Brett Schroetlin is running for Grand County Sheriff as a Republican candidate.

A Colorado native and resident of Grand County since 2002, Schroetlin says his passion in law enforcement and serving the community. “I truly believe in ‘servant leadership’ and strive to follow the ‘service above self’ philosophy, he said.

At the age of 14, Schroetlin began serving as an Explorer Scout for the Loveland Police Department and remained active for nine years, accumulating over 4,500 hours of volunteer experience. This opportunity led him to enroll in the Police Academy in 2000, graduating at the top of his class. He has been a certified law enforcement officer since that time.

Locally, Schroetlin was hired by the Grand County Sheriff’s Office in August 2002. He was promoted to the rank of sergeant and lieutenant. He was a Drug Abuse Resistance Education (DARE) instructor, served on the Grand County Drug Task Force, Grand County Underage Alcohol Task Force, and as a team leader of the Special Response Team.

In 2006, Schroetlin accepted a position with the Fraser-Winter Park Police Department as a sergeant, with a promotion to commander, and was the acting chief of police for three months in 2007 while the chief was on extended training. He has over 1,600 hours of specialized law enforcement education and training, and is working as a detective / K9 handler. Schroetlin is a Grand County Deputy Coroner.

“I believe now is the time for the Grand County Sheriff’s Office to become a more proactive organization,” he said in his March 19 announcement letter. “I have a clear vision of moving forward to make the Sheriff’s Office and Grand County a better place. If elected as sheriff, I would work to establish a strong partnership between the sheriff’s office and the citizens and tourists of this county. This responsibility needs to start with the sheriff and is a challenge I am willing to embrace. I am committed to make hard decisions that any public official must make, and then stand firmly behind those decisions. Additionally, I pledge to operate a fair and practical organization that reflects highly on this community. I will devote myself to increased accountability by the community. I will actively work to increase employee retention, morale, continuing staff education, and the increased use of technology. Law enforcement grants are going unused due of a lack of applicants; I will seek out funding from these grants to maximize our tax dollars.

“Together, we can make a difference in the safety of Grand County.”