Fred Wegener has spent nearly all of his life in the rural mountain community of Bailey, Colorado. His family moved to Park County in 1970 and Fred graduated from Platte Canyon High School in 1981.

When Fred left the area for six years after high school graduation, it was to serve in the United States Air Force. He attended the Air Force Security Police Academy and attained the rank of Staff Sergeant. The experience gained in the service led Fred to enter civilian law enforcement when he returned home to Park County.

After more than two decades of law enforcement training and experience, Fred Wegener now serves his community as County Sheriff. Fred started with the Park County Sheriff’s Department as a deputy in 1987. Two years later, he was promoted to Sergeant and then to Investigator. Wegener also worked for two other departments in the State of Colorado, and then returned home to run for Sheriff in 1998.

During his career, Wegener continued training and education in his profession, including Colorado Law Enforcement Training Academy, IRS Financial Investigative Techniques, Colorado State Investigators Association Criminal Investigative Techniques, Aurora Police Department Detention Officer Academy, Incident Command Systems and Weapons of Mass Destruction Training. Wegener was the first Sheriff from Park County to attend the Federal Bureau of Investigation National Academy for specialized training in 2005.

Fred and June Wegener married in 1988, while Fred was a Park County Deputy. They now have two teen-aged children. Their 18-year-old daughter, Dani, also graduated from Platte Canyon High School in 2006, and 16-year-old son Benjamin will graduate in 2008. June has worked in real estate and title agency offices in the 285 corridor for the last 13 years.

Sheriff Wegener was in command during the September 27, 2006 hostage situation and fatal shooting at Platte Canyon High School in his home town of Bailey, Colorado. His son, Ben, was in the school at the time of the incident. Wegener knows the family of the student lost that day, as he knows many of the students and families in his community.