POLICE

she’s the right person for this position,” Brown said.

“On top of that, she is also the rst female member of our command sta , and in the 165 year history of our agency, she’ll be the rst female bureau chief,” he added, prompting cheers and applause.

Halaba has worked in every segment of the sheri ’s o ce, Brown said.

She started working with the agency in 1999 as a deputy in the detention facility, according to a statement from the sheri ’s o ce.

In 2001, she became a patrol deputy. After three years, she took on the role of a school resource o cer.

By 2006, she returned to working as a patrol deputy for another three years, per the statement.

A decade after her law enforcement career began, in 2009, Halaba was promoted to sergeant, according to the statement. As a sergeant, she worked in the detention bureau, patrol division and the o ce of professional standards.

Halaba continued to move up the ranks in 2012 when she was promoted to lieutenant, and she worked as a watch commander on patrol, the sheri ’s o ce said in the statement. en, in 2014, she made history for the rst time at Arapahoe County Sheri ’s O ce when she was appointed as the agency’s rst female captain. Halaba oversaw the detention administrative section for six years.

In 2020, she became the agency’s Captain of Patrol Operations, a position she held until being sworn in as bureau chief.

“I know you’ve been an inspiration for so many here at the sheri ’s o ce and so many young women across the state in law enforcement,” Brown said before swearing Halaba in.

Women make up less than 13% of total law enforcement o cers and “a much smaller proportion of leadership positions,” according to a 2019 National Institute of Justice report.

“I can’t say that it didn’t have its challenges, because it did. Being a woman, a female, in this type of work where predominantly it’s all males, it can be challenging at times,” Halaba said. “But it also is very rewarding. I work with great people, and I always have, that supported me.”

Her advice to women interested in a career in law enforcement is to nd a woman in the eld they can talk to about the job.

“ ey’ll tell you everything that we go through. And, you know, sometimes being a mom and a cop can be challenging … nding that balance,” Halaba said.

Halaba has a 24-year-old daughter, Elisabeth Pevler, and 16-yearold son, Tyler Riedmuller. ey both beamed with pride during the swearing-in ceremony.

“We’re just very proud of her and her long career,” Pevler said. “Denitely an inspiration, obviously — and hopefully being a leader myself, someday, like her.”

Following in her mom’s footsteps, Pevler is a deputy at the Arapahoe County Sheri ’s O ce. She said she wanted to pursue a career in law enforcement for the same reason as her mom — to help others and make the agency and county a better place.

Halaba’s passion has also inspired her son who has joined the Explorer program at the Arapahoe County Sheri ’s O ce, which is an educa- tional program for young people who want to learn more about a career in law enforcement.

“She brought me to all the events when I was growing up, and it made a huge in uence on me,” Riedmuller said, explaining he wants to work at the sheri ’s o ce in the future.

Halaba’s husband, Robert Losciale, added, “She de nitely supported me when I wanted to make a change in careers almost six years ago.”

Losciale is a deputy with the Denver Sheri Department.

“It has taught me a lot seeing her work and … her work ethic and how she handles her people as a leader — has de nitely made me a better deputy with Denver and a better leader,” Losciale said.

Re ecting on the progression of her career, Halaba said she wanted to make things better for the people she works with.

“I love this job — that’s why I’ve stayed here for almost 23 years,” she said. “I think for us females in this type of work that, you know, we’re powering through this male-dominated industry and we’re slowly getting more and more.

“But just keep powering through,” she added. “ e sky’s the limit.”