Larimer County Sheriff’s Posse

Sheriffs’ Posses have existed in the United States since the 1700s. In the West, territorial jurisdictions were vast and law enforcement was minimal. Sheriffs and marshals often deputized ranchers, farmers, cowboys, and townspeople to help enforce the law and hunt down and capture criminals and escapees. Qualifications for these early-day Posse members required little more than the ability to shoot straight, ride a horse, follow a trail, and survive for long periods of time in the field.