Sweetwater County, WY (5/28/19) – After 28 years and nine months with the Sweetwater County Sheriff’s Office (and a total of 29 years and nine months in law enforcement), Captain Brett Stokes recently retired, effective May 1, 2019.
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Stokes was born in Richmond, CA, raised in Kamas, UT, and graduated from South Summit High School in Kamas in 1981. Stokes was hired as a detention deputy by the Uinta County Sheriff’s Office in Evanston, WY, in 1988 before joining the Sweetwater County Sheriff’s as a detention deputy in 1989.
After working as a detention deputy, Stokes earned his peace officer certification and served as a patrol deputy. He was promoted to watch commander in 1999 by then-Sheriff Gary Bailiff. As a supervisor over the years, Stokes served a variety of assignments in the patrol, investigations, and court security divisions. He also earned his Master Instructor Taser certification around 2004. In 2012, Stokes campaigned and was elected as a councilman representing Ward III of the Green River City Council, where he served one term. Former Sheriff Mike Lowell appointed Stokes as captain in 2014. As an administrator for four years, Stokes served both the detention and operations sections of the sheriff’s office.
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Stokes was honored earlier this month at a retirement ceremony hosted by Sheriff John Grossnickle and attended by sheriff’s office staff, family, and friends. Sheriff Grossnickle presented Stokes with a special-made shadow box containing some of the badges, patches, and collar brass that Stokes had collected and earned over his career.
In a speech during the presentation, Grossnickle told Stokes, “Thirty years is a long time in any career, let alone law enforcement. The never-ending sacrifice of missed holidays, birthdays and family events is something that’s very difficult for the average person to understand. It is a fact that none of us is the same person as when we started. Yours is a career filled with endless stories. You are one of those people who knew generations of deputies will continue to talk about for years to come. This job inevitably changes us as we effort to cope with the things we see and are forced to deal with. Now is your time to enjoy life as a ‘normal’ citizen. But, some things don’t change. I don’t think that one can ever change the fact that you fought for your community, victims, and the vulnerable. Thank you, Brett, for being a strong foundation in this career and journey.”
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