JACKSON, Wyo. — The Teton County Board of County Commissioners (BCC) on Tuesday approved a research agreement that will deliver an assessment of the Teton County Sheriff’s Office (TCSO) immigration enforcement practices.
The BCC’s approval of the research agreement will cost $69,171, with more costs likely to be incurred from sifting through body camera footage. The assessment will be performed by the University of Wyoming Survey and Analysis Center (WYSAC), and it is anticipated to be complete in mid-February. According to the scope of work document, the assessment will examine practices and changes between March 2025 and the most current period available. Eventually, WYSAC will develop “recommendations for future practices and community relationships.”
“It’s an interesting project – a little bit unusual – and yet it may surface some interesting results that the community may appreciate,” BCC Chair Mark Newcomb said at the meeting.
JH Action and its members have called for an independent analysis of how TCSO enforcement is affecting the community. In July, Teton County Sheriff Matt Carr told KHOL that a county-ordered audit would not change his policies, though it might help the public better understand how the agency operates. No public comment was given at Tuesday’s meeting when Newcomb opened the floor.
“The assessment will establish a shared factual baseline through legal and policy review, administrative data analysis, structured review of body-worn camera footage, and interviews with affected residents and organizational stakeholders,” the scope of work document states.
The document explains that the interviews will be conducted with TCSO personnel as well as those with relevant professional or community knowledge. Selected stakeholders could include representatives of schools, health care and social service organizations, legal and victim services, nonprofits, businesses, faith communities and public safety agencies. Interviews will also be conducted with immigrants and Hispanic residents.
“Not only are we likely to learn something from it, but there are other counties – both in Wyoming and around the country – who might find the results quite interesting,” Commissioner Len Carlman said. “So it’s an investment in a question that’s of statewide and national significance and I’m glad we’re doing it.”
