In this episode of Murphy's Law, host Murphy Robinson sits down with Colonel Ronald Abramson — Harvard-educated lawyer, renewable energy entrepreneur, descendant of Napoleon, and the man who built one of Colorado's most unique and quietly powerful law enforcement agencies entirely from scratch. This is the story of the Colorado Rangers — and the vision it took to bring them back.
Most people have never heard of the Colorado Rangers. But they should. Born in 1861 as Colorado's original statewide law enforcement agency, defunded after a dramatic miners' strike shootout in the 1920s, resurrected during World War II as an all-volunteer auxiliary, and completely reimagined as a full government reserve police agency in 2018 — the Rangers are now one of the top 10 largest law enforcement agencies in Colorado. And they don't get paid a single dollar.
Colonel Abramson didn't set out to build a government. He wanted to help kids cross the street after school. But when he walked into the Colorado Mounted Rangers as a lawyer in 2010 and saw the liability, the gaps, and the potential — he spent the next eight years lobbying the legislature, rewriting the rules, and building something that had never existed before. Today the Colorado Rangers serve nearly three dozen agencies across the state — from one-person marshal offices to the Denver Police Department — providing expert law enforcement planning, surge capacity, and community presence that most departments simply couldn't afford on their own.
Murphy and Colonel Abramson unpack what it takes to build trust in a government nobody asked for, why accountability makes better officers not fewer, and why the Colorado Rangers might just be the model for the future of American policing.
Key Themes & Takeaways
Building a Government From Zero In 2018 Colonel Abramson stood up a brand new government agency with $800,000 from the legislature and a vision nobody else could see. Eight years and 250 trained police officers later the Colorado Rangers are closing in on the top 10 largest law enforcement agencies in Colorado. This is what institutional courage looks like.
The Best Kept Secret in Colorado Law Enforcement Most people don't know the Rangers exist. The agencies that use them can't imagine operating without them. From Broncos games to Taylor Swift concerts to small town departments with three officers — the Rangers show up when nobody else can.
Nobody Gets Paid. Nobody Complains. Every Ranger — from the street officer to the colonel himself — serves without a paycheck. Murphy unpacks why that model actually attracts higher quality people and what it says about the power of servant leadership.
Doctors, Lawyers, Pilots and Preachers With Badges The average Colorado Ranger is in their mid-forties with a career, a life, and a reason to serve. Three medical doctors. Airline pilots. An emergency room doctor. A Harvard-educated lawyer running the whole thing. This isn't your average police reserve.
Zero Traffic Deaths. Three Years Running. A major Colorado bike race had a traffic death every single year for over a decade — until the Rangers took over planning operations. Three years in a row with zero fatalities. That's what expertise deployed with purpose looks like.
SurePass and the Future of Verified Authority The Colorado Rangers were one of the first agencies in the country to implement SurePass — and Colonel Abramson explains exactly why a statewide agency that deploys officers everywhere needs verified identity technology more than almost anyone.
Accountability Over Immunity One of the most surprising moments in the episode. Colonel Abramson was one of the only chiefs in Colorado who publicly supported the legislation that removed full immunity from police officers. Find out why he believes higher accountability makes better officers — not fewer.
Who This Episode Is For
- Law enforcement officers and command staff
- Anyone interested in reserve policing and volunteer service
- Government leaders and legislators
- Community members who want to understand how policing actually works
- Business leaders interested in building organizations from scratch
- Anyone with a servant's heart looking for a way to give back
- Colorado residents who want to know who's keeping their events safe
- Leaders who believe accountability and excellence go hand in hand
Connect With the Show Murphy's Law is presented by SurePass — Confidence in every ID. Stay tuned for weekly conversations with leaders across public safety, justice, government, faith, and high-stakes leadership spaces.
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