Thank you Custer County!
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Thank you Custer County! ★
Good Morning, Custer County!
I am thrilled to have earned the Republican nomination for Sheriff in our primary election this week. When I first started down this path to serve our community in this capacity, I had no idea what running such a campaign would entail. I am so grateful for all the people who rallied around to show support: Volunteers painted signs, cooked meals, hosted meetings in their homes, donated many hours, and spread the word in our community. Still more people came together to donate money which was used primarily for newspaper advertisements in the two local papers and printing signs and other campaign materials. I will be forever grateful for your support and encouragement.
That said, this race isn’t quite over, and I must still earn your vote in November’s midterm election before I am officially your next Sheriff. I am eager to continue meeting each of you and answering your questions. I also want to double down on my promise to represent all citizens of Custer County. The Sheriff’s Office will be strictly non-partisan. It doesn’t matter if you are religious or not, if you are gay or straight, if you are male or female, or your national origin or race, or your political affiliations, or who you supported or voted for in the primary. I am committed to serving every single member of our community with fairness and integrity.
I met yesterday with Sheriff Robert Hill to talk about a plan to help me continue to get up to speed with the department’s current operational status. I also attended a meeting with him and a vendor for our 911 software in Canon City about some proposed changes. I appreciate him reaching out and his commitment to serving our community during this transition and look forward to taking advantage of all such opportunities over the next several months.
Thank you again for your support and encouragement during the primary campaign. I am excited about what comes next and the opportunity to continue serving the community we all cherish and love.
Integrity.
The quality of being honest and fair.
Integrity is also doing the right thing when no one is looking. The citizens of Custer County expect that those serving in law enforcement demonstrate the highest integrity. Equally important is treating the people of Custer County with fairness. Regardless of a person’s wealth, standing in the community, political party, religion, gender, race, nationality, gender expression, or even status as a prisoner, Smith will treat everyone fairly and require the rest of the office to do likewise.
As Sheriff, Rich will require the highest integrity from the men and women who serve in the Sheriff’s Office. Rich will hold these men and women accountable and expect that they hold him accountable as well.
Courage.
The ability to do something that you know is difficult or dangerous.
A practical tool to develop courage is the use of stress inoculation. Choosing a career in law enforcement requires courage. Courage to face danger to protect the community. Courage to remain true to one’s values. Courage to stand up for what you believe in. Smith understands the role of courage in law enforcement based on nearly 20 years of service. He also values and respects the courage that each member of the Sheriff’s Office displays on a daily basis.
“Courage is being scared to death but saddling up anyway.”
Experience.
Practical knowledge, skill, or practice derived from direct observation of or participation in events or in a particular activity.
With nearly three decades in public service including law enforcement and emergency services, Rich has gained a plethora of experience that he can use to continue building success into the Sheriff’s office.
His top priority is a complete audit of Sheriff’s Office policy, procedure and training. He is constantly seeking out the best training to allow deputies to hone their craft. In addition to traditional law enforcement training, Rich plans to add formal training in leadership, personal development, and wellness.
“Practice does not make perfect. Only perfect practice makes perfect. ”
Meet Rich.
I was born in Germany to a military family while they were stationed there. My family moved several times over the time of my father’s military career but we always considered Colorado Springs to be home. From an early age, I liked to get things done and I fondly remember camping near Buena Vista.
I played soccer in elementary school and I was a soccer referee in high school (loved this job). I began my career journey working at McDonald’s which provided me with great exposure to team work - had a terrific boss. I moved on to Kinkos Copies working as a machine operator, customer service associate, outside sales agent, regional technical trainer, and went on to manage a small store followed by managing a larger store. All the while I was a volunteer with Red Cross Disaster Services in Oklahoma. I responded to floods, tornadoes, apartment and house fires. I learned the value of emergency management, disaster preparedness, and business continuity planning.
On April 19, 1995 I responded to the Oklahoma City Murrah Building Bombing. While there I felt the need to switch focus from an emergency responder to emergency preventer. I went on to earn professional certification as a Certified Business Continuity Planner with the Disaster Recovery Institute. They later hired me as a contract instructor to teach certification classes. I left Kinko's to start my own full time consulting business from 1998-2002. My primary clients were large insurance companies but I wanted to serve small towns and counties that I had seen suffer the worst in the national disaster I responded to with the Red Cross. Then on September 11, 2001, I was teaching a class at USC. That horrific day compelled me to do more to prevent emergencies and disasters. I filled out an online application and was accepted into a basic training academy the next year.
My parents emphasized service from the very beginning. Susan, my mother, volunteered with child literacy programs and served as a volunteer chaplain with a Federal Prison facility for twenty years. My brother, Joel, serves as a children’s pastor and youth and family counselor. Along with my volunteer work with Red Cross Disaster Services, I volunteered with the Humane Society for two years in Colorado Springs. After adopting my dog, I decided I had to leave because I was tempted to adopt additional dogs.
In Custer County, I have volunteered with Custer County Search and Rescue and I have served on the Custer Sheriff’s Scuba diving team as a rescue diver. I also work part time with Custer EMS as an EMT.
In my free time I enjoy traveling and off-roading in my modified Toyota 4 Runner. In fact, the first time I visited Westcliffe was on my motorcycle at the suggestion of a friend. I fell in love with the scenic beauty and the incredible people of Westcliffe and made many additional motorcycle trips to Custer County before moving here in 2016. I also enjoy spending time with my large family.