In the Teller County sheriff’s race, incumbent Michael Ensminger is going head-to-head against opponent Mark Manriquez for a second time, after beating him by more than 1,000 votes in 2010. Facing a rematch, Ensminger stresses that sharp decreases in violent crimes such as child and domestic abuse cases speak for his administration’s success. Manriquez, on the other hand, argues that the agency has been “grossly mismanaged,” and alleges Ensminger isn’t competent enough to run the Sheriff’s Office.

“I have more than three decades of actual law enforcement and supervisory experience, and he just doesn’t come close to that,” Manriquez told The Gazette. “He retired from the San Diego County Sheriff’s Office in the 1980s and didn’t hold another law enforcement position until 2010. He does not have the experience and know-how to get the job done.”

Ensminger, however, said the numbers speak for themselves. In the past three years, he said, crime in Teller County has decreased by 22 percent. Domestic violence cases have fallen by 53 percent and child abuse cases have dropped by 56 percent, Ensminger said. Drug violations and juvenile runaways, he added, have gone down by 50 percent. “We’ve done a lot of things to make Teller County a safer place for everyone who lives here and all who visit.

According to Manriquez, however, Ensminger’s administration has fallen short in professionalism, arguing that with a turnover rate over 100 percent in the past 3½ years, the Sheriff’s Office has wasted funds and resources because of excessive attrition and a lack of management skills.

“I will restore professionalism and appropriate division of human resources and law enforcement,” Manriquez said. “Deputies need to be able to protect and serve, and not worry about human resources and administrative tasks that limit their ability to do their jobs.”

Ensminger acknowledged that the agency has experienced turnover, but argued that it’s a problem all agencies and companies in the country grapple with. Low salaries and work hazards are, Ensminger said, the top reasons why the agency has lost 
82 employees throughout his administration.

“The main reason for the turnover we have here is that our salaries are lower than the national average, and we are actively working with the Board of County Commissioners to fix that,” he said.

“Am I alarmed by our turnover rate? Not at all. We are consistent in our turnover when compared to the national average.”

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Contact Andrea Sinclair: 636-0235

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