From left, Charles County, Maryland, Sheriffâs Office Cmdr. Jeffrey Wood; Dallas Police Lt. Jim Lewis; Clovis, New Mexico, Police Chief Douglas Ford; and Ouray Police Officer Bernie Chism meet the community during interviews Sept. 27. Plaindealer photo by Olivia Exstrum
News
Police chief candidates make their pitch
By Olivia Exstrum, Special to the Plaindealer
As a lieutenant with the Dallas Police Department, Jim Lewis was a part of a department of nearly 4,000 officers. As a commander in the Charles County, Maryland, sheriff’s office, Jeffrey Wood patrolled a community of more than 160,000. Despite their big-city backgrounds, both are hoping to downsize and become Ouray’s next police chief.
“This isn’t a desire to be a chief so that I can go be a chief somewhere bigger,” Lewis said at a commu...