said.
Photo of Denver Police Department sign in Colorado. (Fox News Digital/Lisa Bennatan)
"There are still a lot of great cops around Denver. A few may be good enough to come to Wyoming. Congratulations," a third posted.
Kozak told Fox News Digital he received several calls from Denver community members Tuesday expressing their desire to fund the billboard.
"Because they're kind of not happy with the direction of the politics in Denver, they were happy to see the billboard and so they actually want to send a check to pay for it," he said.
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