The sheriff and undersheriff

The sheriff and undersheriff participated in the Independence Day parades in Buena Vista and Salida. Both were judges for the annual car show in Buena Vista.  The undersheriff served on the selection board for commander at Erie Police Department.

Operations

A dispatcher at the Chaffee County Communications Center received a telephone call from an acquaintance of a Parker man alerting authorities that the man, angry over a recent dispute with his parents, was at that moment driving to the campground to kill them and set fire to the facility.  Deputy Logan Tidwell, patrolling in the north end of the county, spotted the man’s pickup truck as it approached the campground entrance.  The deputy fell in behind the vehicle and turned on his emergency lights but the truck continued on.  As the truck began to drive into the campground, the deputy moved his patrol car into the entrance, preventing the truck from entering.  The driver, alone in the pickup truck, stopped, got out, and began walking with his hand in his pocket toward the deputy’s car.  Deputy Tidwell ordered him to stop and remove his hand from his pocket.  The man refused, angrily challenged the deputy, and continued to advance toward him despite the deputy’s continued commands.  Finally, as the man began to reach into the cab of his truck, Deputy Tidwill used his Taser to subdue him and he was taken into custody.  At a court hearing the following week, the man was charged with attempting to influence a public official because of his threats to the officers, a felony; and resisting arrest, a misdemeanor.  

An 80-year-old male resident of Colorado Springs was arrested and charged with sexual assault on a child by one in a position of trust, a Class II felony, for crimes committed in Chaffee County.  Out of concern for the privacy of the victim and the victim’s family, no further details are being released.

A police officer from another state was arrested for third degree assault and domestic violence, both misdemeanors.  His agency was notified and his handgun and identification, along with a copy of our report, were sent to his commander.  He has since bonded out of our jail.

  Training Attended

  Personnel

Patrol Commander Derek Bos used his vacation to travel with a church group to Uganda where he and other volunteers spent twelve days in a part of the country that has no access to electricity and where clean water is a scarcity.  The group installed solar panels to provide electricity for a school, a medical clinic, and nurses’ quarters.  They also worked at an orphanage to provide power to operate a well and a water filtration system. 

  Complaints / commendations

The sheriff received a letter from a Buena Vista motorist alleging that a deputy had stopped her without probable cause and was rude to her during the contact.  The investigation into the incident included interviewing a sergeant and a state trooper who were present during the incident, and a review of relevant logs.  The sheriff determined there was in fact probable cause for the contact and the deputy’s actions were appropriate to the situation.  The sheriff notified the complainant of his findings by letter.

The general manager of Mount Princeton Hot Springs Resort, in a conversation with the sheriff, expressed high praise and appreciation for the work of Sgt. Everson and Deputy Tidwell.  He said both have been extremely helpful in handling the occasional disturbance at the facility and are perfect examples of the community policing model of law enforcement.

The mother of a 16-year-old boy called the sheriff to complain that a deputy had given her son a summons for failure to dim his car’s headlights and that this action was unnecessary and tends to impair relations between law enforcement and young people.  “What kind of relationship are you trying to build with the kids in this area?” she asked.  A review of the report showed that the deputy stopped the vehicle for the headlight violation at 11:30 pm on a Friday.  Two 16-year-old and two 15-year-old youths were in the car and the deputy could smell alcohol inside.  He questioned them and with a portable breath tester discovered two had not been drinking (including the driver) while one other registered a blood alcohol content (BAC) of .056, the legal standard for alcohol impairment.  Another registered a BAC of .143, nearly twice the legal standard of intoxication.  Both were released to their parents with court summonses for illegal possession and consumption of alcohol.  The sheriff later commended the deputy for his actions.

The sheriff received a letter from a case worker at the county’s human services department commending Deputy Jesse Cortese for his “professionalism and manner of work” during the investigation of a child safety case.  According to the case worker, Deputy Cortese “acts as a seasoned officer and is clearly dedicated to his position and to helping those with whom he works.”

Victims Advocate

The Mountain Mail published a human interest article about our victim advocate, Brittany Goodwin.  The article described her duties and responsibilities and was quite positive.

Communications Center

In-house continuous education training is being conducted in WEBOC/EMSystem programs, Code Red procedures, and Emergency Medical Dispatching.

  Personnel

  Training received

Search and Rescue

Chaffee County Search and Rescue-South (CCSAR-S) assisted two Texas men, ages 26 and 31, after they became lost while hiking Tabaguache Mountain.  The men reported they were unable to proceed any farther due to cliffs in McCoy Gulch.  Ten rescuers participated in the rescue.  Eventually a hiking party of SAR members found the men and guided them down the mountain.

Chaffee County Search and Rescue-South (CCSAR-S) assisted a 27-year-old Lakewood, Colorado man after he became lost while hiking Shavano and Tabeguache Mountains.  The man contacted the communications center at about 4pm to report that he and his dog were stranded and unable to descend the trail due to loose boulders above Shavano Lake.  Twelve SAR volunteers comprising three hiking teams finally found the man and his dog at about 8pm.  The teams then walked them out and arrived back at the trailhead at 11pm.

Records and Administration

At the suggestion of our Records personnel, the sheriff posted on the website the applications for new and renewal concealed carry permits.   Applicants may now download the documents, print them, and complete them, saving them a trip to the sheriff’s office.

Detention Facility

Several contraband and assault cases are being investigated at present.

  Personnel

Corporal Kent Johnson resigned to enjoy retirement effective August 31^st.  We are currently testing for two full-time and two part-time detention positions and a part-time nurse position.  Two communications center dispatchers assisted with interviews.

  Training Attended

  Equipment issues

The elevator needed a control panel replaced; it has been repaired after approximately two weeks of down time.