Wyoming sheriff unveils Clint Eastwood-style cruiser to boost recruiting

A Dodge Durango wrapped in Western art has become the Laramie County Sheriff’s Office’s newest recruiting tool, with Sheriff Brian Kozak saying he wanted a "high plains drifter, Clint Eastwood kind of cowboy hard charge-in graphic." Kozak said the SUV looked "pretty badass," and that was exactly the effect he was after.

Cheyenne mural artist Jordan Dean created the design, bringing a local public-art style to a vehicle meant to stand out far beyond the sheriff’s fleet. Dean had already worked with the office on murals inside the Laramie County Detention Center, and he had discussed a more Wyatt Earp-style lawman concept with Kozak before the project moved toward the harder-edged Western look now covering the new truck.

The Durango made its first major public appearance in Cheyenne on Saturday during a downtown summer event, where families climbed inside, checked out the lights and met sheriff’s office personnel. Kozak said he kept hearing that it was "the coolest car we've ever seen." The SUV is not being used as a hidden or undercover unit. It is a public-facing recruiting rig, built to pull attention at events and reinforce the office’s image.

That branding push reflects a broader hiring strategy that has leaned on bold messaging and Colorado recruitment. In May 2024, the sheriff’s office put a billboard in downtown Denver that read, "Work in Wyoming, where breaking the law is still illegal & cops are funded!" Kozak said the office had focused on recruiting from Colorado for more than a year and hired 72 people in 2023 during the campaign. The message was clear: Wyoming was selling itself as a place where deputies could work with fewer political constraints and more support.

Kozak, elected sheriff on November 8, 2022, has spent much of his career in law enforcement and public administration. He started in 1986 as a Mesa, Arizona police officer, became police chief in Avon, Colorado in 2006, and later served as Cheyenne police chief from 2010 to 2021, making him the city’s longest-serving chief. The new Durango extends that same playbook, using Western symbolism, local art and a rolling cruiser to shape how the sheriff’s office presents itself to the public and to potential recruits.