Meyer
SHERIFF
Experienced leadership. Accountable government.
A Sheriff's Office worthy of your trust.
Integrity Family Community
Meyer
Sheriff
for
EXPERIENCE EARNED IN THE FIELD
Zach Meyer’s experience was built through service,
responsibility, and real-world decision-making
under pressure.
His background includes Marine Corps combat service, volunteer fire service, and experience with the Gilpin County Sheriff’s Office in Detentions, Patrol, as a Field Training Officer, and on SWAT.
From combat service overseas to public safety here at home, Zach’s experience has been built in the field, alongside the people responsible for getting the job done.
EXCELLENCE THROUGH SERVICE
Gilpin County needs a Sheriff's Office that keeps experienced people, prepares deputies for the realities of mountain law enforcement, treats employees fairly, spends taxpayer dollars carefully, and earns the community's trust.
I’m running for Sheriff because I believe Gilpin County deserves leadership that is experienced, accountable, and focused on the people who live and work here.
This is a unique county. Our geography, limited resources, long response distances, and small-agency environment mean every decision matters. We need to keep experienced employees, train and develop the next generation, support our dispatchers and deputies, and make sure taxpayer dollars are spent where they have the greatest impact on public safety.
I also believe leadership should be fair and consistent. Hiring and promotions should be based on qualifications and performance. Employees should be able to raise concerns without fear. The public should be able to trust that decisions are made for the right reasons and that everyone is held to the same standards.
I’m not running to protect the status quo. I’m running because I believe we can build a stronger, more capable Sheriff’s Office. One that respects its employees, earns the community’s trust, and is prepared to meet Gilpin County’s challenges
every single day.
WHY I AM RUNNING
EXPERIENCE MATTERS IN GILPIN
FULLY STAFFED ISN'T THE SAME AS FULLY CAPABLE
Gilpin County presents challenges unlike most communities. Mountain terrain, difficult roads, limited communications, long response distances and limited nearby backup mean our deputies, dispatchers and supervisors must be prepared to make good decisions when seconds matter and additional resources may be miles away.
Experience matters here.
Staffing cannot be measured by numbers alone. A strong Sheriff's Office must recruit good people, retain experienced employees, develop the next generation of leaders and provide continuous, meaningful training.
Under Zach's leadership, protecting institutional knowledge and building experience throughout Patrol, Detentions, Investigations and Dispatch will be a priority.
RECRUIT. RETAIN. TRAIN. MENTOR.
Public safety depends on more than filling positions. It depends on having capable, experienced people who know Gilpin County, know their jobs, trust one another and are prepared to respond when our community needs them most.
GILPIN REQUIRES MORE THAN HEADCOUNT
A Sheriff’s Office can look fully staffed on paper and still be short on experience, depth, and readiness.
In Gilpin County, that distinction matters. Our mountain roads, difficult terrain, communication challenges, long response distances, and limited nearby backup mean deputies, dispatchers, supervisors, and investigators often have to make critical decisions with fewer resources close at hand.
That is why staffing cannot be measured by headcount alone.
A capable Sheriff’s Office needs experienced people in the right places, strong supervision, dependable dispatch, effective training, and employees who know this county and understand its unique challenges. It also needs a culture that keeps good people instead of constantly replacing lost experience.
The goal should be more than filling positions.
It should be building and maintaining a team that is prepared, experienced, supported, and ready when the community needs it most.
FIVE PRIORITIES
1. PROTECTING OUR SCHOOLS AND STUDENTS
School safety must be one of the Sheriff’s Office’s highest priorities.
Protecting students requires more than reacting to an emergency after it begins. It requires preparation, coordination, training, communication, and clear leadership before an incident ever occurs.
His approach will focus on four areas: Prevention. Preparation. Response. Reunification.
That means working closely with the school district, fire and EMS partners, dispatch, parents, and other agencies; conducting realistic training; maintaining clear response plans; and ensuring families know how information and reunification will be handled during a crisis.
When children are involved, preparation cannot be an afterthought.
2. RETAINING EXPERIENCE AND BUILDING CAPABILITY
A Sheriff’s Office is only as strong as the people who serve in it.
Gilpin County must do more than fill positions. It must retain experienced employees, develop newer staff, strengthen supervision, and make sure every division has the depth and training needed to respond effectively.
That means investing in Patrol, Detentions, Investigations, and Dispatch through practical training, mentorship, fair advancement opportunities, dependable leadership, and a workplace where good employees want to stay.
In Gilpin County, experience matters even more. Mountain terrain, difficult roads, communications challenges, long response distances, and limited nearby backup can quickly expose weaknesses in staffing, supervision, or preparedness.
Zach’s goal is not simply a full roster.
It is a capable, experienced, and well-supported team that knows this county, knows its job, and is ready when the community needs it.
3. COMMUNITY TRUST AND OUTREACH
Trust is built before an emergency happens.
The Sheriff’s Office should be visible, accessible, and connected to the people it serves. That means listening to residents, communicating clearly, attending community events, working with local organizations, and building relationships throughout Gilpin County.
Community outreach should not be limited to election season or times of crisis. It should be part of how the Sheriff’s Office operates every day.
Zach wants residents to know who their deputies are, feel comfortable asking questions, and have confidence that their concerns will be heard and taken seriously.
Strong relationships also make public safety stronger. When residents trust their Sheriff’s Office, they are more likely to share information, report concerns, cooperate during emergencies, and work with law enforcement to solve problems before they grow.
Zach’s approach is simple:
Be present. Listen. Communicate. Earn trust.
4. ACCOUNTABILITY, FAIRNESS, AND MERIT
Public trust begins with how the Sheriff’s Office conducts its own business.
Hiring, promotions, assignments, and advancement should be based on qualifications, performance, experience, and clearly understood standards. Employees should know what is expected of them, how decisions are made, and that the same rules apply to everyone.
Leadership also has a responsibility to identify and appropriately manage conflicts of interest, explain important decisions, and make sure personal relationships never outweigh the best interests of the agency or the public.
Employees should be able to raise concerns professionally and have confidence those concerns will be heard without fear of retaliation or favoritism.
Accountability is not about blame. It is about setting clear standards, following them consistently, and being willing to answer for the decisions you make.
Zach believes a strong Sheriff’s Office should be built on a simple principle:
Earn responsibility. Apply the rules fairly. Lead by example.
5. FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY
Public safety and fiscal discipline must go hand in hand.
The Sheriff’s Office should operate with a conservative budgeting philosophy—prioritizing essential needs, controlling unnecessary growth, planning for long-term costs, and making sure every taxpayer dollar serves a clear public-safety purpose.
That means distinguishing between what is necessary and what is simply desirable, evaluating the full cost of new programs and positions, and putting resources where they have the greatest operational value.
At the same time, Zach will aggressively pursue outside funding opportunities that can strengthen public safety without placing the entire burden on Gilpin County taxpayers. That includes state and federal grants, public-safety funding programs, equipment assistance, training funds, and other partnerships that can help support staffing, technology, emergency preparedness, and critical equipment.
Outside funding should never be treated as free money. Any grant or program must be evaluated for matching requirements, future obligations, and ongoing costs.
Zach’s approach is straightforward:
Budget conservatively. Pursue funding aggressively. Spend responsibly.
THE MEYER STANDARD
Leadership should be measured by more than promises.
The Sheriff’s Office should operate by clear, consistent standards that apply to everyone, from the newest employee to the Sheriff.
Hire on merit.
Choose the best-qualified people for the job.
Promote on performance.
Advancement should be earned
through experience, ability, leadership, and results.
Retain experience.
Protect institutional knowledge and create a workplace where
good employees want to stay.
Train continuously.
Preparation, judgment, and professional
development should never stop.
Spend responsibly.
Budget conservatively, pursue outside funding aggressively,
and make every taxpayer dollar count.
Communicate honestly.
Employees and the public deserve clear, accurate
information and straightforward answers.
Apply the rules fairly.
Personal relationships, favoritism, and politics should never
determine how decisions are made.
Lead by example.
That is the standard Zach will expect from the Sheriff’s Office,
and the standard he expects from himself.
Zachary Meyer
Wesley Jones
Meyer's Choice for Undersheriff
Meet the Team Ready to Lead
Zachary Meyer
Candidate for Gilpin County Sheriff
Zach Meyer has proudly called Gilpin County home for nearly 15 years. He and his wife, Krystal, are raising three children who attend school here, and in 2019 they founded Diamond ZK Cattle. Gilpin County is not simply where Zach works. It is where his family has built its life and where they are deeply rooted in the community.
After high school, Zach enlisted in the United States Marine Corps, serving with the Presidential Security Detail, 1st Battalion, 7th Marines, and the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit. He later deployed to Afghanistan in combat operations. His military service strengthened the discipline, preparation, resilience, and leadership under pressure that continue to guide him today.
Zach continued his commitment to public service as a volunteer firefighter with the Central City Fire Department and Timberline Fire Protection District. For nearly a decade, he has also served with the Gilpin County Sheriff’s Office, gaining experience in multiple sworn assignments, including Detentions, Patrol, Field Training, and SWAT. His experience also includes supervisory and administrative responsibilities involving personnel, training, scheduling, and agency operations.
Zach remains actively involved in the community today. He and his family regularly participate in local events, school activities, and community gatherings throughout Gilpin County. He is personally invested in the next generation. He mentors young people, sets a positive example, and helps our children understand the value of service, responsibility, respect, and community. That involvement keeps him connected to the people, concerns, and everyday realities of the county he hopes to serve as Sheriff.
Those experiences have given Zach a firsthand understanding of the unique challenges of public safety in a small mountain county and the importance of experienced personnel, strong training, dependable leadership, fiscal responsibility, and community trust.
Zach is running for Sheriff to build a stronger, more capable Sheriff’s Office—one that retains good people, develops future leaders, treats employees fairly, prepares for the unexpected, and remains accountable to the community it serves.
His philosophy is simple:
Prepare before the crisis. Support the people doing the work.
Take responsibility for your decisions. Never forget who you serve.
Wesley Jones
Meyer's Choice for Undersheriff
Wesley Jones brings 20 years of law enforcement experience and a strong commitment to serving the Gilpin County community. As a career law enforcement officer and SWAT team member, Wes has firsthand experience making difficult decisions under pressure and leading in critical moments. He understands that public safety depends not only on capable deputies, but also on strong, engaged leadership that prepares and supports them.
Wes began his career in 2006 after graduating from the police academy, first serving with the Park County Sheriff’s Office before joining the Gilpin County Sheriff’s Office in 2010. During his career in Gilpin County, Wes has served in both Detentions and Patrol and was promoted to Sergeant in 2016. After supervising in Detentions, he transferred to Patrol, where he continues to serve as a Patrol Sergeant, leading deputies and managing both routine and critical law-enforcement operations in the field.
Throughout his career, Wes has taken on key leadership responsibilities beyond his regular assignment. He has overseen hiring and recruiting, served as the agency’s Training Coordinator and Defensive Tactics Instructor, participated in the drone program, and served as Team Leader for the combined SWAT team. Those roles have given him extensive experience in supervision, training, personnel development, emergency response, and preparing deputies to make sound decisions under pressure.
Wes is dedicated to professionalism, accountability, public trust, and supporting the people who serve. He believes strong leadership means setting clear expectations, developing future leaders, and making sure deputies have the training, resources, and support they need to succeed.
He is also a devoted husband to his wife, Jeannie, of 14 years, and a proud father of two.
As Zach Meyer’s choice for Undersheriff, Wes brings the operational depth and day-to-day leadership experience needed to help build a stronger, more capable Sheriff’s Office and continue serving the citizens and visitors of Gilpin County.
Experienced in the field. Committed to the team. Ready to lead.
Together, Zach and Wes offer complementary strengths and a shared commitment to professionalism, accountability, preparedness, and service to Gilpin County.
DIFFERENT BACKGROUNDS. COMPLEMENTARY EXPERIENCE.
ONE STANDARD FOR LEADERSHIP.