August 20, 2015
THIS WEEK IN
VOLUME 14 | ISSUE 31
SPORTS
LOCAL
Fall sports: High schools prepare for beginning of season.
Page 25
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Academy helps police build trust 10-week course includes aspects of officers’ work By Mike DiFerdinando mdiferdinando@colorado communitymedia.com
Dr. Stephen Weber uses a battering ram during the spring 2015 edition of the Lone Tree Citizen Police Academy. Courtesy photo
The Lone Tree Police Department has been progressive in its approach to working with the community. In 2013, the department became the first in the state to equip all its officers with body cameras. With its Citizens Academy, the department hopes to continue that tradition of innovation. “The whole point of the academy is to build the partnership
between the public and the police,” said Officer Jason Rogers, who is in charge of the program. “We want to give people a look behind the scenes at what our job is like on a daily basis.” The academy is a 10-week course that begins on Sept. 3. Applications are due by Aug. 28. The course is free, but participants must be 18 years old or older and pass a background check. Most of the academy sessions meet from 6-9 p.m. on Thursdays. But there are also three Saturday “field trips” that include a trip to a firing range, a day on the driving track, and a mock crime scene investigation. According to Rogers, the mock crime scene is the favorite part of the academy experience
for many participants. “You would think people would be most excited to shoot the guns, but I think the thing they got the most out of is the crime scene day,” Rogers said. “It gives them that `CSI’ experience from TV.” Questions are encouraged at each session, and officers will provide presentations on many different aspects of policing. “In the spring we got a lot of questions about the situations in Ferguson and Baltimore, and a lot of the stuff that’s been in the news,” Rogers said. Lone Tree Police purchased 45 Taser Axon body cameras for $28,000 in 2013, and every officer wears one during his or her Academy continues on Page 11
E-cigarette use by kids targeted A proposed ordinance would make possession of emerging products illegal for minors By Shanna Fortier sfortier@coloradocommunitymedia.com The growing popularity of electronic cigarettes and nicotine-delivering vaporizers has sparked a call to clamp down on their use and possession by minors in Douglas County. A proposed ordinance would expand the definition of banned tobacco products for those under 18 to include emerging alternate means of ingesting nicotine. The existing ordinance prohibiting possession and use of tobacco products by minors passed in 2001. E-cigarettes were introduced to the U.S. market in 2007. A first reading of the ordinance took place Aug. 11 at the Board of County Commissioners’ business meeting, where it passed unanimously. The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office has weighed in with support for the ordinance. “There’s always something new — everything is always emerging,” said Sgt. Lori Bronner, of the Douglas County Sherriff’s Office. “You can’t just call it e-cigs, so the wording is in (the ordinance) to cover any other products that will be created to burn or consume illegal items.” One concern is that not just tobacco can be used in these products, but also marijuana or hash oil and forms of narcotics. Another concern, Bronner said, is that some parents believe e-cigarettes and vaporizers are not as dangerous to youths as tobacco cigarettes. That’s not the case, she said. Using e-cigarettes and vaping are sometimes touted as being safer than traditional cigarettes, as well as ways to stop smoking. Research into the long-term effects of the emerging products, however, is slim. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said the potential risks of e-cigarettes are not yet fully understood. But the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation, Division of Pharmaceutical Analysis, reported in 2014 that e-cigarette cartridges from the two leading brands revealed “the product contained detectable levels of known carcinogens and toxic chemicals to which E-Cigs continues on Page 11
Kai Fraley, 2, of Parker, stares in awe at a new firefighting apparatus at Centennial Airport. Photos by Chris Michlewicz
Trucks pack firefighting punch Centennial Airport helps secure new vehicles for South Metro Fire By Chris Michlewicz cmichlewicz@coloradocommunitymedia.com Firefighters now have more capability to respond to downed aircraft on and near Centennial Airport. The South Metro Fire Rescue Authority revealed the latest weapons in its arsenal during a ceremony Aug. 13 at Centennial Airport, the second-busiest general aviation hub in the country. The Stryker T-2500 and Stinger Q4 received a ceremonial “wet down” with a fire hose, a tradition to commission new equipment that dates back to the 19th century. The Stryker T-2500, also known as Red 1, adds capacity for water, equipment and personnel responding to a crashed aircraft. The Stinger Q4, or Red 2, is an allwheel-drive vehicle with maneuverability and the capability for a quick response. It can carry 400 gallons of water and quickly suppress a fire. It joins Red 3, a militaryFire truck continues on Page 12
Centennial Airport Director Robert Olislagers shakes hands with South Metro Fire Rescue Chief Bob Baker during a ceremony to unveil new firefighting equipment at the airport Aug. 13.