2010 Election
Bean cites years of broad public and private experience

By Cherry Sokoloski
North Forty News

Dell Bean, candidate for Larimer County sheriff, said people will see "a more citizen-oriented force of officers" if he is elected. Officers would be less confrontational with the public and response times would even out, resulting in better response times in the remote areas of the county.

Bean, an independent, has more than 40 years' experience in the law enforcement arena, including 23 in the public sector. He has worked for both the Fort Collins Police Department and the Larimer County Sheriff's Department. In the sheriff's office, he served as captain of three divisions and was also acting undersheriff for 14 months. In the latter capacity, he was involved in budgeting for the entire department.

Bean, 62, of Fort Collins owns a security consulting business and a big game hunting business. He also operates a fishing club on leased ranches.

According to Bean, his experience in both the public and private sectors gives him broader administrative experience than his opponents. In his security consulting business, he works with large corporations and has a chance to study their management styles. He also worked for the Colorado Division of Wildlife and the Colorado Division of Parks and Outdoor Recreation.

"My management experience is more varied than Justin (Smith's), and (Jay) Harrison doesn't have any," Bean commented.

If elected, Bean said he would bring in a new undersheriff and replace some of the command staff, including heads of investigations and operations.

Self-described as a "staunch Republican" for nearly 40 years, Bean said he left the party because the GOP "was not interested in making any kind of change in our government, and they merely wanted to maintain their place at the public trough."

Listing of concealed weapon permit holders has been a hot-button issue in the sheriff's race. Bean said that he would not release names of concealed carry permit holders to the state database or to the press, and he strongly criticized Justin Smith for "flip-flopping" on the issue.

Bean sees the county budget as a huge issue in the coming years. If Amendments 60 and 61 and Proposition 101 pass, Bean said, the department could lose 20 deputies. "Sure, the sheriff's office will still answer 911 calls," he said, "but it may not be the day you call. I don't think the voters, by and large, understand what those initiatives will cost them."

With the current 0.2 percent jail tax set to expire in 2014, Bean said he would favor asking citizens to extend it. The sales tax is fairer than a property tax, he said, because the burden is "spread out over everybody."

Jail space, Bean said, should be used for people who are a danger to society. He thinks marijuana use should be decriminalized and treated as a mental health issue, like alcohol use. He is supportive of treatment programs offered by criminal-justice services and thinks they should be expanded. He would also be willing to consider multi-jurisdictional jails as an efficiency measure.

Bean is not happy with how the county commissioners prioritize the overall budget. "Public safety should be number one, and should be adequately funded," he said. He thinks the county commissioners should "get off the dime" and look at other funding options for the jail.

According to Bean, the current sheriff's active pursuit of traffic speeders is overdone and presents "a major public relations problem." He doesn't like speed traps except in school zones.

When questioned about being out of public law enforcement for 20 years, Bean said, "Managing people and managing money – those things don't change." He has never declared bankruptcy.