The sheriff and undersheriff…

…participated in a three-day training conference of the County Sheriffs of Colorado held in Westminster.

The sheriff and undersheriff visited with Salida interim City Administrator Dara MacDonald to discuss items of mutual interest.

The sheriff and undersheriff met with Economic Development corporate director Wendell Pryor to discuss Over The River and ideas on leveraging those preparations to the economic benefit of the county.

The sheriff and undersheriff attended a three-hour Over The River meeting in Canon City.  Task forces will be developed that will include principles from various organizations involved in the event.  The Colorado Information Analysis Center has been alerted to our interest in obtaining any information associated with OTR.  CSP Captain John Lupton attended this meeting and anticipates a very positive working relationship between agencies, as do we. 

The undersheriff continues to work on an emergency response protocol with both school districts and the Salida and Buena Vista Police Departments.

Operations

A letter to all retail beer, wine, and spirits outlets was mailed on January 27, and posted on the CCSO website.  In it, the sheriff encourages merchants to engage with him in preventing access to alcohol by young persons.  This letter followed a press release the day before announcing the arrest of three persons for providing alcohol to underage partygoers in Buena Vista.

In 2011, the Sheriff’s Office received 102 concealed handgun permit applications.  All were approved.  By comparison, in 2010 this office issued 136 permits.

  News media

The Mountain Mail and Chaffee County Times published a guest opinion submitted by the sheriff reassuring the public about security for Over The River.  The article received favorable comments in the Mountain Mail’s editorial section.

A reporter from the Canon City Daily Record interviewed the sheriff for an article regarding Over The River security concerns.

The Mountain Mail carried articles on CCSO’s new office space and in a separate edition, the recently revised website. 

The Mountain Mail and the Chaffee County Times carried reports of arrests of suspects in Buena Vista charged with providing alcohol to minors.

  Training Attended

The patrol commander attended a class on conflict communications.  A patrol sergeant and two deputies attended a presentation on cold case investigations.  The tactical team continues to train in emergency response techniques.

  New hires

  Complaints / commendations

Victims Advocate

Our present victim advocate will be leaving within the next few weeks for other employment.  Her replacement has a bachelor’s degree in psychology and expects to receive her master’s degree in clinical counseling in April. She has completed an internship in domestic violence counseling and received a certificate in Healthy Family Behavior.

 Communications Center

New computers were purchased and we are in the process of having them installed.  They replace ones that were purchased in 2003 and 2004.

Community Emergency Response Training (CERT) will be held on February 21, 23, 28,and March 1^st.  The instructors for this training are Don Breece (who has taken the lead in creating this program in Chaffee County); the county Emergency Manager; our communications manager; and the Salida fire chief.  Citizens are encouraged to attend this free training.

  Training received

Two dispatchers participated in a HazMat tabletop earlier this month.  Additional tabletop exercises are planned this year culminating in a full-scale exercise in September.  Our communications manager is a member of the exercise planning team and participates in the tabletops as a facilitator.

 Records and Administration

 Detention Facility

Colorado Central Magazine’s January edition carried an article on homelessness in Chaffee County.  In the article, the executive director of New Caring and Sharing, Bonnie MacDonald, was quoted as saying about our detention center, “They really care about these people who are coming out.  Most of them don’t have money or family or resources.”  “Our [detention center staff] has been wonderful.”