This story first appeared in a Colorado Community Media newspaper. Support CCM’s neighborhood news.
Morrison should stop relying on traffic-ticket revenue to pay for its police department, according to a consultant’s report that town officials received earlier this year.
That was the first of 10 recommendations that consultant KRW Associates made as part of an assessment/climate survey of the Morrison Police Department.
“We believe that lying in wait to write traffic citations to generate revenue is not serving the best ethical foundations of professional law enforcement,” the consultant wrote. “Enforcement activity should and needs to occur to further the goals of traffic safety and town safety concerns, and not as a source of revenue to directly support the salaries of the issuing officers.”
The Town Board said in a memo that four of the consultant’s recommendations “seemed both well-suited to the department’s needs and in keeping with its mission.”
They are:
- evaluate the department’s staffing, both for shifts and special events;
- consider entering into an intergovernmental agreement with the Jeffco Sheriff’s Office to provide overnight-shift coverage when the police department gets few calls;
- conduct a salary survey of comparable police departments to create an accurate tool to help with officer compensation;
- develop enhanced lines of communication between the police department, town manager and the Town Board.
Concern about the fate of the police department has resurfaced after Misty Siderfin, who was hired as the town’s new police chief in July, resigned. Her last day was Oct. 21.
Read more at coloradocommunitymedia.org.
CORRECTION: This story was updated Oct. 30 to correct the spelling of “Morrison” in the headline.