After 132 years of statehood, Wyoming has elected its first black sheriff, Aaron Applehans, to serve Albany County. Sheriff Applehans is returning to office after his interim appointment in 2021, with hopes to change the culture of Laramie’s law enforcement with new progressive policies.
Applehans won a tight race against Republican opponent Joel Senior on November 8th. Senior held a strong lead at the start of the night, but as absentee ballots rolled in, Applehans overtook him by only 526 votes.
Both Senior and Applehans’ platforms focused on areas of mental health crisis response, meeting the needs of rural residents, and specific training of new and current deputies.
Though this is a historic “first” for the ‘Equality State,’ Aaron Applehans is no stranger to the office of sheriff. He has held the position since early 2021, following the resignation of his predecessor David O’Malley in the wake of the shooting of Robbie Rameriez and following lawsuit in 2018.
The shooting and 3 subsequent events of death in local incarceration have contributed to a feeling of distrust among the Albany county community that Applehans would see remedied through more upfront communication.
In an effort to increase transparency, the new sheriff hopes to make direct statements to the public and move away from the department’s convention of information releases through the media.
The sheriff’s goals also include de-escalation training for his deputies, a further integration of mental health services in crisis response, reducing traffic fatalities, alternative sentencing options particularly for those in active addiction, and a commitment to diversity and inclusivity in his office.
Applehans represents an impressive minority of not only African American individuals in law enforcement positions (13%), but especially of black sheriffs nationwide. According to the US Census Bureau, only 1.3% of sheriffs in the US are African American.
With strong calls for reform from locals and a national movement of change in the organization, operation, and conventions of law enforcement agencies, Applehans faces an uphill climb to achieve his goals and re-establish trust in his community.
