Most sheriff cruisers are designed to blend into a fleet, but the newest cruiser in the Laramie County Sheriff’s Office fleet was designed to do the exact opposite.
It not only stands out, “it looks pretty badass,” said Laramie County Sheriff Brian Kozak.
Covered in Western artwork featuring a cowboy on horseback racing forward with purpose on a white background, the new Dodge Durango LCSO SUV is pure Wyoming.
That it turns heads is exactly what Kozak said he was going for in commissioning the look of the department’s new recruiting rig.
It squats low and mean with a wild-eyed horse charging across its sides, mane whipping viciously in the Cowboy State wind.
Clint Eastwood-Inspired Cruiser
When it came time to create the design, Kozak called on Cheyenne mural artist Jordan Dean, whose giant wild horse mural transformed the city’s towering water tanks north of town.
Dean has become one of the state’s most recognizable mural artists, painting everything from large public art installations to massive water tower projects that require boom lifts, projectors and specialized industrial paint.
Kozak had a simple request for Dean.
“I wanted a high plains drifter, Clint Eastwood kind of cowboy hard charge-in graphic,” the sheriff said.
Dean delivered.
The result is a rolling Western mural that has already been drawing attention from residents and fellow law enforcement officers.
Kozak said he keeps hearing, “That is the coolest car we’ve ever seen.”
The cruiser’s first major public appearance in Cheyenne was Saturday during a downtown summer event, where families were able to climb inside, check out the lights and meet members of the sheriff’s office.
Wyatt Earp On Wheels
Dean said his relationship with the sheriff’s office began years ago when Kozak called looking for an artist to paint murals inside the Laramie County Detention Center.
When he was done with that, he told the sheriff, “I would love to take a crack at your vehicles. I’ve always just thought it would be the coolest thing to design a law enforcement vehicle.”
The artist said early discussions centered on creating something inspired by a Wyatt Earp-style lawman — part frontier sheriff, part larger-than-life Western character.
“I wanted something that had action, had motion to it,” Dean said. “I wanted the horse and rider to fit in the space but kind of take up the whole width of the car.
“It’s the Laramie County Sheriff’s Office,” he continued. “So, the Western theme just fit, and I love that style.”
If the art causes people to stop and take a second look at the local hero’s, Dean says he’s done his job.
More Than A Cool Paint Job
As eye-catching as the vehicle is, the sheriff’s office didn’t build it simply to show off.
The cruiser is assigned to Cpl. Heather Wilson in the agency’s hiring unit and is intended to function as a rolling recruiting tool.
“The whole motivation was for people to ask, ‘Hey, what’s with this car?'” Kozak said.
Once the conversation starts, deputies can begin talking about careers.
The vehicle is packed with recruiting features, including a pull-out television screen that can play hiring videos during public events.
The sheriff’s office will soon hook up a PlayStation loaded with a pursuit-driving game so kids can climb into the back and try it out.
“It’s just a vehicle to attract attention and spark up a conversation,” Kozak said.
Lights, Sirens, Western Swagger
The cruiser also comes loaded with what Kozak described as an almost absurd amount of emergency lighting.
Then there are the novelty features. Push the right buttons and the vehicle can play the famous “Bad Boys” theme from the television show “Cops.”
It can also blast the national anthem.
The sheriff’s office has only had the vehicle about a week, but it’s already been getting attention beyond Wyoming.
Kozak said Wilson recently drove it to a leadership training in Colorado.
“All the Denver law enforcement officers that went to this leadership training just thought it was the best car ever that they’ve seen,” he said.
The attention is exactly what the sheriff hoped for.
Like many agencies nationwide, Laramie County is constantly recruiting new employees as veteran deputies retire or move on.
Kozak said the agency employs about 240 people and generally maintains around a 10% vacancy rate, leaving roughly 10 to 15 positions open at any given time.
His hope is that a cruiser people can’t stop staring at might help start conversations that eventually fill those openings.
In the meantime, it might simply be the most “badass” law enforcement vehicle in Wyoming.
Or at least the most likely one to make somebody stop, point and say, “Now that’s a cop car.”
Kolby Fedore can be reached at kolby@cowboystatedaily.com.