Lieutenant Rich Garner brings decades of distinguished public service and deep community ties to the Rangely Police Department and the citizens of Rangely. Raised in the Roaring Fork Valley of Western Colorado, he served seven years in the U.S. Army Signal Corps after high school, with assignments in Europe, Korea, and stateside, including two years as a reserve police officer in Chapman, Kansas.

In 1989, Lt. Garner returned home to pursue his childhood dream of law enforcement. He graduated from the Colorado Peace Officer Standards and Training Academy at Colorado Mountain College in 1990 while serving as a reserve deputy for the Garfield County Sheriff’s Office. His full-time career began in Del Norte, Colorado, followed by roles with the Rio Grande and Grand County Sheriff’s Departments. At Grand County (1994–2004), he advanced to Senior Patrol Sergeant, serving as Field Training Officer, firearms instructor (handgun, shotgun, patrol rifle), SWAT sniper and assistant team leader, and founding member of the Special Response Team, among other assignments.

In response to the War on Terror, Lt. Garner was selected by the U.S. Department of State for a 500-person elite team of law enforcement professionals. He served in Iraq (first embedded with the 1st and 42nd Infantry Divisions in Samarra, mentoring a 600-officer police department, then on a mobile training team in Baghdad) and later in Afghanistan’s Zabul Province, where he led a two-week in-service academy, trained Afghan instructors, and supported remote stations with training, investigations, and operations.

Upon returning, he helped establish the Granby Police Department as its first Field Training Officer and Rangemaster. He later joined the Rio Blanco County Sheriff’s Office (2009–2014) as Patrol Sergeant and Rangemaster in Rangely before retiring. Lt. Garner continued serving the community through two terms on the Rangely Town Council, eight years as a 4-H shooting sports leader (small-bore rifle, shotgun, and Western Heritage), and roles in the oil & gas industry as a safety coordinator, manager, and consultant.

In 2020, he rejoined the Rangely Police Department as Patrol Sergeant, was promoted to Patrol Lieutenant (second-in-command), and now oversees the Field Training Program, armory, firearms training/qualifications, and in-service training.