Larimer County Sheriff Justin Smith reflects on decadeslong law enforcement career

At the bottom of the stairs leading up to Larimer County Sheriff Justin Smith’s office is a saddle accompanied by the story of “The Sheriff’s Saddle,” which Smith wrote in 2014 describing the role of a sheriff and the saddle representing the office.

“Some people come in and think it’s about them,” Smith said. “The office of the sheriff belongs to your community. They've entrusted you to hold that for a time period.”

Smith was first elected sheriff in 2010 after almost 20 years in the department. After serving three terms, he was term-limited and unable to run in last year's election. He will serve his last day on Monday, Jan. 9, after more than 30 years in law enforcement.

John Feyen, the county's next sheriff, will be sworn in Tuesday, Jan. 10.

“I’m very pleased to turn the sheriff saddle over and let John adjust it so he can give direction to the agency,” Smith said.

Feyen most recently was an assistant chief with Fort Collins Police Services and previously worked with Smith at the sheriff’s office for nearly 20 years.

“It really is a little somber,” Smith said, sitting in his half-empty office on Jan. 4, photos and plaques removed from the wall. “It's not a sad occasion because I just know where we've gone and I have so much hope for where this office will continue to go under Sheriff Feyen.”

Law enforcement has been Smith’s entire adult life. He even missed his college graduation in Wichita, Kansas, in 1991 to come out to Larimer County and start his new job as a deputy. Smith worked to rise through the ranks in the sheriff’s office because he saw it as a way to broaden the positive influence he could have on the department and the community.

“I was always seeking ways to say, 'What's the next level of something that I can do?',” Smith said. “Every one of those (promotions) gave me an opportunity to learn new things about what I call ‘sheriffing.’ “

"Sheriffing" goes beyond law enforcement's typical duties, Smith said. The sheriff is responsible for managing the jail and the justice center, wildfire response and connecting with the community.

“The role of a sheriff is not simply a crimefighter,” Smith said. “It really comes down to (being a) guardian in the community.”

Stepping into the role of sheriff, the job was not what Smith expected. He thought his main focus would be fighting rising crime, but because he took office mid-recession, his first focus was on budgetary issues.

“We spent a lot of focus on making the most that we could out of the limited resources that were available,” Smith said.

About a year and a half in — on June 9, 2012 — the High Park Fire started west of Fort Collins, which was his first major challenge as sheriff.

“To see the scale and the scope of the dangers, the threats to people’s property, to individual people, was really eye-opening,” Smith said.

He recalled the day the fire started that he and others believed the fire wouldn’t reach the Poudre Canyon until the next day, “but we were there before midnight and were essentially surrounded by fire as we were going to evacuate people.”

“I remember when we finally got people evacuated that night and we’re leaving the Poudre Canyon, and you look back and you just saw this massive red glow behind you in the sky,” Smith said. “It was something.”

The High Park Fire garnered national media attention, but after reflection Smith said he declined those interviews. Instead, he said it made him realize the importance of focusing on those directly impacted by the fire, communicating with them with help from local news media and doing their best to help those affected on an individual basis.

The High Park Fire was just the first disaster the sheriff’s office would respond to in Smith’s time as sheriff. The following year, the county experienced destructive flooding, and then in 2020 they worked the record-breaking Cameron Peak Fire during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Around every corner there’s been something new and challenging,” Smith said.

Smith said during crises like the major wildfires, he saw the community's deep desire to help, so the sheriff's office would often create avenues to collect donations.

“We're a part of the community, they're part of us and I saw that,” Smith said. “For all the bad that we witness in law enforcement and the first responder community, I also saw a lot of good in people's hearts.”

After he was first elected sheriff, Smith said he started receiving messages from people thanking him for treating them well when he responded to a call — or even pulled them over or arrested them — while he was a deputy.

“It's easy to look at our natural disasters and say, people notice this big response to a fire or flood and that's absolutely true, but part of what I take away from this is it's the little things that we do that we often don't think about (that make a difference),” Smith said. “It's those little interactions we have with how we treat people. … We have to act with humanity.”

“One person can make a difference,” Smith said.

While he's not sure exactly what's next for him in his career, Smith said he's still "drawn to continue to support first responders and public safety."

Smith has also witnessed a "tear in the social fabric" in recent years, largely because of the strain technology has put on personal relationships, and he hopes whatever he does next can help repair that in the community.

He said he could also see himself using his knowledge, experiences and connections to do something with mental health support for law enforcement and first responders.

“We're never going to get rid of the tragedies that first responders deal with, it's part of what we do," Smith said. "But we can better prepare them.”

In the short term, Smith said he's looking forward to "taking a breather," spending more time with his family and traveling — and maybe tackling a few projects on the list his wife started for him about 28 years ago.

“It’s almost been 32 straight years without taking my foot off the gas," Smith said. "... I'm looking forward to a slower pace, and hopefully I can take the lessons I've learned and help, you know, other law enforcement leaders help to support law enforcement officers.”

This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: Longtime Larimer County Sheriff Justin Smith leaving office