Excellence in Service to our Community
In 2017, Douglas County saw an increase in population as well as a total increase in crime of 11% over 2016. Overall county population at the beginning of 2018 stood at 346,000 with 209,885 citizens under the full service law enforcement of the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office (DCSO.) As a result, the DCSO provides public -safety services to the fourth largest citizen population in Colorado, surpassed only by Denver, Aurora, and Colorado Springs. While we work very hard to combat and prevent crime on all levels, the most commonly occurring crimes were Theft, Fraud, Trespass to Automobiles, Vandalism, and Drug/Narcotic’s Violations. These are trends that most all law enforcement agencies along the Front Range are also addressing. As are many law enforcement agencies nationwide, Douglas County is seeing increases in Mental Health calls and Drug Overdoses. Overall, violent crime saw a 3% decrease and property crime saw a 15% increase. Douglas County had 4 homicides in 2017 including one of our own, Deputy Zackari Parrish III, on the last day of the year. Our Strategic and Tactical Approach to Crime and Crashes (STACC) initiative and other social media/ crime and accident prevention campaigns such as #moveover, #9pmRoutine and #LockitorLoseIt and CodeRed emergency alert campaigns are instrumental in helping us reduce victimization and increase communication. Programs such as Text-a-Tip and Youth Education and Safety in Schools (YESS) help keep our schools safer. Even with educational campaigns, Douglas County remains a “crime of opportunity” destination for criminals and the Sheriff’s Office works hard to prevent victimization of its citizens whenever possible. Overall, Douglas County maintains the lowest crime rate of all Front Range counties and prides itself on its quality of life! As an office, in addition to the statutory duties of the Sheriff, like protection of the courthouse, maintaining a detention center and civil service, Sheriff Spurlock provides full service law enforcement to over 209,000 citizens and puts great emphasis on volunteer auxiliary units such as the Community Safety Volunteers, reserve deputies, and victim’s assistance and detention division volunteers among others. Citizen academies and youth academies as well as Explorer scouts connect directly with community members and help them understand the Sheriff’s role. This not only enhances his ability to combat crime with limited resources, but also helps to solidify relationships, improve transparency, and collaboratively combat crime.
Sheriff Spurlock also puts great value in community engagement and philanthropic initiatives by staff at all levels to adjoin citizens and his employee to make Douglas County a better place for all. “The relationship we have developed together, has not only proven to be good for our community, but has shown to be a relationship, that during our darkest times, has given us given us a citizenship that stood beside us.” Sheriff Tony Spurlock. This Annual Report to you, focus’s on our philanthropy and community services, and highlights our dedicated staff and our accomplishments in 2017.
Philanthropy & Community Service Sheriff Spurlock and the staff of the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office regularly support several important causes and community organizations through fundraising or other help. For several years we have dedicated a lot of time, energy and personnel to a very special cause, Special Olympics Colorado. The goal of Special Olympics Colorado is to provide year-round sports training and athletic competition in a variety of Olympic–type sports for children and adults with intellectual disabilities. As members of the Law Enforcement Torch Run ,our fundraising efforts assist Special Olympics Colorado in attaining that their highest goals. Throughout the years we’ve participated in various Special Olympics Colorado events such as their Polar Plunge, Law Enforcement Torch Run, and Tip-A-Cop events, raising $18,289 for Special Olympics Colorado in 2017.
Polar Plunge Team 2017- BRRRite Blue Line
Your Douglas County Sheriff’s Office was recognized as the highest fundraising law enforcement agency for the 2017 Polar Plunge event. Total funds raised $8,899.
2017 Torch Run Team – Raised $955
Sheriff Spurlock also serves as State Director of Colorado Law Enforcement Torch Run
Tip-A-Cop Tip-A-Cop events are typically hosted by Red Robin restaurant in Highlands Ranch. Sheriff Spurlock and staff volunteer their time and spend a majority of the day waiting tables and educating the community about Special Olympics with some of our local Special Olympics athletes. Patrons have fun and tip to help raise money for the athletes.
The Sheriff’s Office also participates in several other annual fundraisers, raising money for different cancer prevention and research organizations. St. Baldrick’s Foundation to support childhood cancer cures; No-Shave November, to raise awareness and money to support cancer prevention and research; Breast Cancer Awareness Month, allowing staff to purchase various pink items to wear for the month, with all of the proceeds donated for Breast Cancer research. We never stop trying to help those in need!
This is why you see some of our staff with shaved heads!
Alice Cares For Kids The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office service in the annual Alice 105.9 Cares For Kids radiothon began 3 years ago because of the dedication and commitment of Detective Brian Pereira. Detective Pereira had participated in this event for several years when he decided to get the Sheriff’s Office involved by creating a team and recruiting members from all divisions of the Office. All money raised through Alice 105.9 Cares For Kids stays local and benefits the greatest areas of need within Children’s Hospital Colorado, including research, education, treatment, equipment, family care and more.
Coffee With a Cop Coffee with a cop events are happening all over the nation. Here, we meet citizens in their community at local establishments where they often frequent for coffee and conversation. This provides the community an opportunity to express concerns and ask questions that they otherwise may not take the time to ask. Deputies engage with their community, build relationships through casual conversation, solve problems, and we all see how we can help each other make neighborhoods safer.
Detective Dan Brite Detective Brite was shot and critically injured by a man with mental illness on September 2, 2016. Dan fought extremely hard throughout his recovery and returned to work in early 2017. Although wheelchair bound, Detective Brite continues to serve Douglas County and the Sheriff’s Office every day. He is a true example of the meaning of commitment and perseverance!
Right: Detective Dan Brite, his wife Sergeant Christine Brite with their daughter at the Y.E.S.S. Fun Run
National Day of Prayer Annually, Sheriff’s Chaplain Tim Ralph and representatives from Sheriff’s Office Command Staff gather with other community leaders to pray for Douglas County to include law enforcement, fire personnel, churches, schools and our children. National Day of Prayer events occur all over Douglas County and is a chance for leaders in all areas of government and community to gather and pray for our community, state and country.
May 4, 2017, Castle Rock National Day of Prayer ceremony
Chili Cook Off - O’Brien Park, Parker 2017 was the first year for a new annual fundraiser which benefits the Douglas County Fallen Officer Fund. Several staff as well as staff from other Douglas County agencies cooked chili to raise money to directly benefit fallen or severely injured public-safety members in the county.
Christmas for Kids Each year Sheriff’s staff works together with Walmart, of Highlands Ranch, to help ensure less fortunate Douglas County families also have a very Merry Christmas. Walmart generously provides snacks and drinks, a coloring station, holiday crafts, face painting, Santa Claus, picture opportunities, and great gifts for the kids. Shopping day starts off with fun and refreshments, then the kids get to pick out their Christmas gifts. Walmart staff is always amazing to work with and they work very hard to make this event nothing less than wonderful.
Major Events & Awards December 31, 2017 In the early morning hours of December 31, 2017, a nightmare for all law enforcement agencies played out in Douglas County. “We have four officers down� is heard over the radio. Deputy Zackari Parrish sacrificed his life, and five other officers and two citizens were seriously injured when a mentally ill man opened fire while deputies were attempting to take him into protective custody . The death of a member in the line of duty is extremely painful and the effects extend beyond their family and the law enforcement agency involved. Feelings of grief and loss largely encompasses the community as well and we regret the pain you also may have suffered. Every day since the day of that tragic incident, the Douglas County community has shown its incredible support in so many ways. We are so grateful for the wonderful community we serve. You helped us through it and we could not have done it without you. Thank you!
Gracie Parrish thanks Deputies Jeffrey Pelle, Taylor Davis, Michael Doyle, and Sgt. David Beyer, who all risked their lives and were seriously injured trying to rescue her fallen hero, Deputy Zackari Parrish III.
Awards Ceremony This year, the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office Annual Awards Ceremony was hosted by Valor Christian High School in Highlands Ranch. Several members of the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office as well as members of surrounding agencies were recognized for the exemplary jobs they did in 2017. This year there were over eighty (80) award recipients, to include staff and citizens, and twenty-five (25) of those were awarded with the highest award from the Sheriff; the Medal of Valor.
Employee of the Year Rebecca Terry and Deputy of the Year Deputy Brian Briggs
Regional 911 Dispatcher of the Year 2017 Terry “TJ” Duncan
The Colorado Dept. of Transportation awarded Sgt. Chris Washburn as their Traffic Incident Management System 2017 Instructor of the Year
Payton Lascor Service Award, Hide in Plain Sight Foundation
Military Service Award Deputy Frank Alston
Explorer Post 10-4 received multiple awards at the LEEPAAC Regional Explorer Conference
Triple Crown of Law Enforcement Accreditation Award (CALEA, ACA, & NCCHC Accreditations)
We are one of only 16 Sheriff’s Offices to ever achieve re-accreditation by two different sheriffs.
The School Safety Advocacy Council awarded Undersheriff Holly Nicholson-Kluth with the 2017 National School Safety Award Vonelle Riley, Volunteer Victim Advocate Douglas County Sheriff’s Volunteer of the Year 2017
Ground Breaking Public-Safety Projects 2017 was an important year in our efforts to improve public-safety services for Douglas County, with a strong emphasis on regional partnerships, improved training to better serve you, and more effective use of technology to better solve and prevent crime. Each of these important facilities provides the newest technology in their respective fields to better serve our community.
“Code 303 Douglas County� Emergency Vehicle Operations Center
While the vision was more than 14 years in the making, thanks to a donation of $3.3 million from philanthropists Dave and Gail Liniger, we were able to build the Code 303 Douglas County Emergency Vehicle Operations Center in July, 2017. The Liniger’s donation represented over one half of the cost to build and equip phase-one of the facility, which sits on 80 acres. The facility features a 1.6 mile training roadway; a 9.2 acre large asphalt skills pad training area, and a smaller, asphalt skills pad training area of 1.8 acres. This new training facility provides Douglas County, as well as other metro-area public-safety agencies, a safe place to teach advanced decision making; proper pursuit driving and pursuit termination; communication while driving; defensive driving; day and night driving, inclement weather skills; vehicle dynamics and limitations; motorcycle officer certifications; crash investigation training, and the most recent approaches to traffic incident management. More than just a benefit to public-safety agencies, with an estimated 19,000 teenage drivers in Douglas County, the facility also hosts private teen driver safety programs. Owned by Douglas County, the facility is managed in partnership with the Highlands Ranch Law Enforcement Training Foundation.
Emergency Vehicle Operations Center groundbreaking, February 2017
Colorado’s First Traffic Incident Management (TIM) Training Track After three Colorado State Patrol Troopers were killed, Governor John Hickenlooper charged the Colorado State Patrol with convening a task force to conduct a top to bottom review of first-responder traffic safety in Colorado. In 2016, the task force highly recommended that all firstresponders receive training and utilize the new concept of Traffic Incident Management (TIM) in order to investigate vehicle crashes safer and more quickly, thus reducing risks, traffic backups, and the potential of secondary crashes. As a result, and in partnership with the Colorado Dept. of Transportation, the Code 303 Douglas County Emergency Vehicle Operations Center became home to Colorado’s very first TIM training track, which broke ground in November 2017. Fully funded by the Colorado Dept. of Transportation, and owned by Douglas County, the $1.5 million training track officially opened in April, 2018.
Unified Metropolitan Forensic Crime Laboratory In 2015, Sheriff Spurlock, District Attorney George Brauchler, Aurora Police Chief Metz, and Arapahoe County Sheriff Dave Walcher began discussions about how to best remedy a growing challenge to their ability to properly investigate and prosecute criminal cases; the lack of resources at the Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI) lab to conduct forensic DNA analysis on evidence. DNA evidence is available on a lot more evidence than the CBI lab can reasonably process, which is especially problematic for larger city and county law enforcement who have a need to process the most evidence. Additionally, the backlog of DNA testing, in some cases over a year long, hampered investigations and prosecutions in court. Realizing the current lack of available DNA lab resources, compared with the extreme value of DNA results in solving crime, Sheriff Spurlock and the other local law enforcement leaders found that the best way to solve this problem was for them to develop a regional partnerships, build a shared-local forensic DNA lab, share associated costs and savings, and secure the crime-solving benefits the lab will provide each partner for generations to come. Finally, after 4 years of planning and research, the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, Douglas County, Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office, Arapahoe County, Aurora Police Department, City of Aurora, and the 18th Judicial District Attorney’s Office combined efforts and funds which brought us to the ground breaking of the Unified Metropolitan Forensic Crime Laboratory. This laboratory represents a unique partnership of two counties and a city, along with the D.A.’s district they are located in, to better serve the citizens of their jurisdiction. In late 2019, the 28,000 square foot building will open with cutting edge technology, including DNA analysis.
Unified Metropolitan Forensic Crime Laboratory, Douglas County, Colorado
Communications Radio Tower Upgrades We are proud to finally see the fruits of a 10-year effort to improve public-safety in Douglas County and Highlands Ranch. In March 2017, construction of a unique radio communication tower project in the Highlands Ranch Central Park began. This long-overdue radio tower, which is a 150-foot tall, three-point structure, painted “International Orange,” improves public-safety radio coverage in and around Highlands Ranch by 325% over the coverage that existed before. The tower showcases a remarkable partnership with Shea Properties, who was instrumental in helping Douglas County locate and design this unique community landmark. It completely disguises an emergency-responder radio tower and provides an artistic and costeffective alternative to the typical tower design. “We could not have made this one-of-a-kind tower project happen without the outstanding help of Shea Properties and the vital funding of the Justice Center Sales and Use Tax, approved by voters in 1995 and again in 2007,” said Sheriff Tony Spurlock.
While the Central Park tower is one of the most unique, it is only one part of a long awaited northern -simulcast technology system that dramatically improves public-safety radio coverage for all of Douglas County. The final pieces of the northern-simulcast system are a set of microwave antenna atop the sheriff’s Highlands Ranch substation and a new tower in Franktown. The southern-simulcast system was completed in 2016, with the upgrade of existing sites in Castle Rock, Castle Pines, the western Pike National Forest area, and the construction of new towers in Larkspur and above Palmer Lake. Overall, costs for the ten major system upgrades covered by the project were less than $14 million, of which $11 million was provided by the Justice Center Sales and Use tax. The Douglas County Emergency Telephone Service Authority recognized the importance of this project and provided the final $3 million to ensure its success. Thanks to the regional support of all our partners, Douglas County, its municipalities, the Douglas County School District, and other surrounding first responders can finally communicate via their radios in most all areas because of the comprehensive coverage the tower upgrades provide us all.
Central Park Tower poles set into position June 12, 2017
“I am blessed to have been able to serve the citizens of Douglas County this past year and am grateful for the relationships we have built together. I’m proud of the involvement of my staff in community projects that help others, and I know that the benefit gained, is not only for the people served, but for the servers as well. Due to the many projects and programs highlighted in our 2017 annual, we have built a relationship together that will continue to make Douglas County a great place to live, work and play.” -Sheriff Tony Spurlock