Roby Bowe Interview

Lincoln County Sheriff Roby Bowe is seeking re-election for a second term.

Bowe, 46, has worked in law enforcement for 28 years, including 24 years with the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office. Bowe served as a patrol deputy for nine years before working his way up as a sergeant, lieutenant, captain and, finally, sheriff.

Bowe is married to his wife, April, and has four daughters.

What would you say is the most pressing public safety concern for Lincoln County?

I think the drugs and alcohol are still at the top of the list as far as public safety concern. They can do the most damage. The drugs hit all aspects of the community. Whether it be through theft, stealing and just that they are unpredictable. Along with mental health. Mental health has been a huge problem in this community.

Do you think those kind of go hand in hand?

They do. That and the jobs and the lack of work. All of that just kind of goes hand in hand. People are desperate.

How widespread is the illicit drug use in this area?

We kind of keep it contained and that is about the best we can do. Are you going to eliminate it? No. Are you going to try and make it difficult so these younger people, through education and through enforcement and try to contain it amongst them so that it doesn’t get so widespread? Is it definitely out there? Yes. Is there some recreational use? Yes. Is there some hardcore use? Absolutely.

How big of a part is education in that containment approach?

A lot, with the schools and the Unite For Youth program and just other people out there. Education is very important. Whether it be through the schools, through us or through other people. All three communities have had a speaker come in. It really motivated the kids and helped them make right choices. I think that is the biggest thing is to catch them in fourth, fifth and sixth grade to steer them to make the right choices.

If you had to split it between punishment and treatment or therapy, how does that split work in your approach?

Obviously, we don’t do any kind of treatment, but it should be at the top of the list. Enforcement is just a small part of the wheel really, but you have to have enforcement to sometimes get treatment and force people into treatment through the justice system.

What differentiates you from the other candidates that are running for sheriff?

Everything. Experience, leadership, knowing the community, forming relationships with the community.

You think you have stronger ties than the other candidates?

Absolutely. One hundred and ten percent. Knowing the ins and outs of the department, the people, the community’s needs and wants, and having a pretty good grasp on exactly what is going on in the community and the department.

Why are you running for re-election? Was it an easy choice?

Yes. I still love coming to work. Still want to make a difference. A lot of unfinished business to do. There are a lot of things that still need to be done in the community and in the department.

Tell us about your law enforcement background.

I have been in law enforcement in one aspect or another for twenty-nine years. I have been on the department full time here for 24 years. Three and a half years as the sheriff, three years as a captain, five years as a lieutenant, four years as a sergeant, nine years as a patrol deputy and four or five years as a reserve with David Thompson Search and Rescue. I started volunteering my time when I turned 18.

What’s your proudest achievement as sheriff?

I think some of the major accomplishments, you know, I initiated that 24/7-sobriety program. The district county judge squashed some of the aspects of it. It is still available. The Hometown Heroes citizen-recognition program. I am proud of that.

I helped secure and renovate and move into the new law enforcement center up in Eureka. That was a fairly huge accomplishment.

What I did wasn’t necessarily boots on the ground, but through the administration helped getting it going and securing it through the Forest Service and the commissioners. The people up there did awesome getting it working.

Executive director of Unite for Youth Coalition. That thing is going to be a huge part of the community.

What would you say is your biggest self-criticism? What can you do better going forward?

I think I strive to be better all of the time through building relationships and trying to get a better bond with the Sheriff’s Office to the community.

You know, I really have gotten away from us against them. We are a part of the community. I really stress that to the people below me. From the top all the way down to detention and dispatch. We are a part of the community, we are there to serve the community.

Regrets and stuff, there is always little stuff here and there but nothing— more personal stuff than any major issues.

I imagine the first time you were running for sheriff you had an idea of what it would be like, and then you actually do it. What is a part of the requirements of the office that you didn’t realize coming in?

You can’t make everybody happy. I work very hard to do it. You try to avoid some of those lawsuits and try to make everyone happy and you can’t.

Is there a particular time that became clear to you?

The Cabinet View problem. I came into the office thinking we could work together, but sometimes that is just not real. It is just not going to happen. You can’t force people to work together, period.

How big of a problem is domestic abuse around here?

 It is one of those things that a lot people don’t want to talk about. We usually don’t get called until it is really bad. It is definitely an issue when you have unemployment at 20 percent and it is another thing for people to fight about. It is definitely a huge concern and we take it very seriously.

How do you combat something like that?

We take a fairly tough stance on that. It seems to help along with the justice system. State law kind of regulates that. We have to make an arrest unless there are major reasons why we don’t.

What commitment do you make to Lincoln County?

 I am always available, unless I am in the woods. I have taken steps there to always be available. I have come out of the woods early, made a lot of phone calls through the satellite phone to be available. I got called at 3:30 this morning.

So, you get woke up and part of the commitment is help during the floods. I am always available as far as being committed to the community.

When I was not at the office I would receive between 100 to 150 calls a month.  

Sometimes you will have people with questions or something will come up. In the last couple of days I was working I had about 60 calls in a matter of about seven hours. So, there is a lot of commitment there. Even in the woods I call on the satellite phone once a day to see if there is any kind of problems that need to be handled or if I need to come in and deal with. I am never not available, but sometimes it is not right on the hour. Ninety percent, 80 percent of the time I am 100 percent available and would do anything. There was training this Saturday with Burlington Northern Sante Fe. So between training, volunteering and just the normal scope of business, it’s more than a full-time job.

I hear around the community a frustration with a sense that people do not feel the fullest effect of the law in Lincoln County. What is your reaction to that and do you believe that you guys do enough on your end to make people feel that full effect of justice.

Absolutely. We do enough on our end. Once it leaves our hands, it is a constant struggle with the deputies and detectives. Once it leaves our hands we have to kind of step back from it.

You get so emotionally wrapped up in it that it will eat your lunch. You do as much and more that is needed and as much as the county attorney wants. So, you present them with the best case that you have and then it is up to them.

It is basically up to the county attorneys and the judges. Would we want to hang them, would we want to see them do life? Absolutely. We can do recommendations, but we can’t do what we feel. It is definitely up to the county attorneys and up to the judge. Do we do our part? Yes. We arrest people at the time that we feel should obviously get hammered, and they don’t. They get let off or they drop the charges or whatever. We can only present them with as good of a case and the knowledge that we have.

Do you think that the county attorneys office does enough to punish people to the fullest extent as they can?

I am not going to, I can’t throw anyone under the bus.

Tell me why people should vote for you?

For the experience. I am a full-time, committed sheriff. It has been a part of my life since I was 18 years old. I love Lincoln County. I do the best job that we can and that we have the resources to do and what the law allows us to do. We have got a great team of dedicated people. We are all not perfect by any stretch. Everyone is out there working hard and it is going to be tough. There are going to be some major decisions coming up with the budgets. Major changes just in the finances, and that is going to effect the presence of Lincoln County.