Who will be the next Phillips County Sheriff?

 Recently the Holyoke Enterprise spoke with each candidate and asked questions in regard to the upcoming election. Here are the results for the candidates. 

 What are your qualifications to be Sheriff? 

Hello, I am Michael Beard, currently the sheriff of Phillips County. I am fully committed to law enforcement in Phillips County and have been for almost 14 years. I began my law enforcement career with the Haxtun Police Department in August of 2010. I then moved to the Phillips County Sheriff’s Office in May of 2020, where I served as the Undersheriff to the late Sheriff, Thomas Elliott. After Sheriff Elliott’s passing, I was selected by the County Commissioners to fill the Sheriff position. I was appointed as the Sheriff for Phillips County on February 28, 2023. I am very thankful that I was chosen to lead the Sheriff’s Office and feel that I have served the community and the Sheriff’s Office in a professional manner. I have been supervising since my time in the military where I supervised multiple individuals during my career. In my civilian career I supervised up to 75 people during the last thirty-four years. I am a Certified Firearms Instructor and Field training Officer. I also hold many other Instructor certifications which I have held throughout my Law Enforcement career. I have trained many Officers from multiple agencies throughout my Law Enforcement career. 

Why are you the best person for the job? 

I feel that my experience and training are two of the most significant things I bring to the job. My knowledge of the Sheriff’s Office duties and responsibilities is very strong. I also keep up on all administrative duties that come with the job. As Sheriff, I will continue to protect everyone’s constitutional rights and freedoms. I will commit to enforcing all state and federal laws regardless of what side of the law the people are on. I am committed to the aggressive pursuit of crimes against people which include violent crimes and those involving illegal drug activity. I will take an active approach in the punishment of those crimes and do my best to ensure that victims are provided the services needed. We at the Sheriff’s Office do thorough criminal investigations to present the District Attorney’s Office a winnable case every time. Recently two of my personally handled cases against a violent offender resulted in the defendant being sentenced to twelve years and six years respectively in the Colorado State Department of Corrections. I have and will continue to maintain a very good relationship with the County Commissioners. I also feel that integrity and ethics are a valuable part of this position. I feel that I have shown the communities that I am committed to Phillips County. I have made my home here and will continue to support the county by providing honest and dedicated service. 

What do you plan to accomplish in your first 30 days? In your first 90 days? 

I will continue to keep the Sheriff’s office on course following our mission statement of: Proudly serving the residents of Phillips County with integrity, skill, and professionalism. I will continue to train and mentor our staff, always sharing knowledge and experience. I will continue to send all staff members to trainings that will help them to further their careers, and better serve the citizens of Phillips County. In the first ninety days I plan to find and attend an FBI Leadership Academy to learn more leadership skills and apply them to better grow the department. This is one of the premier law enforcement leadership courses available to leaders in law enforcement. 

Why do you want to become sheriff? 

I wish to continue to be Sheriff because I love the job and responsibilities of the office. I feel that I can continue to contribute by sharing my knowledge and experience with all that are willing to learn. I have a strong tactical background with three years as an Army airborne ranger and three years with the Air Force Pararescue. Also, I have participated in many other tactical based training courses during my Law Enforcement career. I feel that I have a lot to offer in this position while continuing to learn new things. I have also made Phillips County my home and have committed myself to the communities that I have grown to love. I want to continue to serve these communities by providing quality law enforcement services which will include training my staff so that they can continue to fulfill this goal well after my tenure. 

What do you believe is the most important ability to be a leader? 

Communication is the most important ability in a leader. As a leader it is important to communicate effectively with those that you lead. Another part of communication is the ability to actively listen to those that you are communicating with. This is something that I do both with my staff as well as the community. The ability to coach employees through honest, constructive feedback with a commitment to their growth is something that I also feel is important for a leader to have. Fostering collaboration and showing empathy for those you lead is also vital. It is important to act with integrity and ethics so that one can lead by example. I strive to follow these leadership skills. 

What kind of leadership will you bring to the sheriff’s office? 

I will continue to lead by example and strive to be the most professional office that we can be. I am continuing to learn how to lead and manage the younger generations. During my time in the military, I attained the rank of Sergeant in the Army. Then in the Air Force I went up one rank to technical Sergeant and attended leadership courses in both branches. After finishing my military career, I worked for a nationwide refrigeration and mechanical company for approximately twenty-five years as a service technician, service manager, and finished off as a field operations manager supervising four service managers, over sixty service technicians, route sales, and outside sales personnel. During this time, I attended many leadership courses and seminars. I have also attended supervisor courses in my law enforcement career. I plan to lead my people by being open to listening to their concerns and taking their ideas into consideration when making decisions that affect the office and the county. I plan to lead my staff to have the ability to perform my job in my absence. I believe that a department is only as strong as their weakest link and therefore it is important that all employees be at the same level. As a leader, I understand that I can and will also learn from my staff. Together, we will lead and serve the citizens of Phillips County. 

How will you ensure the sheriff’s department builds and maintains community trust? 

I will maintain and further community relations through positive interactions with the community. I will continue to support the communities that I serve by working closely with all community members, businesses, groups, and citizens. We will listen to their concerns and act upon them. Earlier this year we had a Holyoke High School senior call come and learn about the Driving Under the Influence process. Recently we have put on a presentation for the Sunshine Gang in Holyoke on personal safety and Identity Theft per their request. We have also put on a Safety/ Active Shooter presentation for the Cornerstone Church per their request. We encourage everyone to talk to us about their needs and we will do whatever it takes to listen to and accommodate all requests. Under a former sheriff, the medical response policy was changed to not responding to medical calls. I have decided to change the Phillips County Sheriff’s Office policy concerning responding to medical calls. 

 As of May 10, 2024, the Sheriff’s Office will respond to all medical calls in the county in which we are available. 

How will you engage with schools and educational institutions for safety and awareness programs? 

I will begin by meeting with both Haxtun and Holyoke Police Departments and both school Superintendents to find out their needs. I will listen to their questions and concerns and tailor our response to develop training and programs that can be offered to the students and staff. I will offer our assistance to the local agencies that serve these schools. Historically we have presented all applicable laws to the students in the Holyoke Driver’s Education class. This is something that we hope to continue. 

How do you plan to handle interactions with the media and public information dissemination? 

By being open, honest, and transparent with everyone while releasing all information that we can with them. The media is a valuable source for getting information out to the public. I plan to work closely with the media to ensure a good working relationship so that we can both serve the communities and make sure that citizens have the information. 

 that they need and deserve.