April 16, 2015 VOLU M E 1 4 | I S SUE 1 3
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Lone Tree police force embracing body cams Department sold on technology that it has used for two years By Jane Reuter
jreuter@colorado communitymedia.com
Peter Law and his daughter Emily, both of Edwards, check out a LEGO version of the Lincoln Memorial on display at Park Meadows mall April 9. It is among several replicas of national landmarks on display there through April 26. Photos by Jane Reuter
LEGO tour stops at Park Meadows Replicas of national monuments on display through April 26 By Jane Reuter
jreuter@coloradocommunitymedia.com Intricately detailed replicas of 10 national monuments made of LEGO bricks are on display throughout Park Meadows mall through April 26. The displays are part of a 10-city traveling installation called LEGO American Roadshow: Building Across America. The large-scale models include the U.S. Capitol, White House, Supreme Court, Lincoln Memorial and the Liberty Bell, among others. Though the structures look delicate, road show manager Andrew Little said the pieces are glued and the replicas are permanent. Legos continues on Page 10
Other LEGO displays at Park Meadows include a Colorado scene depicting a ski lift and mining.
Goings going, but his impact won’t be gone Highlands Ranch principal says effective educating similar to good parenting
The palm-sized device measures just 2.5 inches by 3.5 inches. So small and lightweight, “We don’t even notice it,” said Lone Tree Police Cpl. Joe Deland. But the body cameras worn by all officers with the Lone Tree Police Department since 2013 serve several vital purposes for both officers and the public. “The key here is to build trust,” Lone Tree Police Chief Jeff Streeter said. “Every community needs to have trust in their police organizations. It doesn’t matter where it is. “This technology can help the public through evidence they gain. It’s just another layer of accountability.” The April 4 fatal shooting in South Carolina of a black man by a white officer, recorded on video by a bystander and occurring on the heels of several other police shootings, has reignited a national debate on body cameras. The officer, who initially claimed he feared for his life during the incident, is charged with murder. Lone Tree police already were testing body cameras when Streeter was sworn in as chief in March 2013. He was not immediately in favor of the idea. “It felt very Big Brother to me,” said Streeter, who came to Lone Tree from the Lakewood Police Department. “When I started here, I had 28 years of police service, and no cameras. It was me that had to shift.” The agency purchased 45 Taser Axon body cameras for $28,000 in 2013, and every officer wears one during his or her shift. The city also pays $20,000 annually for storage and software. Officers are instructed to turn the devices on when they contact a suspect, whether for a traffic infraction or a more serious crime. Streeter now is convinced of their worth. “I can’t even begin to tell you in how Cameras continues on Page 10
By Jane Reuter
jreuter@coloradocommunitymedia.com
Highlands Ranch Principal Jerry Goings radios security staff as students file into a classroom for their first period of the day. Photo by Jane Reuter
As Principal Jerry Goings walks the halls of Highlands Ranch High School on a spring morning, students call out his name. Tall, graying and lean, broadcasting a hard-to-come-by blend of geniality and authority, the school’s leader is tough to miss. Many of the teens go out of their way to get his attention, and he acknowledges as many as he can. “Goings!” “Mr. Goings!” The principal greets the vast majority of them by name, often accompanying that with a pat on the back or a high five. “Paul, grab your hat please,” he shouts to a group moving en masse down the stairs. A student glances over, smiles apologetically and removes a burgundy knit hat from his head. Goings crosses the hall to say good Goings continues on Page 11
Lone Tree Cpl. Joe Deland shows the small, lightweight body camera he and other Lone Tree oficers wear clipped to their chests. Photo by Jane Reuter