Sheriff's department steps in after Georgetown Police Department dissolves in Colorado's high country
Georgetown found itself without a police force after two of their three employees were entangled in the charges related to the Christian Glass shooting and the only other retired. A new agreement guarantees law enforcement will continue in the area.
The Clear Creek County Sheriff's Office has been helping cover 911 calls and law enforcement needs in the area, now the department will continue to provide law enforcement until May 1, 2025. The intergovernmental agreement outlines how the CCCSO will take over for the Georgetown Police Department.
Funding from the town police force will go to the sheriff's office to pay for the overtime needed to extend coverage, but it's not enough to make up the difference.
"We are certainly not making a profit," Clear Creek County Sheriff Matt Harris said with a laugh. "But we are being supportive and in Georgetown it is a critical time. "
Harris said not a lot will change for the average citizen in Georgetown.
"We will continue to provide that service outside that IGA, our guys will be patrolling Georgetown and so that folks will know they are safe and that we are here to support them."
While hours and times are outlined for when deputies will be focused on Georgetown, the sheriff's office will cover the area 24/7.
According to Harris, the difference will be the relationship the town has had with its law enforcement, calling the police chief's personal number instead of calling dispatch.
He said more and more rural police departments with overlapping costs nationwide seem to be combining in order to keep costs down.
"This is a national trend, maybe it's new to us but it is not new ... you look all around the county, police regionalization has been a thing for many years because you have so many police departments in such a small area there are fees that are duplicative.
"If you operate a police department and you can consolidate those resources and do it more economically ... it is probably the way to go."
