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SAFETY COMMITTEE
Fifth Meeting
January 25, 1975
9:00 A.M.
Members present were: Dr. Brooks, Chairman
Mr. Billings
Mr. Baumgartner
Guests were: Virginia Lundeen from the League of Women Voter' s.
Dennis Gay, Chairman of the Advisory Committee for the new jail and
Juvenile Facility.
Neal Carpenter, from Nelson, Haley, Patterson and Quirk.
Don Bower, the new Sheriff -
Richard Shockley, the new Undersheriff
Mrs. Lundeen reported on a study by the League of Women Voter' s dealing with juvenile
detention and completed in the spring of 1973. The study was made, dealing with detention
services for the juvenile group ages 10 through 18. The views of members of 28 agencies in
the County were incorporated into the results of the study. One of the outcomes was a
request for the committee to study all detention services.
Mrs. Lundeen discussed the types of facilities and listed the two major types:
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1. a "shelter" facility, which is open and not locked.
2. a "detention" facility, which is locked and serves as a temporary detention
facility only. Punishment or treatment are not included as a part of the
function of this type of facility.
When youths in Weld County are apprehended there are only three places at the
present time where the youth may be held on a temporary basis:
1. County Jail
2. City Jail
3. The Adams County Detention Center, where a person may be sent with the
permission of the court. A youth once detained, must have a hearing within
48 hours.
Mrs. Lundeen then discussed the nature of a detention facility. There are 5
such centers in Colorado. The state statutes say that when a county reaches 100
thousand, the County must establish a detention center. This type of center has more
services available, including programs in testing, comprehensive evaluation and so
forth. The County Commissioners in each County are responsible for establishing the
centers.
Mrs. Lundeen then described in detail the detention center in Adams County. This
facility has 13 full time people, 6 part time and also interns from the University of
Northern Colorado. The cost for putting a youth in the center is $10.00 per day for
education, which is paid by the home school district. Other services come to $15.80;
making the total $25.80 (1974 figures) . The capacity of this center is 29; ages of the
youth found there are 10 through 18. In 1972-1973 approximately 2,000 youths were at
one time or another housed in the facility, with an average daily capacity of 23.2.
Mr. Gay pointed out that we should look for alternatives to this type of a facility,
in other words, something other than buildings. A building that is available would always
be filled. We need to look more to a 24 hour services program. The League of Women Voter's
study concluded that Weld County does not need a detention center at this time, but rather
should develope alternatives.
Mr. Neal Carpenter, architect for Nelson, Haley, Patterson and Quirk and designer of
the new County Services building, discussed the law enforcement section of the new building.
The law enforcement facility is included in phase 2 of the construction project. Mr.
Carpenter pointed out that the building is not a programmatical answer to the County' s
need but is a demonstrated physical structure based on statistical need. He discussed the
project from four aspects :
1. Function
2. Cost
3. Esthentics
4. Time Frame Work
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The time frame work is based on a "pay as you go" cash flow. County funding is through
"a cash reserve levy." A three mill levy would generate about 1 million dollars a year.
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There are also general revenue sharing funds which will be included in the financing of the
building. Construction will be gradual, over a 4 or 5 year period and it is anticipated that
the cash flow will meet the financial needs for the construction. At this point, bids,
as they are coming in, are right at or below the 1973 cost estimates. A bond issue is not
anticipated. The move in date will be approximately 1'g to 3 years from January 1975. The
juvenile holding area in this facility will be on the first floor and completely separated
from the facilities for adult prisoners.
Mr. Carpenter indicated that his company had spent more time and money on the search
for the phase two part, or law enforcement facility, than on any other project.
Next, the committee heard from Mr. Norman Brown, of the Health subcommittee, of the
Home Rule Commission who reported on that committee' s study of the Coroner and Ambulance
Services. Mr. Brown reported that the committee had found that most of the Coroner
facilities and services in Weld County are very well operated. There are several ambulance
services presently operating in the county and the question the committee is asking concerns
the need for ambulance service versus the tax dollars which need to be available for the
operation of the ambulance service. Committee member Glenn Billings pointed out that under
this Emergency Medical Service (EMS), some state funds could be available to expand the
services. He suggested that the Health Committee look further into this possibility. Mr.
Brown concluded his report by saying that the committee has found a great deal of overlap
in the present services offered under the various health services in the county.
The committee then heard from Sheriff Don Bower and Undersheriff Richard Shockley. The
Sheriff' s Department is being reorganized under three divisions.
1. Field
2. Administrative
3. Investigative
Plans are also being made for a temporary detention facility. The present jail facility,
including the Civil Defense area, have been or are being cleaned up and rearranged. A system
of staggered shifts has been worked out for the patrol part of the Sheriff' s office structure
and the office is open on a 24 hour basis. Four of the department personnel are in school
at Aims and it is anticipated that two more will attend.
Hiring practices have been changed or updated and include the following steps:
1. The use of application forms (this was also previously done).
2. The use of polygraph.
3. An attempt is being made have all persons presently employed,
certified by July 1, 1975, as per state requirements.
4. The department is making use of the Aims College Police Science
Program.
5. A trained investigator begins work on January 27, 1975.
6. There are plans for a separate interview room to be used for
interviewing applicants.
7. The Sheriff' s Office Civil Processing Program is to begin Monday,
January 27, 1975.
Currently, the Sheriff' s Department is short two jailers; . . Among the additional plans
for the operation of the department are:
1. The institution of a resident deputy concept.
2. A revised crime reporting system.
Part of the training program will include training on procedures for testifying in court.
A training officer has been hired.
In answer to a question concerning an elected Sheriff versus an appointed Sheriff, Sheriff
Bower indicated his preference for maintaining the present structure of electing the Sheriff.
He did point out, however, that qualifications for the office of Sheriff should be set up.
Undersheriff Shockley said that it is absolutely necessary to have some sort of qualification
requirements for the Sheriff and Undersheriff, and indicated no strong preference for either
appointing the Sheriff or electing the Sheriff. However, did seem to lean in the direction
of electing the Sheriff as long as appropriate qualifications were required.
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