PITKIN SHERIFF FACES RARE CHALLENGE

ASPEN - A community safety officer for Aspen's police department is
presenting Pitkin County Sheriff Bob Braudis with one of his most
significant re-election challenges in two decades in a campaign that
has renewed disagreements over drug enforcement.

Braudis, whose last real challenge came in 1986, said he expects to be
re-elected. But his opposition to the national "war on drugs,"
stemming from a view that undercover drug work erodes trust between
law enforcement officers and residents, and his belief that substance
abuse is fundamentally a health issue have caused divisions in the
community.

Rick Magnuson, an unsworn police officer known for his performance
art, believes Braudis has been too lax on drugs and drunk-driving,
saying DUI arrests have fallen by two-thirds since 2003 and that
deputies have not arrested anybody for selling or distributing drugs
in 10 years.

"Allowing drugs to flow freely, that's not in the best interest of
public safety," Magnuson said.

Braudis said most drug activity in his county takes place in
incorporated towns, which have their own police departments. He said
his agency has conducted 113 drug investigations since 2000, resulting
in 13 adult arrests. During that time, deputies arrested 1,004 DUI
suspects.

"I am not a one-trick pony," Braudis said. "This office investigates
hundreds, maybe thousands, of crimes a year not related to drugs, and
does a damn fine job."

He said his agency will investigate any credible report of illegal
drug activity.

Braudis' decision to check himself into an Arizona rehabilitation
clinic four months ago also has become part of the campaign, in part
because Magnuson called him anonymously urging him to publicly
acknowledge the clinic stay.

Braudis, 61, who said he is not an alcoholic, said he has not had a
drink since entering the clinic. He said his decision to enter the
clinic was private and that he informed everybody he felt should know.

"In my mind, it was an investment in health, and I am healthier now
than I was a year ago," he said.

Magnuson, 41, said he regrets making the phone call.

"I didn't handle it well," Magnuson said. "My heart was in the right
place."

Before he was a candidate, Magnuson was best known for performance
art, including one project in which he drove a rented truck more than
1,000 times around a local roundabout, making a video to illustrate
the monotony of modern life.

"I think art and life and politics are very closely related," he said.
"An artist has a great potential to impact people through politics,
and that's why I think I'd be a great sheriff." The Pitkin County
sheriff earns about $117,000 and oversees 16 deputies.