Law enforcement call Colorado State Rep “POS,” “GARBAGE” in email exchange

Garfield County Sheriff Lou Vallario shared derogatory comments about state Representative Elizabeth Velasco in an email thread with other members of Colorado law enforcement last summer, public records published by the city of Glenwood Springs show.

In a June 2025 email, Vallario, a Republican, sent a photo of Velasco holding a sign that reads “ICE is a domestic terrorist organization” to a group of twenty people participating in the multi-jurisdictional Special Problems Enforcement and Response task force. In the email he wrote, “Our District 57 State Representative, Elizabeth Velasco. Aren’t you proud of her? POS…..”

“POS” is an acronym for a profane slur.

In the photo, Velasco, a Glenwood Springs Democrat, is outdoors and holding a handwritten sign typical of recent anti-ICE protests in the state.

Three people responded to that email. Silt Police Chief Mike Kite, who recently announced his retirement, wrote “no.” Chief Samuel Stewart of the Parachute Police Department wrote “Absolute lunacy!” and Administrative Sergeant. Mike Tyler of the Rifle Police Department responded “She is GARBAGE!!!!!!”

Vallario, Kite and Tyler did not immediately return a request for comment. Stewart referred a comment request to the Parachute town manager, Travis Elliott, who wrote in an email that he plans to look into it. Shannon Stowe, the public information officer for the Garfield County Sheriff, wrote that she is “not in a position to speak on behalf of the Sheriff” about the email.

Velasco was first elected to represent House District in 2022, which includes Glenwood Springs, Rifle, Carbondale and Aspen. She is the first Latina state legislator from the Western Slope. She has regularly spoken against federal immigration enforcement under the Trump administration and is running a bill this year to, among other provisions, require more public health inspections at immigration detention centers and prohibit ICE flights at public airports in the state.

“I represent a diverse district in the Western Slope, and I understand we may not always agree on policy,” Velasco said in a statement. “That is part of a healthy democracy. But in a moment when political violence and intimidation are rising across our country, rhetoric like this has real consequences. We cannot allow disrespect and hostility to erode the trust that keeps our communities safe. Our residents deserve public servants who model the professionalism, integrity and respect that this moment demands.”

The emails were published by the City of Glenwood Springs in November as a response to a Colorado Open Records Act request by Glenwood Springs attorney Claire Noone in September. That broad request sought details of the SPEAR task force and yielded a 980-page response. The city publishes all of its CORA requests and the documents responsive to them.

Voces Unidas, a nonprofit based in Glenwood Springs focused on Latino issues, regularly monitors CORA documents posted by the city, according to its executive director, Alex Sánchez. The group noticed the emails about Velasco and publicized them this week.

“Referring to an elected Latina representative as ‘POS’ and ‘GARBAGE’ is unbecoming of anyone in public office,” Sánchez said in a statement. “Dismissing legitimate community concerns with sarcasm and mockery sends a message about which group of residents are valued — and which are not. That is what concerns us.”

The document also contained a February 2025 email from Vallario to Glenwood Springs Police Chief Joseph Deras in which Vallario wrote that “Alex is running scared,” referring to Sánchez. “I have a great idea: I’m going to put up a sign at the (sheriff’s office) entrance that says, ‘Warning ICE’ and see how many people look down and how many look over their shoulder!”

The email was prompted by queries from Voces Unidas members, including Sánchez, about whether Glenwood Springs police officers assisted ICE in detaining a person outside the local courthouse, which would be against state law. Glenwood Springs Police Chief Joseph Deras responded that the department was not involved. Vallerio wrote in a later email that “ICE did grab someone in the parking lot after he left the courthouse” and notified a patrol supervisor but did not ask for assistance.

This story was originally published by Colorado Newsline. Colorado Newsline is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity.