DRUG POLICIES DOMINATE SHERIFF DEBATE

Things have definitely become strange in Pitkin County when sheriff
candidate Rick Magnuson, who champions tougher drug enforcement, ends
a debate by quoting Hunter S. Thompson.

"'It should be noted at this point in the platform that any sheriff
in any county in Colorado is legally responsible for the enforcement
of all state laws regarding drugs - even those he disagrees with,'"
Magnuson read from Thompson's book "Better Than Sex." The excerpt
came from Thompson's platform during his failed bid for Pitkin County
Sheriff in 1970.

The drug and alcohol enforcement policies of the Pitkin County
Sheriff's Department took center stage at Wednesday night's Squirm
Night 2006 debate between Sheriff Bob Braudis and challenger Magnuson
in the studios of GrassRoots TV, with Magnuson saying Braudis is
ineffective in dealing with drugs. The sheriff said his department
does everything it can to enforce drug laws, short of going undercover.

"I won't sponsor undercover operations," Braudis said. "They are
complex, expensive and deceptive. Do the ends justify the means? I
say no. I have been saying that since I was sheriff."

He did say his department will gladly assist the DEA with undercover
operations when asked, as it did last month when deputies assisted in
a search and the arrest of a suspect tied to an alleged cocaine
distribution ring.

Braudis also said his department will investigate any drug tips as
long as the source sheds their anonymity.

Magnuson's view on the issue is that undercover work is essential to
stopping the trafficking of hard drugs. He promised that if elected,
he would engage in undercover operations.

Magnuson also tied Braudis' stint at a drug and alcohol treatment
center in Arizona in June as evidence the sheriff is unwilling to go
after drug dealers.

"(Braudis') policies on drugs and DUIs are related to his lifestyle,"
Magnuson said.

Braudis said he has not taken illegal drugs since he has been
sheriff. He also defended his visit to the Desert Canyon treatment center.

"Asking for help is a sign of strength, not weakness," Braudis said.
Magnuson criticized the sheriff department's DUI enforcement work,
saying only a handful of deputies have training on Intoxilyzers,
which test suspects' breath for alcohol.

Braudis said his deputies are always on the lookout for probable
cause for DUIs.

"You don't have to be an Intoxilyzer expert to make a DUI arrest,"
Braudis said.

Magnuson described the evolution of his bid for the county's highest
law enforcement office.

"I came into this campaign sort of on a lark," Magnuson said. His
campaign soon became more serious.

"Public safety is lacking in my opinion," Magnuson said. "There is
unfettered access to drugs in our county."

Magnuson said even though he is not a sworn law enforcement officer,
his 11 years as a community safety officer for the Aspen Police
Department should not be brushed aside.

"I've been on some serious calls," Magnuson said, citing drug busts,
car wrecks and suicides. "I know what's going on out there."

He said his passion and desire for the position are what's most important.

Magnuson said his views on drug enforcement are not completely hard
line. He said he makes a distinction between soft drugs like
marijuana and mushrooms and hard drugs like cocaine, crack, meth and
heroin. He even admitted to doing "soft drugs" in Amsterdam two years ago.

"I'm not going to be looking for someone smoking a joint in their
living room," Magnuson said. "I don't believe in the war on drugs. It
doesn't make sense to lock someone up who's smoking a joint or even
doing a line."

Both candidates said they would vote in favor of Amendment 44, which
would legalize the possession of up to an ounce of marijuana for
people over the age of 21.

Magnuson's criticism of the Braudis department's handling of sexual
assault cases was also highlighted. Last week, Magnuson cited
statistics from the Colorado Bureau of Investigation saying the
sheriff's department only made one arrest out of 11 recently reported
sexual assaults.

Braudis disputed that statistic, saying the CBI numbers are not complete.

"Somebody who passed that info out was hallucinating," Braudis said.
"Any violent crime takes precedence. When something like that happens
we drop everything."

Throughout the debate, Braudis highlighted his law enforcement
philosophy, which revolves around creating "peace in the hood," while
Magnuson stated ways he would be more effective in promoting
community safety, such as having a stronger sheriff's deputy presence
at Aspen High School.

"After 30 years (in law enforcement)," I feel I have earned a
post-doctorate in public safety," Braudis said.