Residents of Colorado town baffled after entire police force suddenly quits

WaPo ^ | 4/24/16 | Peter Holley

[Kirkwood]

You seem to have some liberal ideas as well about personal responsibility and job compensation. Govt worker salaries and benefits are payband restricted, while workers in the private sector get whatever salary and benefits they can negotiate. If someone doesn't like the compensation at one company they can go elsewhere or start their own business. If you work in govt, you are close to the bottom in terms of a salary, but the benefits accrue over time to compensate you if you stick with it. Didn't you ever wonder why it is that people often leave govt jobs for the private sector after a length of time? It is because they know they are worth much more than the govt will pay them.

I've worked in federal and state govt and had my own businesses and worked for other private businesses. The highest salaries I earned were always when I worked in the private sector either for a company or for myself, and the lowest salaries were when I worked in govt. If you lost your job and have nothing to live on, you have my sympathy, but you pretty much have no one to blame but yourself for not planning ahead.

[Mears]

“Police are minutes away when seconds count!”

—

Stupid statement.

.

[shotgun]

Can’t randomly shoot dogs anymore?

[HiTech RedNeck]

I do?

I’m talking about an issue that the public turns a blind eye to because it is complacent, not because it is conservative.

They assume that everything is Andy Griffith clean. The result has been bankruptcies of cities and states.

I talk as a concerned citizen. You seem to be talking as complacent.

[HiTech RedNeck]

It isn’t stupid — they are oversold (and personal arming, undersold).

[Kirkwood]

The truth hurts, but the choice is yours on how you go through life. The best lesson you can teach your children is to save money their whole life and don’t ever waste it when you are making good money.

[Kirkwood]

You are hard of reading if you read that in anything I wrote.

[HiTech RedNeck]

Why are you so bent on drawing attention away from the government racket, with such high sounding philosophization?

Just because a deal is possible doesn’t mean those who enter into it are wise.

[HiTech RedNeck]

You seem to be covering up. Do you have relatives on the state pay in a juicy situation like this that you are trying to morally justify to yourself?

[bert]

Well, the sheriff will do the job

I think his name is Longmire, no, that’s Wyoming

[GizzyGirl]

I think you missed golux’s point! We have so many on federal and state pensions, they retire or quit at 50 or younger and they are paid the rest of their lives!

[MileHi]

I think his name is Longmire, no, that’s Wyoming

Right, this sheriff is Bill Elder. I'm sure El Paso County sheriffs department can back fill for a four man department.

[Texan5]

It isn’t when you live in a remote rural area-I doubt that there is even one person out here who does not have the means to defend themselves within easy reach-and I don’t mean picking up a cell phone-unless a deputy happens to be working in your area at that moment, assistance from the law is 15-30 minutes away-you have to be responsible for your own safety...

[catnipman]

Not unusual for these tiny burgs in Colorado to lose their entire police force all at once; however, it’s unusual for them to quit: usually they get fired all at once for corruption, nepotism, incompetence, etc.

[Myrddin]

The comment is spot on. When I was still in San Diego (Mira Mesa), I heard pounding on my front door. I pulled my .357mag immediately, then dialed 911. The pounding on the door was unrelenting for 20 minutes. Finally, SDPD arrived. They put on spot light on my front door. It was a very large dog trying to get into my house. Animal control arrived and removed the dog. The .357mag went back in the safe when the dog was identified as the problem. I did have to repaint the security door and door frame to cover the scrapes, scratches and gouges. I sold the house and moved to Idaho later that year.

[PeterPrinciple]

All four members of the 700-person town’s police force

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My question is 4 cops for 700 persons? not houses, persons.

[Texan5]

Several years ago the only “real” town-the county seat, with less than 900 people-canned their few town cops for reasons that included harassing tourists-the biggest source of income out here-and of course bribery. Went to just having a town marshal, and all has been quiet since...

[Secret Agent Man]

If anyone is trusting on the police to save them they are lost regardless.

[Moltke]

I like that series. Lots of beautiful Wyoming scenery. (Not everyone watches it, it seems.)

[TYVets]

My question is 4 cops for 700 persons? not houses, persons

The salary of the police chef is $12,000 per year.

The other 3 employees are part time.

A change in policy or wages by the new mayor?