Albany County names new undersheriff to help lead sheriff’s office

Albany County has named Josh DeBree as undersheriff, putting him in the office’s second-in-command role in a sheriff’s department that handles patrol, detention, investigations and coordination across a wide stretch of southeastern Wyoming. In a county organized in 1868, the job carries day-to-day weight in Laramie, Rock River, Centennial and the surrounding rural area, where the sheriff’s office also posts a public dispatch line at 307-721-2526.

The appointment matters because the undersheriff is the person who helps keep the operation moving when the sheriff is focused elsewhere. That can include deputy staffing, jail administration, patrol priorities, budget execution and emergency response, along with coordination with city police, state troopers and nearby agencies when calls spill across jurisdictional lines.

County records show the move has been in motion for years. A Nov. 23, 2020 county document says that, under Policy #106 of the Albany County Sheriff’s Office, Lieutenant Josh DeBree was designated by outgoing Sheriff David O’Malley. A separate county record dated Dec. 15, 2020 refers to Josh DeBree as an Administrative Lieutenant at the Albany County Detention Center. A county archive later listed Joshua DeBree as undersheriff with a gross monthly salary of 6,559.07.

The promotion carries added weight because of the office’s family history. Rob DeBree, the previous undersheriff, died suddenly while hunting on Sept. 2, 2016, after 34 years in law enforcement. He had been Albany County’s first K-9 officer and advanced through the ranks as deputy sergeant, detective sergeant and detective lieutenant. His death left a gap in command that the office has worked through since.

Sheriff Aaron Appelhans is now the face of the agency on the county’s sheriff webpage, and DeBree’s elevation gives the department a clearly identified number two as it manages routine calls, jail operations and mutual aid across a county with both a busy county seat and large unincorporated areas. For residents, the practical test will be whether the new undersheriff changes staffing, communication and response priorities, or simply preserves the department’s current direction with a familiar hand in command.