# El Paso County Sheriff's Office (Colorado)

The El Paso County Sheriff's Office (EPSO), founded in 1861, handles law enforcement in El Paso County, Colorado. The Office is headed by the County Sheriff, an elected official.

## Sheriff history

| No. | Last | First | Party | Start date | Finish date | Notes |
| 29 | Roybal | Joseph J. | Republican | January 10, 2023 (oath taken) | | |
| 28 | Elder | Bill | Republican | January 1, 2015 | January 10, 2023 | |
| 27 | Maketa | Terry | Republican | 2002 | December 31, 2014 | resigned by retirement amid a scandal; served 3 terms as Sheriff after a change from 2 to 3 as the maximum |
| 26 | Anderson | John Wesley | Republican | January 10, 1995 | 2003 | nephew of 24th Sheriff, Red Davis |
| 25 | Barry | Bernard "Bernie" J. | Republican | 1983 | 1995 | took over after Davis' death then subsequently elected; resigned amid a racial slur scandal |
| 24 | Davis | ? L. "Red" | Republican | 1979 | 1983 | died while in office previously Sheriff of Colorado Springs, CO.; first name as "Herald" or "Richard" in official documents |
| 23 | Shipley | Marion M. | Republican | 1975 | 1978 | |
| 22 | Sullivan | Earl L. | Republican | <=1956 | 1975 | |
| 21 | Short | Norman E. | Democrat | January 1949 | >=1953 | |
| 20 | Slocum | Ray H. | Republican | 1947 | January 1949 | |
| 19 | Deal | Samuel J. | Democrat | 1935 | >=1945 | won reelection in 1936 |
| 18 | Jackson | Robert M. | Republican | 1927 | 1934 | won reelection in 1930 |
| 17 | Berkley | Samuel "Sam" R. | Democrat | 1923 | 1926 | won reelection in 1924 |
| 16 | Weir | John Hamilton | Republican | 1917 | 1922 | |
| 15 | Birdsall | George G. | Republican | 1909 | 1917 | |
| 14 | Grimes | Oliver P. | Republican | April 30, 1904 | 1908 | appointed in 1904 after Gilbert resigned, |
| 13 | Gilbert | William R. | Republican | January 14, 1902 (noon) | April 30, 1904 | sheriff in 1901 (?) See Colorado Labor Wars. |
| 12 | Goddard | Donald C. | "Fusionist" | 1900 | January 14, 1902 (noon) | Goddard was nominated under a so-called Fusionist ticket that merged Democrats and Populists. |
| 11 | Boynton | Winfield Scott | Republican | 1896 | January 1900 (?) | ; retired |
| 10 | Bowers | M. F. | Republican | <=1892 | 1896 | See Cripple Creek miners' strike of 1894. |
| 9 | Jackson | Leonard | Republican | >=November 1887 | 1891 | was Sheriff in 1888 |
| 8 | Dana | L. C. | Republican | c. March 1882 | >=November 1887 | appointed sheriff after Smith resigned; was Sheriff in 1886 |
| 7 | Smith | Walt H. | Republican | January 13, 1880 | c. March 1882 | ; left post to be U.S. Marshal, succeeded by his deputy |
| 6 | Becker | Peter | Democrat | September 1875 | January 13, 1880 | |
| 5 | Donnelly | Robert | Democrat | c. January 1874 | September 1875 | elected in September 1873 |
| 4 | Eubank | Cornelius | Democrat | 1871? | c. January 1874 | appointed; lost reelection in September 1873; still Sheriff by November 29, 1873 |
| ? | Templeton | A. J. | Republican | 1868? | 1871 ? | ; possibly dubious entry (eg, perhaps just deputy) |
| ? | Spielman | David | Republican (?) | 186? | 186? | ; possibly dubious entry (there's seems to be no contemporary mention of him) |
| ? | Shapter | ? | | 186? | 186? | ; possibly dubious entry (eg, perhaps just deputy) |
| 1 | Kelley | Rankin Scott | | 1861 | 1867 | ; named sometimes spelled "Kelly" |