Years ago, Elias Diggins set a goal to one day be Denver’s sheriff.
Today, Diggins wears the badge as interim sheriff, but he’s no longer sure he wants the job.
“I’ve seen how difficult the job is,” Diggins said in an interview with The Denver Post.
And, if he applies for the full-time position, there is no guarantee he would be chosen.
Diggins was appointed interim sheriff on July 21 by Mayor Michael Hancock, who announced plans for a national search for a new sheriff on the same day.
Diggins, a 20-year department veteran, has taken the lead of an agency that is suffering from repeated, high-profile allegations of deputies using excessive force against jail inmates.
U.S. District Judge John Kane recently urged federal authorities to investigate the practices of the police and sheriff’s departments. Kane also approved a $3.25 million settlement in a jail abuse case.
Although it’s an interim appointment, the mayor and Diggins said his mission is to improve the safety of inmates and the staff who work with them. If Diggins applies for the job, he will be given fair consideration, Hancock said.
Critics have said the problem at the jails is a deeply embedded culture where deputies face little risk of losing their jobs even when their violent actions cost the city millions in lawsuit settlements.
Diggins, who had been in charge of the Smith Road jail for several years, is part of that culture, said Denise Maes of the American Civil Liberties Union of Colorado. She said she is skeptical of Diggins’ appointment.
“I can’t believe they would hire somebody who is so much of the culture to oversee the culture,” Maes said. “I hope he proves me wrong. If he can turn my skepticism into optimism, that would be great.”
Diggins overcame a rough-and-tumble childhood to become a deputy.
His father was stabbed to death when Diggins was 10. His stepfather was an addict who bounced in and out of jail. The family moved 15 times before Diggins turned 18.
At home, Diggins’ stepfather was prone to “explosions of angry behavior.”
But when his stepfather was in jail, “there was peace in our household,” Diggins said.
Diggins said he chose a law enforcement career to spite his stepfather, a man who Diggins said is now redeemed, sober and still married to Diggins’ mother.
“I wanted to be everything he was not,” Diggins said.
In 1994, he dropped out of college to become a deputy after his stepfather had gone back to prison, leaving Diggins’ mother alone to raise his four younger brothers.
A job in the sheriff’s department brought opportunities for promotions and a clear career path.
“It was like I was home when I became a sheriff,” he said.
Diggins finished his college degree in 1997 at Metropolitan State University of Denver.
He had one early misstep in 1996 when he lied to a judge about having car insurance. He eventually was found guilty of filing a false report — a misdemeanor.
“I had worked so hard to make my family proud and all the people who supported me in the community proud,” Diggins said. “I was disappointed in myself.”
His boss, former corrections director John Simonet, gave him a second chance.
Diggins moved through the ranks at the sheriff’s department, often joining former Sheriff Gary Wilson in breaking racial barriers.
At 23, Diggins was the lone black member of the emergency response unit, which is similar to a police department’s SWAT team. At 33, he became the youngest person to achieve the rank of major.
The same day Diggins was promoted to major, Wilson, then 36, became the department’s first black division chief and the youngest person to earn that title, according to a story in the Rocky Mountain News.
The two men had worked as guards together between 1995 to 1998 and were racquetball partners.
Diggins said it was difficult to replace Wilson when he stepped down after yet another report of a deputy using inappropriate force.
“I know Gary is a good man,” Diggins said. “I know his heart and soul have been in the Denver Sheriff’s Department.”
Diggins said he is making changes within the department’s leadership, including appointing Wilson to lead the new data analysis unit.
Diggins developed a reputation as a no-nonsense leader, said those who know him.
He is a serious person and is committed to the sheriff’s department, said the Rev. William Golson, president of the Greater Metro Denver Ministerial Alliance and pastor of True Light Baptist Church in Montbello where Diggins attends church.
“At this point in time, with these kinds of challenges, that’s the type of leadership we need,” Hancock said.
Diggins has not been named interim sheriff strictly to keep a seat warm, Hancock said. He has authority to make changes.
“I told him, ‘I want you to do one thing — lead. You have full authority to lead this department,'” Hancock said. “We don’t know how long this interim title will last, but he’s the sheriff at this point in time.”
Diggins said he uses his experiences growing up to mold his philosophy on running a jail. He realizes the people behind bars are someone’s father, brother or uncle.
Because of that, the instances of excessive force are disturbing, he said.
“When things like that happen, it absolutely upsets me,” Diggins said. “I don’t want people to be mistreated while they are in our custody.”
And if a new sheriff comes along, Diggins said he will be glad to serve under that person.
“The community is who really gives us the authority to do what we do,” Diggins said. “Their opinion of our organization is so very important to us. Recognizing that is something we all in the department have to take ownership of.
“Wherever I am in this organization, I’m going to do my very best to do that.”
Noelle Phillips: 303-954-1661, nphillips@denverpost.com or twitter.com/Noelle_Phillips
Elias Diggins
Title: Sheriff
Age: 41
Family: Wife, Leslie, and five children
Hometown: Denver
Education: Criminal justice degree from Metropolitan State University. Holds several professional certifications.
Experience: Joined Denver Sheriff Department in 1994 as deputy. Specialty areas include emergency response unit, gang unit, tax investigator and academy instructor. Most recently, served as interim division chief of downtown jail.
