When Laramie County Sheriff Brian Kozak meets law enforcement officers across the country, they know about his billboard.
Posted in 2024 near downtown Denver, it read, “Work in Wyoming where breaking the law is STILL ILLEGAL & cops are still funded.”
The message referenced a proposed $8 million cut in Denver Police funds, but went viral as some Americans frustrated with negative attitudes towards law enforcement, as well as police budget cuts, latched onto the message. The controversial billboard, which is no longer standing, also made national headlines, appearing in outlets such as Fox News and CBS.
Kozak has stepped into the national spotlight a few times for his zany ideas, including his blinking vacancy sign posted outside the department, which warns passersby that he has jail space for criminals. That landed him on NewsNation.
An 8-hour day in Kozak’s life revealed a behind the scenes perspective of the sheriff, as well as what motivates his unconventional tactics that get Wyomingites, and everyone else, talking.
Unconventional Tactics
As Kozak sipped a fresh brew out of his “El Jefe” mug at 8:15 a.m. on Feb. 5, being sheriff looked pretty normal. At the table, the sheriff was surrounded by some of his colleagues that bring his unconventional social media posts to life.
“It's not just the billboard. I think we changed the whole culture here at the sheriff's office,” Kozak said. “When you look at our social media, people who are looking for a job are like, ‘Oh, I'd like to work in a place like [that.] Looks like they have fun.’ I think, too, with the public they're like, ‘I'll call the sheriff's office because it looks like they're engaged in the community.’”
Sheriff Brian Kozak drinks coffee during the department’s morning meeting on Feb. 5, 2025. (Hannah Brock) 
A blinking vacancy sign posted on the Laramie County Sheriff’s Office and jail building. According to Sheriff Brian Kozak, it tells passing motorists that he has room in the jail for anyone who commits a crime. (Reilly Strand) 
This billboard commissioned by the Laramie County Sheriff's Office is an appeal to recruit any Denver police officers who may feel "frustrated" with their jobs there, LCSO Sheriff Brian Kozak said. (Courtesy Laramie County Sheriff's Office) 
Sheriff Brian Kozak sits for an interview with Cowboy State Daily on Feb. 6, 2025. (Reilly Strand & Hannah Brock)
Kozak’s social media presence is sometimes met with mixed reactions, with some disapproving of his unique approach, and others cheering him on. Still, Kozak, who was elected in 2022, has recurring Facebook video features, like Catch A Fugitive and Deputies on PAWtrol.
Catch A Fugitive is a game using a Plinko board, renamed Clinko, where a person drops a coin at the top of the board. The coin falls through a series of pegs, finally settling on the mugshot of a fugitive. The game decides which wanted person deputies will aim to apprehend next.
“People laugh at that, but then people talk about the people who are wanted at the bottom,” Kozak said. “Now they're looking for those people. So, that helps us.”
In Deputies on PAWtrol episodes, deputies arrest adoptable shelter pets for made-up crimes like catnip possession or stealing hearts.
“I think the most important thing is to make sure everyone knows we're human here,” Kozak said.
‘Our Goal Is To Keep Them Out Of Here’
By 9:10 a.m., Kozak was heading to the jail for an inspection, which he leads once a month.
The jail cells were painted blue last year to cover up all graffiti. The pods are inspected daily. If an inmate marks up walls, they’re charged with a crime and disciplined, Kozak said. They won’t be allowed to socialize with other inmates.
“We will still let them out for at least an hour a day so they can exercise, but they're by themselves, “ Kozak said.
Bad behavior obviously leads to consequences, but Kozak is also positive, like fist bumping inmates with tidy cells and telling everyone good job.
If a pod passes Kozak’s inspection, all inmates get pizza.
A fist bump is shared between Sheriff Brian Kozak and a Laramie County Jail inmate on Feb. 5, 2025. Kozak said he’s tough on crime and jail rules, but once inmates are in the jail, he thinks it’s his job to give them the best resources so they don’t come back. (Hannah Brock) 
Sheriff Brian Kozak prepares to enter a jail pod for inspection on Feb. 5, 2025 (Hannah Brock) 
The Laramie County Sheriff’s Department and Detention Center entrance. (Reilly Strand) 
An aerial view of The Laramie County Sheriff’s Department and Detention Center. (Reilly Strand)
“If you break the law, we're going to come get you,” Kozak said. “But then once you're in my jail, I think I should be in a position to help you, to make sure you're successful when you get out of jail, so you don't come back. And so that's [an] approach maybe different from a lot of conservative areas.”
The department has five mental health counselors, and they’re starting to look into drug treatment, Kozak said. On Feb. 5, about 45% of inmates were people with a mental illness.
Kozak said he thinks the jail system is a good tool to reduce crime.
“Once we get them in there, into the jail, they're kind of captives of ours now, so now we can hit them with all this programming,” Kozak said. “And when they get released, get them connected to the right people outside of jail that can continue their treatment.”
This approach also makes for a better jail environment, which makes staff jobs easier, he said.
Recruiting And Retention
At 10:30 a.m., Kozak drove two miles from the department to South Greeley Highway, which has been a crash hot spot over the last six months.
Kozak joined a handful of other patrol units for a traffic enforcement operation. One deputy uses a LIDAR gun to call out speeding motorists, while other officers stand by to pull drivers over, or provide back up.
According to Kozak, it’s only been a few weeks since the department has had enough staff to fill the whole traffic unit.
“The sheriff's office has always had the positions, they just haven't been able to fill them. But now we're full staff on patrol, so that hasn't happened before,” Kozak said.
Sheriff Brian Kozak says goodbye to Cpl. Larry Moniz after the pair completed a traffic stop and wrote the driver a ticket for speeding and failure to show vehicle insurance on Feb. 5, 2025. (Hannah Brock) 
The view from the back seat of Sheriff Brian Kozak’s truck on Feb. 5, 2025. (Reilly Strand) 
Sheriff Brian Kozak shakes the paw of his department’s newest K-9, Cash. Kozak swore in Cash and his handler on Feb. 5, 2025. (Reilly Strand)
According to Kozak, after he posted the Denver billboard, his department received thousands of applications. He said he saw success in recruiting for a slew of hard-to-fill positions.
Sheriff Kozak said the department used to have an annual turnover rate of about 30% to 40%. Now, it’s about 8%, he said.
Still, about 12 jail positions remained unfilled as of Feb. 5.
Visible Sheriff
After writing a speeding ticket, Kozak was off to the Albin Farm Show at noon. Located on the outskirts of Laramie County, Albin is one of several rural communities the sheriff’s department has made an effort to show more attention to.
Later in the day, Kozak also stopped at the Juvenile Services Center, and Catz N Coffee Connections, a café with adoptable rescue cats.
“I heard that from the community, it was like, we don't see the sheriff's office. We only see the sheriff at election time. So, I wanted to make sure that's not me,” Kozak said.
A photo of Sheriff Brian Kozak is on display at Catz N Coffee Connections in downtown Cheyenne. Kozak was the first person to adopt a cat from the rescue cat café, which opened in 2023. (Reilly Strand) 
Organizers of the Albin Farm Show invited Sheriff Brian Kozak to attend their event. Kozak shakes the hands of vendors on Feb. 5, 2025. (Reilly Strand)
Kozak said he’s always been proud to be part of law enforcement. He spent 22 years as a police officer in Mesa, Arizona, then retired to be police chief in Avon, Colorado. After four years, he left for Cheyenne.
“I was looking for a more conservative area,” Kozak said.
Kozak was Cheyenne Police Department’s longest-running police chief of 11 years, a position he retired from in Kozak social media fashion.
“I took a couple years off. Retirement. My wife said, ‘Hey, you got to get a J-O-B.’ So I was like, okay, I'll run for sheriff,” Kozak said.
He will “most likely” run for sheriff again, he said.
For the full day in the life of Kozak, watch the video above.
Hannah Brock can be reached at: Hannah@CowboyStateDaily.com
Reilly Strand can be reached at: Reilly@CowboyStateDaily.com
