Larimer Sheriff says Wellington should keep PD as is

Larimer County Sheriff Justin Smith on Tuesday issued an "open letter to the residents of Wellington" stressing that, among other things, the town of approximately 6,000 residents should not continue to explore the idea of creating and funding a town police department.

The town north of Fort Collins contracts its law-enforcement services to Smith's office, paying nearly $628,000 for services and patrol vehicle leases this year.

Smith wrote in a morning Facebook post a Greeley patrol officer's proposal that the town create a police force was shortsighted and would not result in better services. He also said the idea was "modeled after the now defunct police department in Berthoud," which was disbanded last year following a comprehensive investigation that found members failed to report allegations a former officer abused a teenage girl and the eight-member force struggled with "back-stabbing" and fear.

Smith in his post said the proposal to create a separate force "relied on below-market salaries, used equipment and minimized officer training to project lower costs to the town board."

"The honest reality is that those methods translate into low hiring standards, high turnover and officers ill-prepared to serve the needs of the community," he wrote.

Wellington residents on both sides of the discussion weighed in online. Some complained that Smith's deputies have a high visibility around the community but don't always make a connection with residents. Others said the growing community would be better served by its own department. Supporters of the current system, however, agreed with Smith's concerns and said they wanted to learn more about ways the two plans would differ.

Smith said there will be continued meetings in the coming weeks addressing how the Wellington branch of the sheriff's office can address resident concerns. Additionally, he said his office will continue to work with the town board to "assure that we understand and are meeting their expectations."

"As the law enforcement agency for your community, we remain committed to providing affordable, high quality policing services that the Wellington town board and the community expect and deserve," he wrote.