3-Way Lincoln County Sheriff's Race Focuses on Drugs & Domestic Violence

By GIL BRADY, Staff Ink-Stained Wretch


AFTON, Wyo. (CT) -- Standing out in the spring primary field is hard when you are one of three candidates running for sheriff. But choosing among them stands to be harder for voters from Alpine, Afton, Kemmerer, Fairview, Smoot and beyond when all three contenders are veteran Wyoming lawmen, longtime county residents and registered Republicans.

Lincoln County Undersheriff Tim Malik, Jackson Det.-Sgt. Todd Smith, and former Lincoln County sheriff’s deputy Val Clement are running for sheriff in this gas, coal, oil and farming community of about 16,000 where domestic violence is on the rise, according to official statistics.

Current Lincoln County Sheriff Lee S. Gardner has said he will not seek reelection for the nearly $60,000 per year job.

During separate interviews this spring, each candidate identified domestic violence as one of many countywide problems that included: methamphetamine activity, the threat of terrorism, and traffic fatalities.

Malik, 55, described himself as a 27-year lawman and former Vietnam veteran who lives in Afton and served as a police officer there, as well as Kemmerer, prior to joining the sheriff’s department twelve years ago. Promoted to undersheriff in 2004, Malik has been endorsed by his boss.

“I believe Tim Malik is the best lawman in the state. And I heartily endorse him,” Gardner said in a phone interview. “He’s the right guy. He has the experience and has the respect of the law enforcement community.”

Malik said he is running for sheriff because he loves the job, has a reputation for dealing with people fairly, and a belief in “taking a proactive approach to law enforcement.”

Protecting Lincoln’s energy industry from the “threat of terrorism” is a high priority for Malik. As he explained, last year the FBI arrested a man in Idaho for allegedly plotting to blow up western U.S. pipelines and provide material aid to al-Qaida.

Smith, 36, an Alpine resident and highly decorated 16-year Teton County peace officer, currently supervises the Jackson Police Department’s detective squad. Smith joined the department as a 21-year-old rookie and said that public service and new challenges, rather than money, are why he decided to run for office.

Though being elected sheriff would mean accepting a pay cut, Smith said the payoff would be in serving his community. “I’d like to give something back to where I lay my head to rest at night,” Smith said recently, during an interview in his Jackson office.

Teton County Sheriff Bob Zimmer, Sublette County Sheriff Wayne Bardin, Alpine Town Judge Daniel Hesse and retired Lincoln County schoolteacher Doug Broadhead have reportedly endorsed Smith’s candidacy.

“I support Todd Smith,” Hesse said in a recent phone interview. “Because he’s a helluva good cop. He’s professional, level-headed, and someone you’d like to have [watch] your back if ever there was a problem.”

Clement resides in Smoot and cited several community service awards during his 23 years in law enforcement, including a 2005 Division of Family Services Heroes. Clement said he started as a patrol officer with the Afton Police Department in 1982 where he was promoted to sergeant and oversaw many operations there.

More recently, Clement served as a Lincoln County sheriff’s deputy who was fired, he alleged in a phone interview this May, after announcing his intention to run for office.

Clement said he was running: “To keep qualified deputies in Lincoln, to serve the community, and to make the community better and the sheriff's department better.”

Alpine Mayor David Lloyd, Etna resident Marti Halverson, and Star Valley Bank president Rod Jensen reportedly endorse Clement’s candidacy.

“Val Clement has years of experience and a level of understanding and compassion that I believe is appropriate for the job,” Jensen said.

In a May press release, Clement said he would “work closely with all town leaders to assist them in providing services for their communities.” A Clement administration, he added, would be “proactive in protecting and serving our community. Officers would be assigned and trained to prevent crime, rather than react to it.”

Between 2000 and 2004, according to federal data, Lincoln’s population growth outpaced Wyoming by 4.6%. And, as Malik explained, such northern towns as Alpine have become bedroom communities to many residents who commute to work in Jackson. While to the south, Gardner said, boomtowns like Opal, Kemmerer, and La Barge are growing due to gas, coal, and oil production.

But as Lincoln’s population and economy changes, so is its crime profile.

Between 2000 and 2004, according to Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation statistics, overall crime in Lincoln was 52% below the statewide average. However, violent crime here occurred slightly more often than Wyoming’s five-year rate of 25.8 murders, rapes, and aggravated assaults per 10,000 residents. And reported incidents of domestic violence rose and now rival neighboring Teton County, despite Lincoln averaging 4,796 fewer residents.

Addressing the issue in a May press release, Malik said: “I take domestic abuse problems very seriously.” During a recent interview in his Afton office, Malik said he has worked on the board of directors of The Turning Point, a domestic violence crisis center, and supports having a safe house built for victims.

Said Clement: “Domestic violence is going up because of job issues, money being tighter, and communication between couples is not happening anymore. One’s working, one’s home with the kids. There’s drugs and alcohol.”

As sheriff, Clement would seek more resources for counseling and crisis centers and classes to prevent domestic violence, if people would attend.

Asked about the county’s crime profile recently, Smith said that crime in Lincoln is slower than Teton County but that domestic violence and drug problems, especially methamphetamine activity, are top issues.

“Many drug cases in Teton County lead to sources in Lincoln County,” Smith said. “Everyone knows that meth labs tend to be less detected in rural areas.”

If elected, Smith would add more victim-witness services as well as promote zero-tolerance and rapid intervention for domestic offenders. His experience with modern investigative techniques, strong rapport with state criminal investigators, open-minded leadership style, and a community-oriented, proactive crime-prevention philosophy would benefit Lincoln County residents concerned about illegal drugs and traffic fatalities, Smith said.

Election officials report that statewide primaries for county office-seekers are scheduled for August 22.

(Photo Credits: Fairview, WY/USA, on-lile stock; JPD Det.-Sgt Todd Smith, courtsey of Todd Smith for LC Sheriff; Lincoln County aerial, on-line stock)