TONIGHT AT POLICING IN RURAL SOUTHEASTERN COLORADO.
INCREASINGLY, THESE QUIET
COMMUNITIES ARE SEEING BIG-CITY CRIMES, BUT THERE ARE VERY FEW LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS TO PREVENT THEM OR EVEN RESPOND TO THEM.
"WHEN WE FIRST MOVED IN, I WAS LIKE, 'WOW, WE MOVED TO MAYBERRY.'
"I MOVED TO A PLACE THAT HAS A LOT OF CRIME PER CAPITA FOR ITS SIZE." VO#1 IN MANY WAYS, ANNE BOSWELL IS LITERALLY THE VOICE OF HER
COMMUNITY.
VO#2 BOSWELL IS NEWS DIRECTOR FOR FOUR RADIO STATIONS SERVING THE LOWER ARKANSAS VALLEY, AND ALSO A RESIDENT OF RURAL BENT COUNTY.
"A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE TOLD ME, 'WE'RE REALLY CONCERNED ABOUT THE CRIME IN THE VALLEY, DO MORE CRIME STORIES, DO MORE STORIES ABOUT HOW WE CAN STAY SAFE.'" "THE DRUG PROBLEM HAS GOTTEN
WORSE, IT'S GOTTEN PRETTY BAD HERE LATELY." "WE HAVE A LOT OF ORGANIZED CRIME MOVING IN, MOSTLY ASSOCIATED WITH ILLEGAL
MARIJUANA GROWS." VO#3 LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES
THROUGHOUT THE VALLEY ARE STRUGGLING TO KEEP UP WITH IT ALL.IT'S NOT JUST DRUGS, BUT VIOLENT CRIME, TOO.JUST THIS PAST WEEK, A SHOOTING IN LAS ANIMAS.BUT LAS ANIMAS, LIKE
MANY OTHER SMALL SOUTHERN COLORADO TOWNS, NO LONGER HAS A POLICE FORCE, RELYING INSTEAD ON THE COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE.
"WE TRY AND DO THE BEST WE CAN TO DO THE PATROLS WITH THE LIMITED STAFF THAT I HAVE." VO#4 BENT COUNTY SHERIFF DAVID ENCINIAS HAS A STAFF OF ONLY 8
DEPUTIES, INCLUDING HIMSELF, TO PATROL NEARLY 6-THOUSAND PEOPLE SPREAD OUT OVER MORE THAN 15-
HUNDRED SQUARE MILES.
"SOMETIMES I JUST HAVE ONE DEPUTY ON.AT THE MOST, I TRY TO HAVE A COUPLE DEPUTIES ON." VO#5 IN NEARBY CROWLEY COUNTY, AN EVEN SMALLER STAFF PATROLS ALL
OF ORDWAY, SUGAR CITY, OLNEY
SPRINGS, AND CROWLEY.
"WE USUALLY LIKE TO HAVE AT LEAST ONE, BUT THAT'S VERY DIFFICULT -- IT'S RARE THAT WE HAVE 24/7 COVERAGE." VO#6 GETTING PEOPLE TO COME WORK FOR THESE RURAL DEPARTMENTS IS
CHALLENGING AT BEST.
"HOW DO YOU ATTRACT SOMEBODY TO A SMALL TOWN? IT'S HARD TO GO TO A BIGGER CITY AND TRY TO RECRUIT SOMEBODY AND SAY, 'HEY, 20- SOMETHING, DO YOU WANT TO COME DOWN HERE WHERE THERE'S NOT A
LOT OF NIGHTLIFE AND THERE'S NOT A LOT OF THINGS TO DO THAT YOU MIGHT BE USED TO?" VO#7 AND FOR LOW PAY -- LOW-30S IS STANDARD PAY FOR MOST OF THESE
DEPARTMENTS.IN FOWLER, POLICE
FORCE OF TWO, IT WORKS OUT TO ABOUT 6-15 PER HOUR OVER THE COURSE OF WHAT AMOUNTS TO A SOLID 96-HOUR SHIFT OVER FOUR CONSECUTIVE DAYS TO ATTEMPT TO PROVIDE 24/7 COVERAGE.
"IT'S A 100% SALARIED DEPARTMENT, SO THERE'S NO OVERTIME, NO COMP TIME, WE WORK OUR BLOCK AND GET COMPENSATED OUR FLAT RATE, NO
MATTER WHAT WE WORK." VO#8 OTHER DEPARTMENTS DO OFFER OVERTIME, BUT IT'S NOT ENTICEMENT ENOUGH FOR MOST TO STICK AROUND, OR TO ATTRACT
QUALIFIED ENOUGH CANDIDATES.
"THEIR SALARIES ARE SO LOW COMPARATIVELY TO ANY OF THE METRO AREAS THAT WE LOSE MOST OF OUR STAFF THAT AREN'T LOCAL KIDS THAT WANT TO STAY HERE AND HELP THEIR COMMUNITIES -- WE LOSE
THEM TO THE LARGER AREAS AS SOON AS POSSIBLE." VO#9
THE RESULT ENDS UP BEING YOUNG, INEXPERIENCED DEPUTIES -- AND THE BAD GUYS KNOW IT.
"THEY HAVE RADIOS, THEY USE THEIR CELL PHONES, ALL THIS STUFF.
THEY HAVE CAMERAS ON THEIR HOUSES, SO THEY KNOW WE'RE COMING." VO#10 IN THE ABSENCE OF ANTICIPATED FUNDING TO BOLSTER THESE
DEPARTMENTS, ALL AGREE, SOME LEVEL OF COMMUNITY POLICING AND PRIDE IS REQUIRED.
"I DRIVE AROUND TOWN AT NIGHT AND LOOK, AND IF SOMETHING DON'T LOOK RIGHT, I CALL THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT." "WE'RE TRYING TO RECRUIT PEOPLE WHO HAVE A VESTED INTEREST IN
THE COMMUNITY.PEOPLE WHO GREW UP HERE." "MAYBE COME BACK AS A DEPUTY, COME BACK KNOWING THAT THEY CAN
HELP THEIR TOWN OUT."
"IF WE'RE ALL PROACTIVE, I THINK THAT MAYBE SOME OF THESE STAFFING ISSUES IN THESE SMALLER DEPARTMENTS, THIS COULD BE MADE BETTER IF WE ALL KIND OF WORK TOGETHER."
REGARDING THE SHOOTING IN LAS ANIMAS MENTIONED IN THAT
STORY, PUBLIC HELP IS STILL NEEDED IN LOCATING SEVEN PEOPLE WANTED FOR QUESTIONING IN THAT INCIDENT, WHICH HAPPENED LAST MONDAY -- THEIR INFO IS ONLINE RIGHT NOW AT KOAA.COM.
SBAR
WE'RE WORKING TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE CONDITION OF A WOMAN WHO WAS FOUND AFTER A LATE-NIGHT SEARCH AT PUEBLO'S LAKE MINNEQUA.
PUEBLO POLICE TWEETED THESE PICTURES OVERNIGHT, SAYING THE WOMAN WAS YELLING FOR HELP IN THE PITCH BLACK, SAYING SHE WAS COLD AND THAT SHE COULDN'T MOVE.
CREWS FROM PUEBLO POLICE, FIRE, AND A-M-R SEARCHED IN KNEE-DEEP WATER AND THICK BRUSH TO FIND HER.
SHE WAS PULLED FROM THE WATER AND BRUSH WERE SHE WAS STUCK AFTER SEVERAL HOURS.
OFFICERS SAID SHE WAS INCOHERENT, SO THEY HAD NO IDEA HOW SHE BECAME STUCK IN THE FIRST PLACE.
SHE WAS TAKEN TO THE