Longmont Public Safety Chief Mike Butler told the Longmont City Council on Tuesday night that he’s not going to speculate about the outcome of an independent investigation into police officers’ alleged warrantless searches at a subsidized housing property, but that the officers involved were following policies that “were very much aligned” with his department’s.
Those included possibly getting assistance for tenants at the Longmont Housing Authority’s The Suites complex who are coping with drug addiction or mental health problems, he said.
Police made it clear to the Housing Authority that they weren’t going to be there “in an enforcement role,” Butler said.
He said he cannot make excuses “about how that played out” but said he ended police participation in such situations in the future after getting reports about several tenants’ complaints.
Longmont police’s drug enforcement efforts are primarily focused on large distributions networks rather than on seeking out and arresting people for possession of illegal drugs, Butler said.
“I know there’s been a lot of finger pointing” about what is alleged to have occurred when police and K9s accompanied Housing Authority staff during inspections last month, Butler said, “but the bigger picture for us” is what to do to get professional help for people who are struggling with addiction — wherever those people live in Longmont.
Last Friday, Longmont City Manager Harold Dominguez initiated the probe into the allegations that Longmont Housing Authority property managers, along with police K9s, entered several units at The Suites without consent or search warrants on May 10 — a violation of Fourth Amendment rights.
The searches were brought to light when resident Ray Appling raised concern over a notice sent before a mandatory monthly check announcing that property managers would “occasionally have K9 units with LPD accompany us for purposes of training and compliance.”
Joe Barrett said he watched as property managers ignored residents’ refusals of police and K9s being allowed inside.
“I was outside my door when they took those police dogs in both apartments,” he said.
Also at Tuesday night’s meeting, Councilwoman Bonnie Finley objected to Councilwoman Joan Peck last week having reportedly suggested that the council meet in an executive session to discuss the allegations about what happened at The Suites.
“If ever there was a need for complete transparency, this should be it,” Finley said.
Finley proposed — and council members voted 6-0 to adopt — a motion that the council not meet in a closed-door executive session about the situation at The Suites unless advised to by City Attorney Eugene Mei. Councilman Brian Bagley was absent.
Earlier Tuesday, the Weld County Sheriff’s Office was chosen to assist with the city’s independent investigation.
Weld County sheriff’s Cpl. Matt Turner said an internal affairs sergeant and a detective would be investigating. He said any other future public information will come from the city.
“We do not have a timeline on this investigation at this point,” Turner said in an email.
Krystal Winship Erazo, the Longmont Housing Authority’s director of operations, said that she invited police and their dogs to help search units after hearing rumors of drug activity within the subsidized 70-unit complex at 2000 Sunset Way. Police also said there was a drug overdose death.
Last Wednesday, Longmont Deputy Chief Jeff Satur said that the K9 officers involved in the May searches reported they did not enter any apartments without consent.
On Monday, the Longmont Housing Authority — an agency separate from the city — also authorized its own inquiry into allegations, according to an announcement on its website.
David Herrera, the housing agency board’s attorney, wrote that the board “has authorized me to undertake an internal inquiry into both the law and facts involved in the general and specific allegations of potential intrusion into privacy rights and unlawful searches of private dwellings.”
Amelia Arvesen: 303-684-5212, arvesena@times-call.com or twitter.com/ameliaarvesen
John Fryar: 303-684-5211, jfryar@times-call.com or twitter.com/jfryartc
