Details of the alleged crime are being withheld by authorities to protect the victim’s identity.

According to Breer’s website, he is a retired Cornell University sociology professor who has worked as a researcher at Harvard School of Public Health and as a consultant for Dartmouth College Medical School.  He has published several novels and nonfiction books and has composed numerous musical works, according to the website. 

Authorities have reason to suspect that other persons have been victimized by Breer and are actively attempting to identify them.  Lead investigator is Detective Andy Rohrich of the Chaffee County Sheriff’s Office.  Detective Rohrich asks that anyone having information about the case call him at his office, 719-530-5729.

Chaffee County EMS and Chaffee County Sheriffs personnel responded and upon their arrival they found several persons administering CPR to a male who had fallen into the reservoir and was unresponsive. EMS personnel continued CPR on the victim however he was pronounced dead at the scene.

According to numerous witnesses at the scene they related that the victim and his family had gathered with friends at the reservoir for a picnic. The victim was giving two girls, ages 6 and 8, rides on a small aluminum boat. The witnesses related that the two passengers were wearing life preservers, however the victim was not. The victim was doing small figure eights at a slow speed approximately 400 feet from shore when the boat began to take on water. The victim and the passengers eventually ended up in the water and the victim immediately began to take the girls towards shore. The victim was assisted by family and friends and the two girls were taken to the shore safely, however the victim was unable to make it to the shore on his own. He was pulled to shore and CPR was started immediately. At this point Chaffee County EMS arrived and continued CPR however the victim was unresponsive and was pronounced deceased.

On 05/04/12 Chaffee County Coroner Randy Amettis released the identity of the victim along with the autopsy results. The victim was identified as David Lucero, 32, of Leadville, Colorado.  The coroner advised that the victim died of accidental drowning.

…attended or participated in a variety of civic activities including Rotary, Salida Chamber’s Business After Hours, League of Women Voters, the new Salida High School open house, various political events, and the Kids Count luncheon.  The sheriff spoke to commercial river rafting guides at the annual orientation meeting hosted by AHRA.  The sheriff attended the annual breakfast awards event for the local Boy Scouts.  The undersheriff was guest speaker at the Salida Rotary.  Both attended the annual Friends of NRA banquet at the Fairgrounds.

The sheriff presented a County Sheriffs of Colorado scholarship award to Caitlyn Wagner, a Buena Vista High School student.

The sheriff’s office submitted an application to CDOT for a $20,000 grant for DUI enforcement.

Operations

The Chaffee County Coroner ruled the David Butler death a suicide.

Two teen forums on drug and alcohol use, cosponsored by the sheriff’s office and Build A Generation with the cooperation of the Buena Vista and Salida police departments, were presented on two successive evenings, one in Buena Vista and the other in Salida.  Both were well-attended with active participation by parents, students, and school staff.  Details can be found on the sheriff’s office website at www.chaffeesheriff.org

At our community forums several people suggested we create a tip line to receive anonymous information about illegal drugs, underage alcohol sales and use, and related issues.  After a good deal of effort, the sheriff’s office has finally implemented the suggestion.  The number is 719-539-8768.  Callers may remain anonymous.

Deputies participated in the Every 15 Minutes program produced by the Buena Vista Police Department with the cooperation of Buena Vista High School staff and students.  This event, involving volunteers from all law enforcement agencies in the county, the county court, district attorney, EMS, fire departments, and many others, is a dramatic, semi-theatrical event that graphically illustrates the human cost of tragedies caused by drinking and driving.  An 18-minute video can be viewed on YouTube at this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RxT-k61r2f0

In four hours, Chaffee County residents turned in 75.7lbs of unused or expired medications at collection sites in Salida and Buena Vista as part of the Prescription Drug Take-Back Day on April 28^th.  The event was such a success that we intend to participate again next year.  A big thank you to the community members who made the effort to drop off their medications, the Buena Vista and Salida police departments, local pharmacists who volunteered, and the dedicated pharmacy students from University of Colorado Skaggs School of Pharmacy.  Especially sincere thanks to Build A Generation coordinators Rebecca Rice and Nancy Mallett whose hours of effort in planning and preparation made the event possible.

Several arrests related to underage drinking, providing alcohol to minors, and violation of a county fire ban were made at a bonfire site in Fourmile.  We issued a press release with names of the adults that were cited or arrested, and it appeared in the local papers (the release may be viewed on our website at www.chaffeesheriff.org).  An agreement has been reached between the sheriff’s office and the US Forest Service for collaboration on patrols in Fourmile this summer to discourage similar activity.

Several Red Flag Warnings from the National Weather Service triggered NO BURN restrictions by the sheriff.

Senator Mark Udall was a visitor to our county on April 3.  No incidents.

The patrol division acquired four new replacement vehicles.  All are four-wheel-drive SUVs, very distinctively marked and with high visibility LED top-mounted light bars.

  Training Attended

The sheriff and patrol commander attended a conference in Vail sponsored by the Law Enforcement Coordinating Committee.  Attendees were sheriffs, police chiefs, and state and federal law enforcement executives.

The undersheriff and all three sergeants attended a two-day training session in Denver sponsored by County Sheriffs of Colorado.  Topics covered were civil liability, risk management, and professional standards in developing policy.

The patrol tactical team completed ten hours of regular monthly specialized training.

All patrol deputies completed firearms qualification.

  New hires

  Complaints / commendations

The sheriff received a letter from a Salida area woman involved in a dispute with her neighbors in which she alleged that the deputy who contacted her acted improperly.  The sheriff is looking into her allegations personally and his findings will be reported in next month’s report.

Victims Advocate

Communications Center

Communications Manager Annette Stolba is working on a communications response plan for school emergencies.  In addition, she is assisting the undersheriff and the Salida fire chief in conducting informal training for dispatchers on their role during incidents where an IC is established, how communications should work, etc.

National Dispatchers Week was April 9-13.  The Mountain Mail published a guest article by Annette Stolba explaining the duties of dispatchers.

 Personnel

The communications center is in the process of hiring a new dispatcher.  Testing was April 30 with a planned hire date in mid-May

  Training received

Several dispatchers attended leadership training hosted by EMD of Colorado

Dispatchers also attended training by the Pueblo Interagency Dispatch Center covering our communications center’s role in a wildfire.  Also discussed were technical descriptions and terminology for various specialized firefighting equipment.

Search and Rescue

Records and Administration

Detention Facility

Alamosa County signed the contract for our agency to house their inmates.  The first of their inmates will be arriving on May 1st.

  Personnel status changes

A detentions deputy resigned to accept a position elsewhere.

A new person was hired for the full time nurse position.  He has twenty years nursing experience and spent the past ten years or so as a travelling surgical nurse.

Another recently-hired part-time detentions deputy was a sergeant with the Colorado Department of Corrections in Canon City and has twenty years military police experience.

]]> http://chaffeesheriff.org/2012/05/06/april-2012-monthly-report-to-the-county-commissioners/feed/ 0 http://chaffeesheriff.org/2012/05/01/teen-forums-held/ http://chaffeesheriff.org/2012/05/01/teen-forums-held/#comments Tue, 01 May 2012 20:06:21 +0000 Chaffee County Sheriff http://chaffeesheriff.org/?p=1256 Two teen forums on drug and alcohol use, cosponsored by the sheriff’s office and Build A Generation with the cooperation of the Buena Vista and Salida police departments, were presented on two successive evenings, one in Buena Vista and the other in Salida.  Both were well-attended with active participation by parents, students, and school staff. 

Several people who attended the forums suggested we create a tip line to receive anonymous information about illegal drugs, underage alcohol sales and use, and related issues.  After a good deal of effort, the sheriff’s office has finally implemented the suggestion.  The number is 719-539-8768.  Callers may remain anonymous.

Forums results

The main action step we heard was the need to take these messages to all parents and teens, and suggestions that we include parents in the elementary schools in these efforts.   A few folks shared that understanding how perceptions drive behavior was eye-opening. 

Several suggestions came from those attending the forums, much of them emphasizing the role of parents as mentors and role models.

*Hold similar forums during school hours to boost attendance and interaction among parents and youth.  Stimulate greater interest among parents and teens about the problem, and focus on prevention.

*Include parents of children in the elementary schools so that they have the tools necessary to protect their children before they reach the critical ‘teen years.

*Promote parent education about drug and alcohol use, including by elementary-age kids.

*Vigorously enforce existing laws and examine the need for additional ones.

*Communicate key action steps by authorities to the community

 Salida forum members recorded these comments:

Good job – have more of these; Parents need to step up – I’m tired of hearing “there is nothing to do” – get them outside on the trails or on the river – Young Life does a really good job of having things for kids to do; I like the suggestion of finding a place for kids to go; More control in the schools – when students are under peer pressure or bullied they do things they wouldn’t normally do; Get a program at the elementary school; Have info geared to kids in a “cool” way, maybe by their peers; More info from Restorative Justice; Maybe have a video with statistics; Keep researching – good work.

A similar program will be presented at Salida High School in May.

In four hours, Chaffee County turned in 75.7lbs of unused or expired medications at collection sites in Salida and Buena Vista as part of the Prescription Drug Take-Back Day on April 28^th. A big thank you to the community members who made the effort to drop off their medications, the Buena Vista and Salida Police, Chaffee County Sheriff, Build A Generation, the local Pharmacists who volunteered, and the dedicated Pharmacy students from University of Colorado Skaggs School of Pharmacy. All medications turned in at the 117 state-wide collection sites are sent to Utah to be incinerated.

Why is proper use and disposal of prescription drugs so important? The Centers for Disease Control lists poisoning as the leading cause of death from injuries in the US and nearly 9 out of 10 poisoning deaths are caused by drugs. Also, unused prescription medications thrown in the trash can be retrieved to be illegally used or sold. Some medications can contaminate the water supply if flushed.

Alarmingly, prescription drugs are now second only to marijuana as the most common form of drug abuse in the US with 1 in 5 teens affected. The main types of abused prescription drugs are depressants, stimulants, and opioids (used to treat pain). People misusing prescription drugs may take more than one pill, combine them with other substances, or crush instead of swallowing.  In 2009, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported that twice as many Coloradoans died from prescription drug abuse than from drunk-driving related crashes.

Studies show that prescription drugs are readily accessible – even easier than beer – with 55% coming from the home medicine cabinet. Even Chaffee County youth say that pills are easy to steal. Parents, grandparents, everyone – what prescription and over-the-counter drugs are in your home? Do you keep track of them or secure them? Do you talk to children about the dangers of medication abuse?

Just because a drug is prescribed by a physician does not mean they are safe.  Prescription medications must be used by the prescribed patient, within a prescribed time, for the prescribed reason and with a doctor’s guidance.

If a take-back site isn’t available, the recommended proper disposal of prescription medications is: take the prescription drugs out of their original container, mix the drugs with something unappealing like cat litter or coffee grounds, put this mixture into a disposable container with a lid or into a sealable bag, conceal or remove any personal information, and place the sealed container with the mixture and the empty drug container in the trash.

A telephone line directly connected to a recorder has been installed within the sheriff’s office.  It is not answered and callers receive a recorded message that they have reached the sheriff’s tip line.  Callers are informed that they may either remain anonymous or leave their name and telephone number for a return call.  The line does not have Caller ID so persons who decline to identify themselves may do so with confidence.

The tip line is not intended to supplant the Crime Stoppers line, but is instead for recording information related to underage alcohol use and illegal drug use by persons of any age in our county.

The number to call:    719-539-8768      

The state’s county sheriffs association offered a total of 32 awards of $500 each this year to deserving high school and college students in Colorado to fund higher level educational expenses for the 2012-2013 academic year.

A citizens committee selected Catelyn based on criteria that included leadership, merit, character, involvement, purpose, and need.  Catelyn, a senior at Buena Vista High School, intends to enroll at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs in the fall to pursue a nursing career. 

Catelyn, daughter of Kevin and Carolyn Wagner, is a member of the high school honor roll and the National Honor Society.  She is enrolled at Colorado Mountain College and has completed several college level courses.  She is a volunteer for the Chaffee People’s Clinic and numerous community and civic projects including several local churches. 

Sheriff Palmer will present the award to Catelyn at 9am on April 17 at the county commissioners’ meeting in Buena Vista.

This is the 33^rd year for the CSOC scholarship program.  Monies for the program are derived, in part, from the CSOC honorary membership fund, which consists of contributions from individual citizens and businesses each year.

…attended a variety of meetings including local law enforcement officials in Cañon City, Over the River participating agencies, West Central Mental Health, Salida Rotary Club, US ProChallenge Race planning, and school emergency operations planning.

Operations

An extensive operation to apprehend a fugitive wanted for violating parole on a manslaughter charge ended when a body, later confirmed to be that of the wanted subject, was found burned beyond recognition in a small residential barn.  The coroner has not yet ruled as to whether the death was a suicide or the result of an accident.  Press releases related to the operation can be found on our website, www.chaffeesheriff.org

Liquor server training was conducted at the Fairgrounds, instructed by agents of the Colorado Liquor Enforcement Division. The training was jointly sponsored by Salida PD, Salida City Clerk, Chaffee County SO, and the Chaffee County Clerk.

  Training Attended

The entire patrol division recertified on Taser.  One deputy attended training to become a PPCT instructor.  Half of the patrol division recertified in PPCT.  The tactical response team attended 10 hours of training.

New hires / separations

A deputy who had joined this agency only a few months ago resigned to accept a position with the Buena Vista Police Department at higher pay.

  Complaints / commendations

The sheriff received the Chaffee County League of Women Voters annual Making Democracy Work Award.  The award was presented at a public event held at the Salida SteamPlant.

A Buena Vista PD officer wrote the sheriff to commend one of our deputies for his actions during an early morning call at a Buena Vista motel.  The deputy arrived at the motel at 3am on a report of an intoxicated man brandishing a knife.  On his arrival, the deputy was confronted by the man who advanced on the deputy in a “threatening posture,” according to the letter.  Although the deputy may have been justified in using lethal force to meet the threat, he remained calm, convinced the man to drop the knife, and on the arrival of the Buena Vista officer, arrested the man without incident.  “I believe that [the deputy] showed a perfect combination of authority and restraint,” according to the Buena Vista officer.

A Salida PD sergeant wrote our jail commander to commend a detentions sergeant and a detentions deputy for their assistance with an emotionally disturbed woman who had called 911 and then, when officers arrived, locked herself in her bathroom and threatened to harm herself with a knife.  The woman’s husband is an inmate in our jail and the officers, unable to convince the woman to come out, requested the assistance of jail supervisors.  The detentions sergeant and deputy, in an unorthodox move, escorted the husband to his wife’s house.  There, after the woman had surrendered to officers, he calmed the woman and convinced her to cooperate with the officers and mental health workers.

Victims Advocate

Communications Center

Search and Rescue

Search and Rescue North will have a booth at McPhelemy Park during Buena Vista Gold Rush Days.

Records and Administration

Detention Facility

Issues

  Training

Personnel status change