Democrat Tyler Brown is seeking a second term as sheriff of Arapahoe County this fall, opposed by Republican Kevin Edling.
Priorities for Brown’s next term as the county’s top law enforcement officer would include expanding mental health resources in the Arapahoe County Detention Center, continuing the agency’s rollout of body-worn cameras, creating a diversion program for low-level offenders with the district attorney’s office and installing more license plate cameras around the county.
Brown wrote in his Sentinel survey that he wants to improve transparency within the agency by continuing the accreditation process through the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies.
“This opens up our agency to review on an annual basis and on-site reviews every four years to ensure the Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office is not only participating in best business practices but displaying them on a daily basis,” he said.
Edling answered the same question by saying he wanted to install dashboard-mounted cameras in sheriff’s office vehicles and publish information about the office’s policies online.
Edling’s priorities as sheriff, according to his campaign website, include supporting homeless outreach programs, using proactive policing strategies to curb property crime and ensuring deputies are “patrolling the areas that have been identified by predictive crime modeling and common sense,” and recruiting and retaining more deputies.
“Also, the current Sheriff’s leadership team has just one person who is not white,” Edling wrote in his survey. “There are no Hispanic or Black leaders on the command staff today. That is simply not acceptable. We need the ACSO to be representative of the community we serve, and we currently are not.”
He wrote that he would make sure the pay and benefits offered by the office are competitive and that part-time positions could be offered to certified officers who recently retired or left the career to fill a staffing shortage and mentor younger officers.
Brown said on his campaign website that, during his first term as sheriff, the agency’s retention rate was high, with less than 5% of public safety staff positions vacant.
Meet Tyler Brown
Tyler Brown
Democrat Tyler Brown has served as Arapahoe County’s sheriff since 2019, prior to which he worked for more than a decade as a police officer, code enforcement officer and campus safety officer at agencies around the Denver metro area, including in Aurora. He sits on the governing board of the Unified Metropolitan Forensic Crime Lab, is co-chair of the Highlands Ranch Law Enforcement Training Foundation (Facility); and is on the board of the Arapahoe County Justice Coordinating Committee. Brown lives in Aurora with his wife and two daughters.
Tyler Brown Q&A
What is your plan to enhance transparency between the department and the public?
The first thing we will do is continue with the accreditation process through CALEA. This opens up our agency to review on an annual basis and on-site reviews every four years to ensure the Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office is not only participating in best business practices but displaying them on a daily basis. We are proud to be the only sheriff’s office in the country to attain triple crown accreditation in our public safety bureau in our detentions bureau under four different sheriff administrations.
Police agencies around the Denver metroplex and across the country are experiencing problems hiring and retaining officers. What makes this department an attractive employer?
We offer competitive pay and a defined benefit retirement plan. We also offer an in-house basic law enforcement academy.
Jails and prisons are seen as some of the biggest providers of mental health treatment. What resources does the Arapahoe County jail need to better help inmates that require such resources?
The Arapahoe County Detention Facility is the largest mental health treatment facility and substance use disorder treatment facility in the county. We offer a wide variety of mental health resources, and I have asked the county commissioners to fund the expansion of mental health services to individuals in custody. The other side of mental health is dealing with substance use disorder, and our medicated assisted treatment program has expanded and will continue to grow to ensure individuals have resources while in custody and bridging them to community partners to continue their treatment.
If the state were to pass gun control measures such as a ban on assault-style rifles or prohibitions against public display of weapons, would you enforce it?
As a function of the executive branch, we are tasked with enforcing the laws created by legislators in the state of Colorado. As of right now we have laws on the books that allow individuals to exercise their constitutional right to own firearms as well as carry concealed. The Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office has issued over 20,000 concealed handgun permits under this law.
Is releasing low-level jail inmates due to overcrowding or pandemic issues a problem for public safety?
During the pandemic, the Arapahoe County Detention Facility did not have any compassionate releases due to the pandemic. Due to our ability to provide personal protective equipment we were able to keep community spread of COVID out of the detention facility from March 2020 until December 2020. Our aggressive actions not only protected the men and women who work at the Arapahoe County Detention Facility but protected the people who were in custody and reduced our risk of litigation due to COVID protocols.
If you could persuade the Legislature and governor to do one thing to decrease crime, what would it be?
I would persuade them to reinstate theft by receiving.
How should the sheriff’s department respond to the increase in aggressive speeding, weaving and reckless driving on all kinds of public roads and highways?
We have a robust traffic team who is out enforcing traffic laws on a daily basis and holding those drivers accountable for their aggressive driving actions. We also need the public to feel comfortable to contact the sheriff’s office and report these incidents as they’re occurring and not involve themselves in trying to enforce state statute. Arapahoe County continues to grow, and I’m sure I’ll be coming to voters to ask for an increase in public safety funding.
Do you believe expanding the use of personal recognizance bonds has made Coloradans more or less safe?
I would hope the judges who are using PR bonds are listening to prosecutors and reading criminal histories to ensure that offenders are not returning to the street and continuing victimizing individuals.
Do you trust the election process in Colorado? And will you accept the outcome of this election as announced?
Yes, I trust in the election process in Colorado, and I will accept the outcome of our election.
Do you believe the 2020 Presidential Election was absent of widespread fraud and fairly won by Joe Biden?
I do believe that the 2020 presidential election was void of fraud and was fairly won by President Joe Biden.
Get to know the candidate:
What’s the most Colorado thing you’ve done recently?
I wore shorts and a hooded sweatshirt and took a selfie with Mike Nelson, the weatherman, at a Rockies game.
The first thing we will do is continue with the accreditation process through CALEA. This opens up our agency to review on an annual basis and on-site reviews every four years to ensure the Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office is not only participating in best business practices but displaying them on a daily basis. We are proud to be the only sheriff’s office in the country to attain triple crown accreditation in our public safety bureau in our detentions bureau under four different sheriff administrations.
Police agencies around the Denver metroplex and across the country are experiencing problems hiring and retaining officers. What makes this department an attractive employer?
We offer competitive pay and a defined benefit retirement plan. We also offer an in-house basic law enforcement academy.
Jails and prisons are seen as some of the biggest providers of mental health treatment. What resources does the Arapahoe County jail need to better help inmates that require such resources?
The Arapahoe County Detention Facility is the largest mental health treatment facility and substance use disorder treatment facility in the county. We offer a wide variety of mental health resources, and I have asked the county commissioners to fund the expansion of mental health services to individuals in custody. The other side of mental health is dealing with substance use disorder, and our medicated assisted treatment program has expanded and will continue to grow to ensure individuals have resources while in custody and bridging them to community partners to continue their treatment.
If the state were to pass gun control measures such as a ban on assault-style rifles or prohibitions against public display of weapons, would you enforce it?
As a function of the executive branch, we are tasked with enforcing the laws created by legislators in the state of Colorado. As of right now we have laws on the books that allow individuals to exercise their constitutional right to own firearms as well as carry concealed. The Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office has issued over 20,000 concealed handgun permits under this law.
Is releasing low-level jail inmates due to overcrowding or pandemic issues a problem for public safety?
During the pandemic, the Arapahoe County Detention Facility did not have any compassionate releases due to the pandemic. Due to our ability to provide personal protective equipment we were able to keep community spread of COVID out of the detention facility from March 2020 until December 2020. Our aggressive actions not only protected the men and women who work at the Arapahoe County Detention Facility but protected the people who were in custody and reduced our risk of litigation due to COVID protocols.
If you could persuade the Legislature and governor to do one thing to decrease crime, what would it be?
I would persuade them to reinstate theft by receiving.
How should the sheriff’s department respond to the increase in aggressive speeding, weaving and reckless driving on all kinds of public roads and highways?
We have a robust traffic team who is out enforcing traffic laws on a daily basis and holding those drivers accountable for their aggressive driving actions. We also need the public to feel comfortable to contact the sheriff’s office and report these incidents as they’re occurring and not involve themselves in trying to enforce state statute. Arapahoe County continues to grow, and I’m sure I’ll be coming to voters to ask for an increase in public safety funding.
Do you believe expanding the use of personal recognizance bonds has made Coloradans more or less safe?
I would hope the judges who are using PR bonds are listening to prosecutors and reading criminal histories to ensure that offenders are not returning to the street and continuing victimizing individuals.
Do you trust the election process in Colorado? And will you accept the outcome of this election as announced?
Yes, I trust in the election process in Colorado, and I will accept the outcome of our election.
Do you believe the 2020 Presidential Election was absent of widespread fraud and fairly won by Joe Biden?
I do believe that the 2020 presidential election was void of fraud and was fairly won by President Joe Biden.
Get to know the candidate:
What’s the most Colorado thing you’ve done recently?
I wore shorts and a hooded sweatshirt and took a selfie with Mike Nelson, the weatherman, at a Rockies game.
What is the last concert you attended?
No response
What restaurant do you frequent most?
No response
If you had a superpower, what would it be?
No response
What was the last book you read?
“Devotion,” the story about ensign Jesse Brown, the first Black terrier pilot in the U.S. Navy.
What is your least favorite household chore?
Folding laundry.
If you had to pick one television show to watch forever, what would it be?
The West Wing, because I’m a political nerd.
Did you have any New Year’s resolutions? What were they?
Yes, to manage my diet better.
What were you most excited to do after pandemic restrictions eased?
Travel to a beach.
What fun fact about you would most surprise people who know you?
I’m working on my private pilot’s license.
No response
What restaurant do you frequent most?
No response
If you had a superpower, what would it be?
No response
What was the last book you read?
“Devotion,” the story about ensign Jesse Brown, the first Black terrier pilot in the U.S. Navy.
What is your least favorite household chore?
Folding laundry.
If you had to pick one television show to watch forever, what would it be?
The West Wing, because I’m a political nerd.
Did you have any New Year’s resolutions? What were they?
Yes, to manage my diet better.
What were you most excited to do after pandemic restrictions eased?
Travel to a beach.
What fun fact about you would most surprise people who know you?
I’m working on my private pilot’s license.
Meet Kevin Edling
Kevin Edling
Kevin Edling, a 27-year Denver Police Department veteran, is running on the Republican ticket to unseat the incumbent Arapahoe County sheriff this fall. Edling holds a master’s degree in education from Colorado State University, a bachelor’s in professional aeronautics from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and an associate’s in criminal justice / political science from the Community College of the Air Force. He has also served in the Colorado Air National Guard for more than 30 years, including as commander of the 140th Security Forces Squadron, completing his last deployment from the Middle East in 2018.
Kevin Edling Q&A
What is your plan to enhance transparency between the department and the public?
Law enforcement must do a better job in communicating with the people we serve and provide our community easy access to information. Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office is far from transparent in how it operates or what it is doing to address our record crime rates — especially auto thefts. I will publish our policies and procedures for all to see; something the current sheriff promised but never accomplished. Body-worn cameras have now been mandated by state law which often capture the amazing work that our brave deputies do every day — and sometimes highlights things we could do better. I will go beyond the mandated law and ensure that we have dash cameras installed in all our police cars; something I see in almost every Uber or Lyft driver operating today. Transparency is desperately needed, and I will provide it.
Police agencies around the Denver metroplex and across the country are experiencing problems hiring and retaining officers. What makes this department an attractive employer?
We are hurting in the retention and recruiting of officers across the country. 70% of the deputies on patrol with the Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office have less than two years of experience. Also, the current Sheriff’s leadership team has just one person who is not white. There are no Hispanic or Black leaders on the command staff today. That is simply not acceptable. We need the ACSO to be representative of the community we serve, and we currently are not.
I will recruit talent and experience by offering part-time positions to currently certified Colorado peace officers who have recently retired or left the career prematurely to fill the gap in staffing and help mentor our less experienced officers. We must also become competitive in salary / benefits packages to retain our deputies and prevent them from leaving to surrounding agencies. We become more attractive as an employer when we treat employees fairly, invest in their growth and potential, and lead in an ethical manner. I’ve spent the past 27 years with the Denver Police Department. It has been a rewarding career and there is nothing more satisfying than serving and protecting our community. I have a master’s degree in education with an emphasis on organizational performance and change. I will be focused on improving morale and recruiting the best deputies to serve our community.
Jails and prisons are seen as some of the biggest providers of mental health treatment. What resources does the Arapahoe County jail need to better help inmates that require such resources?
Our country is experiencing an unprecedented mental health crisis. I will make it mandatory for all deputies to be certified in Crisis Intervention Training which is not currently a requirement. I was the lead instructor for CIT beginning back in 2004 and have trained hundreds of officers throughout the metro area in its use. Officers receive de-escalation techniques that help defuse a critical situation using their most powerful weapon — their mouth. This week-long training is invaluable to our deputies and will result in a decrease in the number of uses of force (including deadly force) and decrease the number of injuries to both deputies and those in crisis. There are also better ways to collaborate with the health care community. We will expand our mental health co-responder program to provide services and referrals in partnership with the Arapahoe Mental Health network for those in need whether housed in jail or encountered during a call for service by our patrol division.
If the state were to pass gun control measures such as a ban on assault-style rifles or prohibitions against public display of weapons, would you enforce it?
My job as your elected sheriff is law enforcement, and I will enforce the laws passed by the people’s elected representation. This enforcement includes my oath to uphold the Constitution of the United States and the state of Colorado. I enforced the ban on assault rifles under President Bill Clinton. We currently have laws that prohibit the brandishing of weapons, typically known as felony menacing, and I will enforce these as well.
Is releasing low-level jail inmates due to overcrowding or pandemic issues a problem for public safety?
There is no overcrowding at the Arapahoe County jail as it is less than half full according to the 2021 Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office Annual Report. If your definition of a low-level inmate includes car thieves, then yes, it is a serious public safety issue as Colorado is now #1 in the nation to have your car stolen and Arapahoe County has seen an increase in car thefts of 139% over the past three years, above the statewide average. Those who can least afford their car being stolen or the increase in insurance premiums are the biggest victims of these poor policies. Additionally, Colorado ranks #5 for recidivism (repeat offenders). That means many of these people being let out are reoffending, costing additional victims time and money.
If you could persuade the Legislature and governor to do one thing to decrease crime, what would it be?
Colorado is now 2nd in the nation for Fentanyl use resulting in death, an increase of 382% the last 2 years. The lax laws related to Fentanyl aren’t working. Fentanyl continues to infiltrate our community through counterfeit pills and other street drugs. I will not be a quiet sheriff who sits by and watches this happen. I will advocate for our children and work with our legislators to demand action and stronger penalties. Also, I will partner with our federal law enforcement agencies to bring the maximum amount of resources to combat this crisis and arrest drug dealers who profit off killing our residents with this deadly drug.
How should the sheriff’s department respond to the increase in aggressive speeding, weaving and reckless driving on all kinds of public roads and highways?
Simple. Let’s get back to enforcing the existing traffic laws. This is just one example of why leadership and experience are so important in law enforcement. Once we stop enforcing the simple things like traffic laws, we start to suffer as a society as we start to experience crime rates skyrocketing out of control in major categories such as auto theft, burglaries and drugs that put all our safety at risk. DUI crashes were up 42%, while DUI arrests were down 35%.
Do you believe expanding the use of personal recognizance bonds has made Coloradans more or less safe?
Colorado is less safe when personal recognizance bonds are used inappropriately in crimes affecting our quality of life. This is definitely the case when it comes to auto theft. Most criminals don’t start their career path by stealing your car. I believe people deserve a second chance in society, but if they break that promise (bond) with the people of Colorado then they deserve to spend the remainder of their sentence in jail for violating that trust.
Do you trust the election process in Colorado? And will you accept the outcome of this election as announced?
Yes and yes. I have personally taken a tour of the Arapahoe County Election Facility and have the utmost confidence in their ability to properly process and count our votes in a fair and impartial manner.
Do you believe the 2020 Presidential Election was absent of widespread fraud and fairly won by Joe Biden?
Yes and yes. I am a professional police command officer with over 30 years of law enforcement experience. Everything that we do in police work is evidence based. Without clear evidence — you simply do not have a case.
Law enforcement must do a better job in communicating with the people we serve and provide our community easy access to information. Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office is far from transparent in how it operates or what it is doing to address our record crime rates — especially auto thefts. I will publish our policies and procedures for all to see; something the current sheriff promised but never accomplished. Body-worn cameras have now been mandated by state law which often capture the amazing work that our brave deputies do every day — and sometimes highlights things we could do better. I will go beyond the mandated law and ensure that we have dash cameras installed in all our police cars; something I see in almost every Uber or Lyft driver operating today. Transparency is desperately needed, and I will provide it.
Police agencies around the Denver metroplex and across the country are experiencing problems hiring and retaining officers. What makes this department an attractive employer?
We are hurting in the retention and recruiting of officers across the country. 70% of the deputies on patrol with the Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office have less than two years of experience. Also, the current Sheriff’s leadership team has just one person who is not white. There are no Hispanic or Black leaders on the command staff today. That is simply not acceptable. We need the ACSO to be representative of the community we serve, and we currently are not.
I will recruit talent and experience by offering part-time positions to currently certified Colorado peace officers who have recently retired or left the career prematurely to fill the gap in staffing and help mentor our less experienced officers. We must also become competitive in salary / benefits packages to retain our deputies and prevent them from leaving to surrounding agencies. We become more attractive as an employer when we treat employees fairly, invest in their growth and potential, and lead in an ethical manner. I’ve spent the past 27 years with the Denver Police Department. It has been a rewarding career and there is nothing more satisfying than serving and protecting our community. I have a master’s degree in education with an emphasis on organizational performance and change. I will be focused on improving morale and recruiting the best deputies to serve our community.
Jails and prisons are seen as some of the biggest providers of mental health treatment. What resources does the Arapahoe County jail need to better help inmates that require such resources?
Our country is experiencing an unprecedented mental health crisis. I will make it mandatory for all deputies to be certified in Crisis Intervention Training which is not currently a requirement. I was the lead instructor for CIT beginning back in 2004 and have trained hundreds of officers throughout the metro area in its use. Officers receive de-escalation techniques that help defuse a critical situation using their most powerful weapon — their mouth. This week-long training is invaluable to our deputies and will result in a decrease in the number of uses of force (including deadly force) and decrease the number of injuries to both deputies and those in crisis. There are also better ways to collaborate with the health care community. We will expand our mental health co-responder program to provide services and referrals in partnership with the Arapahoe Mental Health network for those in need whether housed in jail or encountered during a call for service by our patrol division.
If the state were to pass gun control measures such as a ban on assault-style rifles or prohibitions against public display of weapons, would you enforce it?
My job as your elected sheriff is law enforcement, and I will enforce the laws passed by the people’s elected representation. This enforcement includes my oath to uphold the Constitution of the United States and the state of Colorado. I enforced the ban on assault rifles under President Bill Clinton. We currently have laws that prohibit the brandishing of weapons, typically known as felony menacing, and I will enforce these as well.
Is releasing low-level jail inmates due to overcrowding or pandemic issues a problem for public safety?
There is no overcrowding at the Arapahoe County jail as it is less than half full according to the 2021 Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office Annual Report. If your definition of a low-level inmate includes car thieves, then yes, it is a serious public safety issue as Colorado is now #1 in the nation to have your car stolen and Arapahoe County has seen an increase in car thefts of 139% over the past three years, above the statewide average. Those who can least afford their car being stolen or the increase in insurance premiums are the biggest victims of these poor policies. Additionally, Colorado ranks #5 for recidivism (repeat offenders). That means many of these people being let out are reoffending, costing additional victims time and money.
If you could persuade the Legislature and governor to do one thing to decrease crime, what would it be?
Colorado is now 2nd in the nation for Fentanyl use resulting in death, an increase of 382% the last 2 years. The lax laws related to Fentanyl aren’t working. Fentanyl continues to infiltrate our community through counterfeit pills and other street drugs. I will not be a quiet sheriff who sits by and watches this happen. I will advocate for our children and work with our legislators to demand action and stronger penalties. Also, I will partner with our federal law enforcement agencies to bring the maximum amount of resources to combat this crisis and arrest drug dealers who profit off killing our residents with this deadly drug.
How should the sheriff’s department respond to the increase in aggressive speeding, weaving and reckless driving on all kinds of public roads and highways?
Simple. Let’s get back to enforcing the existing traffic laws. This is just one example of why leadership and experience are so important in law enforcement. Once we stop enforcing the simple things like traffic laws, we start to suffer as a society as we start to experience crime rates skyrocketing out of control in major categories such as auto theft, burglaries and drugs that put all our safety at risk. DUI crashes were up 42%, while DUI arrests were down 35%.
Do you believe expanding the use of personal recognizance bonds has made Coloradans more or less safe?
Colorado is less safe when personal recognizance bonds are used inappropriately in crimes affecting our quality of life. This is definitely the case when it comes to auto theft. Most criminals don’t start their career path by stealing your car. I believe people deserve a second chance in society, but if they break that promise (bond) with the people of Colorado then they deserve to spend the remainder of their sentence in jail for violating that trust.
Do you trust the election process in Colorado? And will you accept the outcome of this election as announced?
Yes and yes. I have personally taken a tour of the Arapahoe County Election Facility and have the utmost confidence in their ability to properly process and count our votes in a fair and impartial manner.
Do you believe the 2020 Presidential Election was absent of widespread fraud and fairly won by Joe Biden?
Yes and yes. I am a professional police command officer with over 30 years of law enforcement experience. Everything that we do in police work is evidence based. Without clear evidence — you simply do not have a case.
Get to know Kevin Edling
What’s the most Colorado thing you’ve done recently?
My lovely wife Stacey Stegman Edling and I attended a recent Denver Broncos game —
and they won! Go Broncos!
What is the last concert you attended?
Motley Crue, Def Leppard, Poison and Joan Jett at Coors Field. I grew up in the ’80s!
What restaurant do you frequent most?
I try to eat at local restaurants as much as possible and love Real de Minas for its awesome Mexican food, outstanding salsa & bean dip. Unfortunately, we just lost our favorite employee Marco who we loved seeing each time we visited. I love Alpha Charlies as well.
If you had a superpower, what would it be?
The ability to travel through time. I could go back in time and meet Leonardo da Vinci or
be present when the Wright Brothers made their first flight at Kitty Hawk in 1903. That
would be epic!
What was the last book you read?
Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future.
What is your least favorite household chore?
My wife says that I do not understand this question.
If you had to pick one television show to watch forever, what would it be?
CHIPS — because I do think it’s cool to be a motorcycle cop.
Did you have any New Year’s resolutions? What were they?
No. I read somewhere that 80% of New Year’s resolutions fail.
What were you most excited to do after pandemic restrictions eased?
Take my wife on a cruise and unplug for a week.
What fun fact about you would most surprise people who know you?
That I have been a pilot and flight instructor for over 20 years, and I love teaching others to
fly, especially young people.
My lovely wife Stacey Stegman Edling and I attended a recent Denver Broncos game —
and they won! Go Broncos!
What is the last concert you attended?
Motley Crue, Def Leppard, Poison and Joan Jett at Coors Field. I grew up in the ’80s!
What restaurant do you frequent most?
I try to eat at local restaurants as much as possible and love Real de Minas for its awesome Mexican food, outstanding salsa & bean dip. Unfortunately, we just lost our favorite employee Marco who we loved seeing each time we visited. I love Alpha Charlies as well.
If you had a superpower, what would it be?
The ability to travel through time. I could go back in time and meet Leonardo da Vinci or
be present when the Wright Brothers made their first flight at Kitty Hawk in 1903. That
would be epic!
What was the last book you read?
Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future.
What is your least favorite household chore?
My wife says that I do not understand this question.
If you had to pick one television show to watch forever, what would it be?
CHIPS — because I do think it’s cool to be a motorcycle cop.
Did you have any New Year’s resolutions? What were they?
No. I read somewhere that 80% of New Year’s resolutions fail.
What were you most excited to do after pandemic restrictions eased?
Take my wife on a cruise and unplug for a week.
What fun fact about you would most surprise people who know you?
That I have been a pilot and flight instructor for over 20 years, and I love teaching others to
fly, especially young people.
I endorse Tyler Brown as I am familiar with many officers and the better environment he has fostered. Further, I know personally that he has developed one of the finest teaching staffs in the country and that they heavily stress the kind of tactics and approaches that the public would appreciate. There is a heavy emphasis on communication and use of force only when necessary and in the most humane manner. I am sure his opponent is a fine man. Some of the things he is stressing have already been part of the Arapahoe SO for some time. Recruiting minority officers has been difficult for a long time and is not the result of any bias.