Former Pueblo County Sheriff Kirk Taylor begins tenure as U.S. marshal
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Former Pueblo County Sheriff Kirk Taylor, who served as the county’s top law-enforcement officer for 16 years, is officially the United States marshal for the District of Colorado.
After making his final 10-42 call — a law-enforcement code that signifies an officer or deputy’s end of duty — on Oct. 14, Taylor departed Pueblo for his new position in Denver. The marshal's office is headquartered in Denver, with sub-offices in Colorado Springs, Durango and Grand Junction.
In a small ceremony Thursday morning, Taylor was sworn in as marshal by U.S. District Court Chief Judge Phillip Brimmer at the Alfred A. Arraj United States Courthouse in Denver, according to a news release.
He was nominated for the position by President Joe Biden on June 6 and confirmed by the U.S. Senate on Sept. 29.
The four-term sheriff and U.S. Navy veteran spent his formative years in Rye and started his law-enforcement career in 1987 with the Alamosa Police Department.
He was an investigator for the 10th Judicial District Attorney’s office in Pueblo from 1994 to 2007, when he was elected sheriff.
During his time with the PCSO, Taylor was appointed to the Peace Officer Standards and Training Board by former Gov. Bill Ritter in 2009 and served three terms. He also served as chairman of the Legislative Committee for the County Sheriffs of Colorado and is a graduate of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s National Academy.
Taylor told the Chieftain in December 2021, shortly after announcing he would not seek reelection, that of all his accomplishments with the PCSO, he's most proud of his efforts overseeing emergency operations during the 2016 Beulah wildfire, leveraging federal Chemical Stockpile Emergency Preparedness Program funds to create a new emergency operations center in 2013, and helping to lead an initiative to build a new county jail.
More on the Pueblo County jail project:Pueblo County breaks ground on new jail, announces name of boulevard extension
After his formal nomination, Taylor told the Chieftain that serving as Pueblo’s sheriff has been the highlight of his personal and professional life.
"I will miss it," Taylor said. "I'll miss the people in particular and my staff. I'm not worried about leaving it in the hands of the staff that's there — they're very capable and I think they'll do a great job."
Taylor’s new venture was solidified Thursday with his swearing-in ceremony, which made him the 31st U.S. marshal for the district of Colorado, going back to the creation of the Colorado Territory in 1861.
At least until the general election on Nov. 7, Taylor's seat will be filled by former undersheriff and current Democratic sheriff candidate David Lucero, who was appointed to the position by Pueblo County commissioners about three weeks before the election.
Lucero’s opponent in the race is Republican candidate Joey Musso, who works as a deputy in the Pueblo County jail.
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Chieftain editor Zach Hillstrom can be reached at zhillstrom@ganett.com or on Twitter @ZachHillstrom
This article originally appeared on The Pueblo Chieftain: Former Pueblo County Sheriff Kirk Taylor begins tenure as U.S. marshal
