During a special work session on Thursday, Nov. 5, to discuss the possible restructuring of the Cedaredge Police Department (CPD), members of the Cedaredge Town Council voiced their unequivocal support for the officers of the CPD.

Cedaredge Mayor Tony Sluski kicked off the work session, stating that the idea of 24-7 police coverage “is not  going to happen.”

So the question was whether or not to maintain the current level of service. Sluski noted that most towns on the Western Slope of comparable size function with fewer police officers than does Cedaredge.

Trustee Bruce Bertram attributes the current attrition of officers to low salaries and excessive “on-call” coverage. Said Bertram, “Our police officers are the lowest paid group, dealing with the toughest issues.”

He noted that being “on call” disrupts the officers’ personal lives and their quality of life, and that with the current staff, they cannot provide 24-7 coverage without inordinate “on call” service.

Trustee Gene Welch said he would never support reducing or cutting the current number of officers. Said Welch, “I do believe that our current standard of one chief and five officers, if we could maintain this, is adequate for a town of this size.” Such staffing could provide for 18 hours per day of police coverage. “Any reduction in officers would reduce coverage and increase overtime,” he added.

Trustee Nancy Sturgill, after commenting on the increase in the numbers of violent and serious crimes, suggested changing hiring practices to include older, retired veteran police officers who may want to live out their retirement in Cedaredge.

Sturgill said those veterans  might be willing to work for the current salaries, maybe even as part-time officers, and may be the way for the town to provide extended police coverage.

Sturgill added adding her voice for keeping the status quo, for now.

Trustee Pat Means asked how much “on-call” time is being experienced by the officers. Police Chief Dan Sanders explained that when the department is fully staffed, “on call” time would be approximately 10 hours per week, but currently the “on-call” time is at 30 hours per week.

Means, commenting that she had recently participated in a ride-a-long, said she is concerned that the current public perception is wrong with respect to the number of  hours police officers work. “I don’t see how we can operate with less [officers],” said Means.

Trustee Clayton Ryan suggested hiring an investigator as a way to help take some of the pressure off the chief and the other officers.

When the floor was opened to the public, Cedaredge resident Gerry Mendralla started by saying that he felt the trustees were moving in the right direction. Mendralla then presented the trustees with a list, signed by area residents, recommending that the trustees “review the mission, size and make-up of the police department. The goal is to identify any appropriate changes that should be made considering budget constraints, officer safety and appropriate protection.”

The signed list goes on to say, “Several of our residents have an extensive background in law enforcement and police administration . . . Gene Gold and Lynn Spears have agreed to serve as consultants. Other might be interested.”

Resident Joe Capodice said he felt the decision of the trustees has already been determined, “The level of service should be based on the level of crime,” said Capodice. “What is the level of crime compared to the level of service?”

Sluski asked, “What would you do different?”

Capodice responded, “What do we need? We don’t need 24-7 coverage. We don’t need a canine unit. What do we need?”

It was later noted that the Cedaredge canine unit accomplished by way of public support, donations, grants and other fund raisers, and the K9 officers (Jett and Buddy) were acquired at no cost to the town.

Sanders noted that, contrary to misinformation and unsubstantiated claims that the K9 Unit is costing the town $50,000 per year, the actual cost is more like $3,500 per year, a figure that appeared to more inline with budgetary costs and more to the liking of most of those gathered for the work session.

Later that evening, Sanders offered these statistics to support his statement: K9 food and training rewards — $1,200; veterinary care — $800; training for K9 and handler — $600; equipment and training aids (synthetic narcotics) — $600; and miscellaneous costs — $300; a total annual cost of $3,500.

Sanders also noted that while some of these costs can vary, depending on the year and needs, the CPD periodically receives donations to offset the overall costs of the K9 Unit.

Bertram also noted that, in lieu of cash, the services provided by the Cedaredge K9 Unit to other towns is the town’s contribution to the 7th Judicial Drug Task Force. Sanders commented that when a drug bust occurs in any of these other towns, it has a definite impact on drug sales and the use of narcotics in the Town of Cedaredge.

Resident Jeff Rogers, after stating that being “on-call” is simply a way of life, said other towns using the Cedaredge K9 Unit need to share the cost for that service. Rogers also commented that the K9 Unit is “nice to have, but not a necessity.”

Al Brown, noting that stress levels rise and overall performance drops due to prolonged shifts, offered his support for the officers of the CPD.

Resident Bill Miller suggested that if the town is paying for more than 28 hours overtime, then it’s time to hire another a full time officer.

For his part, Sanders said he is encouraged what is being said at this work session.

With respect to the recommendation for hiring part-time, older, retired officers to fill the gap, Sanders said “It’s a great option,” adding that he prefers younger, enthusiastic officers who are eagerly seeking a career in law enforcement. “You get what you pay for,” said Sanders, adding that to keep good people, training makes up for low pay.

As for the current CPD officers, Sanders said the officers all enjoy living here, and that the town only needs to “treat them properly.”

It was also noted that under the current situation, the Delta County Sheriff cannot enforce Cedaredge Ordinances.

The next budget work session is scheduled for Thursday, Nov. 12, in Room A of the Community Center, starting at 6 p.m.

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