Craig Sheriff's Sergeant Returns Home to Serve Community

Steamboat Springs —The sound of a siren cutting through the quiet evening air is something folks around here know well, but for Moffat County Sheriff’s Office Sgt. Conner Pogline, the noise of the job is less about the emergency and more about the community that surrounds it.

“For Moffat County sheriff’s Sgt. Conner Pogline, service starts close to home,” the Craig Daily Press noted in its recent profile, capturing the essence of a man whose journey back to the valley was driven by a desire to plant roots deeper than he had before.

Pogline wasn’t just passing through Craig; he was born and raised here, with family ties stretching all the way to Hayden. His childhood was filled with the physicality of football and hockey, culminating in the discipline of becoming an Eagle Scout. But life has a way of pulling you away. He left the area, and for a while, the distance felt necessary. Then, in 2022, the pull of family and the prospect of raising his children in the very community that raised him became impossible to ignore.

“We wanted our kids in this area,” Pogline said, a sentiment that resonates with anyone who has ever debated whether to stay or go.

His return coincided with a career shift he admits he wishes he had made sooner. As a teenager, he’d considered the Marines, following in the footsteps of several relatives, but instead drifted through various jobs until an opening at the sheriff’s office presented itself. He started in the jail, telling himself, “I wanted to do good and knew I could do good. I just needed the opportunity.” That initial role was a stepping stone. Within months, his sights were set on patrol. After observing the road deputies and realizing he wanted to take that next step, the department sent him to FlatRock Academy. He graduated and spent about two and a half years on patrol before applying for promotion. His ascent to sergeant was faster than typical, a trajectory he attributes to hard work, the support of his colleagues, and a genuine commitment to the department’s leadership.

Names like Sheriff Chip McIntyre, Undersheriff Nathan Businger, Lt. Matt Hammer, and Sgt. Dave Siminoe come up in Pogline’s account of that support system. He describes the office as having a family-like atmosphere that has persisted even as leadership has evolved. In fact, he claims the current staff is the most close-knit and bonded group he has seen during his tenure. It’s a place where people genuinely enjoy being there, and that camaraderie extends beyond the precinct walls.

Pogline’s philosophy for interacting with the public is straightforward: treat people the way you would want to be treated. He emphasizes that deputies aim to remain level-headed, professional, and courteous, even when the circumstances are tough. “Most of the time you receive that back,” he observed. This reciprocal respect is fostered further through community engagement. The sheriff’s office doesn’t just show up when things go wrong; they participate in rodeos, youth activities, and other local gatherings. These interactions help build relationships outside of the high-stress situations that usually define law enforcement encounters.

There’s a warmth to the way Pogline describes his time on the job, a sense that the uniform is just another way to serve the neighbors. You can feel it in his emphasis on teamwork and the genuine enjoyment his colleagues take in their work. It’s a reminder that behind the badge, there are people who care about the valley as much as the rest of us do. The story of his return is, in many ways, a mirror for the community itself — a reflection of how we choose to invest in our shared spaces and the people who inhabit them. As the sun sets over the Yampa River, casting long shadows across the town of Craig, the image of a sheriff’s deputy walking home after a shift takes on a new significance. It’s not just the end of a workday; it’s a return to the heart of what makes this place home.