The guesses came flying in on the Niobrara Sheriff Facebook page. Participants of the Facebook game “Find the Deputy Friday” were trying to answer which rural road a local sheriff’s deputy had just visited based on a photo she shared.
Boner Road? Hat Creek Road? Kirtley? Silent Hill?
The fog had obscured any landmarks and fooled even the oldest residents of Niobrara County. A hint was thrown out. The road was 10 miles from Lusk. More guesses poured in. Silver Springs? Petz Road? Indian Creek Road?
Finally, Deputy Ashley Clark posted, “This was on Gravel Pit Road.”
You could almost hear the collective groan as those on social media admitted they had been stumped.
Niobrara County is the least populated county in the state of Wyoming with a population of 2,480 people. Nicknamed the “Crossroads of the West,” it is located in the high plains, where residents are primarily dependent on agriculture with ranches spreading for miles around. Despite the small population, Niobrara County faces unique issues since it’s also a major travel route for those traveling from Denver to the Black Hills of the Dakotas.
The Patrol Division of the Niobrara County Sheriff’s Office has positions for three full-time Deputies who, along with the sheriff and under-sheriff, are out on patrol seven days a week, protecting the towns of Lusk, Manville, Van Tassell and Lance Creek. They work closely with the Wyoming Highway Patrol, Municipal Lusk Police Department and the Wyoming Game and Fish Department.
Find The Deputy Friday
It was the elected Sheriff Randy Starkey’s idea to highlight his rural county on Facebook with posts he dubbed “Find the Deputy Friday.” The plan was for his two patrol deputies, Deputy Clark and Deputy Daniel Applegarth, to post pictures on their Facebook page ‘Niobrara Sheriff’ without naming the road. It would be up to residents to see how knowledgeable they are of their hometown.
“It takes about a minute or two,” Deputy Clark said. “We usually have an idea of where we want to go, and we try to feature every county road. Sometimes it depends on where we're called to. We'll finish a call, and if we have time, we'll run over to an area and take a picture.”
The challenge for the deputies is to find an area that is not too familiar but is still possible to guess for those knowledgeable of the area.
“Sometimes we'll have a landmark in the background that makes it easier than other times,” Clark said. “For instance, our picture (October 18) was in fog. It took quite a few guesses to get it, but the picture prior to that, they guessed immediately.”
Humanizing The Badge
The posts serve several purposes including getting more public interaction and to highlight the beauty of Niobrara County.
“We're just trying to humanize the badge. We want them to realize we're people and that we're out in the community,” Clark said. “We want them to feel safe, to talk to us, to tell us things and to report crimes that are happening so we can investigate them thoroughly.”
The reaction has been favorable, and Clark enjoys reading the comments.
“We get the occasional jokes of people making comments about looking for donuts and such,” she said. “We love any feedback and have had all positive so far. We’d like to keep it that way.”
Comments that made Clark smile include a guess that said the deputy’s truck was “Out of gas, on the lone prairie” and “Wake up! We caught you napping. Did you think we wouldn't find you?”
“We have quite a few of those,” Clark said. “We laugh and move on.”
Slagle Road was one of the “Find the Deputy Friday” posts that are shared by the Niobrara County Sheriff’s Office on Facebook. It is part of their efforts to engage with the public and humanize the badge they wear. (Courtesy Niobrara County Sheriff's Office) 
This particular photo was guessed correctly by all participants in the “Find the Deputy Friday” guessing game. It was Shane Road and Danny Tadewald pointed out that the barn was Rhoda’s. (Courtesy Niobrara County Sheriff's Office) 
The fog made this photo a difficult one to guess on the Niobrara County Sheriff’s Office Facebook Page. The “Find the Deputy Friday” guessing game has drawn the attention of locals in Lusk and this particular photo was never recognized as Gravel Pit Road. (Courtesy Niobrara County Sheriff's Office) 
Cow Creek, Niobrara County, highlights the rural setting that the deputies routinely patrol. (Courtesy Niobrara County Sheriff's Office) 
The Niobrara County Sheriff Deputies post pictures every Friday for their Facebook followers to guess their whereabouts. This one of Blackmore Road was an easier guess with the landmark hanging out in back. (Courtesy Niobrara County Sheriff's Office)
Highlighting The Vastness Of Niobrara County
“We cover about 2,600 square miles in the county,” Clark said. “We like to show the beauty of our county while also showing some the tough terrain that we have to travel while responding. I don't think some of the residents understand that it might take a while to get there, due to how far we have to travel and the terrain and the elements when it's wintertime.”
In a rural county, the sheriff’s office faces issues that those in the bigger cities and metropolitan police departments areas wouldn’t expect.
“Our primary roles are dealing with the ranchers livestock issues,” Clark said. “We deal with a lot of motorist assists. We just want everybody be safe as they travel through our county.”
Wrangling is another issue that law enforcement face in rural Wyoming.
“We do everything from brand compliance checks to making sure the livestock are off the highways,” she said. “We also, unfortunately, have reports of stolen and missing livestock, and we do our best to investigate those.”
Clark also encourages locals and those driving through the area to join their Facebook page because the platform serves as a good way to communicate to the public about closed roads and crashes. Their goal is to keep people informed and safe in Niobrara County.
Recruiting Tool
The Facebook page is serving another purpose, Clark admitted. The Niobrara Sheriff’s Office is actively recruiting for new deputies. She said they want people who want a rural lifestyle and enjoy the outdoors.
“We are understaffed and are looking for applicants. We're always accepting applications from qualified individuals,” Clark said. “It's a quiet, safe environment.”
The Facebook page and the weekly posts have given both Clark and Applegarth a chance to connect to their community. Clark especially loves showcasing the county and the beauty around them. She also enjoys having a smaller population so she can get to know more of the people in Niobrara County by name.
“We love dealing with our public and we get know them on a deeper individual level,” Clark said. “We like that is safe here.”
Contact Jackie Dorothy at jackie@cowboystatedaily.com
Jackie Dorothy can be reached at jackie@cowboystatedaily.com.
