OCTOBER 18, 2018
75 CENTS
Elections 2018: State races inside
ELBERT COUNTY, COLORADO
A publication of
Police keep body cameras after trial period One-year test proved positive, Elizabeth chief tells town board BY TABATHA STEWART SPECIAL TO COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA
Malissa Nugent pours a sample of a Water 2 Wine vintage at the Oct. 6 Wine in the Pines event in Elizabeth. Nugent, a Westminster resident, owns the Water 2 Wine winery in Centennial and said she likes to attend events like the wine tasting because it provides the opportunity to meet a lot of people and tell them about the winery. TOM MUNDS
A mighty wine time in Elizabeth Yearly event brings people together, marks town’s birthday
Representatives of the Littleton’s Water 2 Wine winery talk about their vintages to a couple during the Oct. 6 Wine in the Pines event in Elizabeth. An estimated 200 people stopped by the annual winetasting that also celebrates incorporation of Elizabeth in 1890. TOM MUNDS
BY TOM MUNDS TMUNDS@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
Conversation and tasting stopped briefly as those attending the Oct. 6 Wine in the Pines event joined in singing “Happy Birthday” to the Town of Elizabeth. Grace Erickson, Elizabeth community development director, said this is the fourth year for the event that is a community social event as well as a time to mark the city’s birthday. SEE WINE, P11
In 2017, the Elizabeth police department embarked on a year-long trial of the Axon Body Camera. The program is part of Axon’s National Field Trial, which equips police departments with body cameras and unlimited cloud storage at no cost. According to Elizabeth Police Chief Stephen Hasler, the trial was a success, and he asked the Elizabeth Board of Trustees to approve the purchase of the system, which the board did on Oct. 9. “After the year-long trial, the results have been extremely positive,” Hasler wrote in a letter to the board. “We fully tested their product and the ability for it to suit our requirements and the requirements of the 18th Judicial District Attorney’s Office.” The approved request was for a onetime start-up cost of $9,100 to purchase the 10 body cameras. The only annual cost after the initial purchase will be the cost of cloud storage, which retains videos from the body worn cameras, and which will be paid out of the police department budget. Officers are not able to delete any videos, and footage will be used to support both officers and community concerns. SEE CAMERAS, P15
THE BOTTOM LINE PERIODICAL
“The smartest person in the room isn’t always the one doing all the talking.” Michael Norton, columnist | Page 12 INSIDE
VOICES: PAGE 12 | LIFE: PAGE 16 | CALENDAR: PAGE 20
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VOLUME 123 | ISSUE 38