Briefing Room, November 2014

The Briefing Room | November 2014 The magazine of the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office

Aiming for Excellence

REAL LIFE Law enforcement nationwide get comprehensive training at new facility in Highlands Ranch

crackdown!

Deputies to get tough on drunk drivers over holiday WATCH VIDEO OF OUR K-9S HELPING CATCH CRIMINALS. Page 28

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THE BRIEFING ROOM The magazine of the Douglas County Sheriff's Office 4000 Justice Way Castle Rock, CO 80109

November 2014 COVER: Aiming for Excellence Peace officers get stateof-the-art training at Highlands Ranch Law Enforcement Training Facility

THE BRIEFING ROOM is the magazine of the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office.

It’s produced by Community Resources, www.DCSheriff.net.

EMAIL EDITOR & Public Information Officer Deborah Sherman at DSherman@DCSheriff.net.

COVER STORY

Aiming for Excellence

The Highlands Ranch Law Enforcement Training Facility prepares officers for every day situations up to major events.

Inside this issue: Message from DCSO Sheriff Tony Spurlock

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Message from Undersheriff Holly Nicholson-Kluth

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New K-9s coming -- and a female deputy makes history

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Stopping scams against our veterans

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Tip-A-Cop raises funds

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Cops fighting cancer

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Senior luncheon

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Social media; the good, bad and ugly

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Holiday crackdown on drunk drivers

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Elk gets caught in barbed wire

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Wildland Fire Mitigation Crew

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COVER STORY AIMING FOR EXCELLENCE

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Video of K-9 Demonstrations

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Keep your kids safe with a YESS Boot camp!

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CONTENT: Photography, copy, graphic design by Deborah Sherman unless otherwise indicated.

SUBMISSIONS: Have a story idea for The Briefing Room? Please send it to DSherman@DCSheriff.net.

CONTACT: The DCSO at 303.660.7500

“You will make decisions, good, bad or indifferent, all in a split second... So training and preparation is critical.”

– Sheriff Tony Spurlock

The Briefing Room, a magazine of the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office 2

MESSAGE FROM SHERIFF TONY SPURLOCK

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Tony Spurlock was elected Douglas County’s 33rd Sheriff

uties in crisis intervention techhis month, I’m particular- niques so that they can recognize ly thankful for the men mental illness and intervene early and women who elected me as and proactively. their sheriff in Douglas County.

As your sheriff, I’ll also focus on rd As the 33 sheriff in the history of protecting seniors, our parents and the county, I’ll continue to focus grandparents, as they age and on issues that matter to us most. grow vulnerable to criminals who prey on the elderly.

More than just public safety, the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office It’s a good month to honor and be wants to tackle community conthankful for our parents, our famicerns, such as mental illness. The lies and neighbors and the men number of people going into our and women in uniform who projails today for threatening to hurt tect us every day. Thanks to them themselves or others has skyrock- and to you for making Douglas eted almost 300-percent in the last County a great place to work and decade. We’re tackling that issue live. Happy Thanksgiving. by getting people the right help, when incarceration isn’t the answer. We’re also training our dep-

Bear-seat driver Bear wrecks car getting a snack Last month, a black bear broke into a car in Castle Pines after it smelled food inside. Not only did it eat the leftovers, it damaged the car to the tune of $15,000. After dinner, the Dept. of Wildlife opened the door and the bear ran away.

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We need monetary donations and gift cards. Please make the gift cards in the amount of $25 or $50 from major department stores like Target, Walmart, Toys-R-Us, etc.  We’ll use any financial donations to buy gift cards.  Gift cards will be distributed to families to purchase gifts for their holiday.  Please deliver all gifts cards and donations to the sheriff’s office no later than December 12th, 2014 so that we can distribute them to the families before the holidays. 

Checks should be made out to Douglas County Sheriff’s Office with “Christmas for Kids” denoted in the memo line. 

You can mail donations to:

BEHIND THE BADGE WITH UNDERSHERIFF HOLLY NICHOLSON-KLUTH The DCSO has coordinated the Christmas for Kids program for the past 15 years and provided gifts to over 650 families in need.

The sheriff’s office is continuing this tradition in 2014 by providing gift cards to families to help ease the burden of the holiday season and to help ensure all Douglas County families have a joyous holiday season.

The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office is asking for your help to make our program a success.

Please help. Thank you.

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Douglas County Sheriff’s Office Christmas for Kids 4000 Justice Way Castle Rock, CO 80109 Or drop it off between 8am - 5pm Monday through Friday: DCSO substation 9250 Zotos Drive Highlands Ranch, CO 80126 Douglas County Sheriff’s Office 4000 Justice Way Castle Rock, CO 80109 Thanks to all of you who have worked in the past to make Christmas for Kids a success, and we are looking forward to making this year even a better!

Friends of Douglas County K-9 to Buy New Douglas County Sheriff’s Office K-9s Through the generosity of the Friends of Douglas County K-9 and their fundraising efforts, the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office (DCSO) will be able to expand the K-9 unit with two additional K-9s.

Friends of Douglas County K-9 will purchase two new dogs and pay for the training of three K-9 handlers to attend the K-9 Academy at the Vohn Liche Kennels located in Indiana, in January 2015. With the addition of the two new K-9s, DCSO will have a total of six K-9 teams; each team consists of one K-9 and one K-9 handler. DCSO is fortunate to have had K-9s since 1989.

Douglas County Sheriff Tony Spurlock said: “This is a unique collaboration between Douglas County Sheriff’s Office and Friends of Douglas County K9. Our combined mission is to sustain a unit of well-trained, well-equipped dogs, to be used to maintain the safety of the community. Together we will have purchased five new dogs, safety equipment, and training classes to teach the handlers how to better instruct their dogs. These classes allow the dogs to become a more finely tuned tool to be used for the protection of our citizens, making Douglas County one of the safest communities in the state of Colorado. Having these dogs on every patrol shift is a major achievement for the safety of our personnel and the citizens we serve. It drastically improves the efficiency and effectiveness of the Patrol Division. The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office is fortunate to have this partnership with the Friends of Douglas County K-9, which allows us to provide continuous K-9 coverage 24 hours a day”.

Friends of Douglas County K-9 Chairman, David Swieckowski D.V.M. said: "Our mission is to support the Douglas County Sheriff's Office K9 Unit and this generous funding of more dogs and training is helping us fulfill this mission. If it were not for our donors and our volunteers, we could not have even come close. All of us in Douglas County take immense pride in these dogs and their handlers. We couldn't be more thrilled."

CONGRATULATIONS to our new K-9 unit handlers, including the first female handler since the beginning of the program in 1989. Deputies Marcella Kelly, Brad Prouix and Michael Morris will begin their training in January with their new canine partners.

Deputy Michael Moris

Deputy Brad Prouix

Deputy Marcella Kelly

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A consumer alert by the 18th Judicial District’s Ofice

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here are many ways in which veterans and those who support them are scammed, and charities that allege to raise money to help veterans are at the top of the list. Investment scams targeting older veterans are also prevalent, as are benefactors who offer reduced fees for services that are otherwise free to vets.

Below are some of the more common schemes: Fraudulent Charities: Bogus charities often use names similar to well-known veterans groups or affiliated nonprofit organizations in an attempt to deceive the public into believing the charity is real. Regardless of how an aid organization solicits, always verify the legitimacy of that charity before making a contribution.

Two reliable sites include the Better Business Bureau www.bbb.org and Charity Navigator www.charitynavigator.org.

In addition to fabricated veteran charities, some charities mislead potential supporters by alleging assistance to veterans or military families without providing them actual support. Both websites provide pertinent information on charities, the charity’s mission, and the percent of money raised and contributed to the cause the charity supports.

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In Colorado, charities that intend on raising $25,000 o more annually must be registered with the Secretary o State’s Licensing Division. Listings of these charities c be found on the Secretary of State’s website at www.sos.state.co.us.

Illegal Investment Schemes: In this dubious scheme veterans are persuaded by unscrupulous investment a visers to transfer their assets into an irrevocable trust order to financially qualify for VA-related pensions and benefits. Doing so often jeopardizes the veteran’s elig ity for Medicaid should it be needed down the road for long-term care. Meanwhile, the advisor makes a high commission off of investments contained in the trust th are often unsuitable for an older veteran. For credible formation on veterans benefits, click on www.nasdva.n

Charging for Military Records: Veterans can also be fooled by solicitors who offer a “reduced fee” in order t obtain military records. All military records are availab free of charge to all Veterans and are available throug the Veterans Administration.

DA – 18th Consumer Protection Line: 720-874-854

Officer, more mustard please?

Tip-a-Cop raises thousands for Special Olympics

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his fall, Douglas County Sheriff’s Office employees traded in their handcuffs for aprons at Red Robin Restaurants.

The were taking part in the annual Tip-A-Cop fundraiser to raise money for Special Olympics Colorado, along with thousands of other law enforcement across Colorado and the country.

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Deputies hustled back and forth to get people seated, drinks and food.

In return, they earned tips that will help special athletes compete in competitions across the nation.

More than 60,000 law enforcement took part in the event in August, raising thousands of dollars for local Special Olympics programs.

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On December 17, cops are going to fight the toughest, most vicious, nefarious criminal they’ve ever faced-- childhood cancer. The monster has struck the innocent at Children’s Hospital. Police are on their way.

Douglas County Sheriff’s deputies, led by Aurora Police and hundreds of other law enforcement, will caravan to the hospital armed with smiles and gifts.

They’ll pass around the presents , share laughter and offer kids hope that they’ll win the battle against the ultimate bad guy.

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The DCSO serves seniors lunch and helpful information

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eniors got a taste of reality during a luncheon just for them in September in Highlands Ranch. The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Association fed them a great lunch and good information about life after sixty. Douglas County tops the nation for the biggest population growth of adults 60 and older. By 2030, it’s estimated one in four residents in the county will be seniors, which is approximately 24% of the county’s population, according to the CO Demography Office.

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By Phyllis Harvey, Youth, Education & Safety in Schools (Y.E.S.S.) Program Coordinator | Suicide Prevention

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he Douglas County Sheriff’s Office Youth Education and Safety in Schools (YESS) team was honored to participate in the Douglas County Youth Initiative’s (DCYI) 2014 Youth Congress event – The Good, The Bad and The Ugly of social media.

There were more than 120 high school age students in attendance. YESS presented one of the keynotes that educated students on focused attention and emotional intelligence to include the 3 E’s – empathy, enlightened, and empowDeputy Dan Palermo’s group’s discussion was ered. specifically on “Cyber harassment/Cyber Bullying”. The group was engaging and came up with Each of the great ideas to battle this spreading issue across four team members then Douglas County. also lead a It was great to see teenagers get together about breakout ses- something they are passionate about and come sion with stu- up with real world solutions for these issues. dents. Deputy Cyber bullying is spreading throughout the Jay Martin’s school district and I believe this event was a group was on great starting to point in the battle against such a crimes perdevastating issue. taining to soCoordinator Phyllis Harvey’s group learned cial media. about youth suicide prevention. Students The kids dis- learned about statistics, warning signs, risk faccussed creat- tors and protective factors. The group decided to ing the SMS Social Media Society in each High come up with a website and #DougCoLives to School. SMS would then be educated about promote suicide prevention in the schools. The crimes within their schools by an officer and in web domain DougCoLives was purchased by turn teach the younger generations, middle the DCYI for the group to get started. school and elementary students. Similar to a mentor or big brother/sister program to teach the younger children. Their thought was little kids are more likely to listen to older kids as opposed to adults (teachers/deputies/officers) when it comes to being told NOT to do something.

Deputy Ann Walton’s session was on Text A Tip. Students were educated about how Text A Tip works and the group chose to work on a marketing campaign.

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The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office Steps Up DUI Enforcement for the Holidays

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he Douglas County Sheriff’s Office will be out in force in an effort to reduce the number of DUI related car crashes. The crackdown, which will include high-visibility enforcement throughout Douglas County, will start November 26th and will run until the end of the year.

Douglas County Sheriff’s Deputies will be aggressively looking for drunk drivers during the crackdown and will arrest anyone caught driving drunk.

Although it is illegal in all 50 States, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico to drive drunk (having a blood alcohol concentration of .08 or higher), far too many people across the nation get behind the wheel after consuming too much alcohol. The latest statistics from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration underscore the serious nature of the nation’s continuing drunk driving epidemic.

“Every year, we see far too many fatalities as a result of driving drunk” said Sheriff Tony Spurlock. “Research has shown that high-visibility enforcement reduces drunken driving fatalities by as much as 20 percent. By stepping up our DUI enforcement this holiday season, we will make Douglas County roadways safer for everyone,” said Sheriff Spurlock.

“We want to remind everyone that getting behind the wheel drunk is a terrible idea. Unfortunately, not only does drinking impair your ability to operate a vehicle safely, it also impairs your judgment and good sense about whether you can, or should drive.

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Elk gets twisted up by barbed wire fence In October, a wandering elk got tripped up by barbed wire in Elk Ridge Park off of Lagea Road.

DCSO deputies and CO Wildlife Officials used tranquilizers and bolt cutters to free the animal.

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The Wildland Fire Mitig twice a month doing pr while allowing team me

Pictures at the Highland Facility, October 1, 201

Photography by: Michael Alexa

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gation Crew trains for 10 hours a day, rojects that provide a tangible benefit, embers to practice essential skills.

ds Ranch Law Enforcement Training 4

ander, DCSO Emergency Management

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The Highlands Ranch Law Enforcement Training Facility (HRLETF) prepares officers’ minds and bodies to respond to every day calls that could quickly change from mundane to menacing. From classrooms to live-fire shooting, the HRLETF puts law enforcement to the test, in order to handle every day calls from traffic stops to drug raids to terrorism.

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DCSO Sheriff Tony Spurlock says the premn a split second, there’s no time to ier facility prepares officers for live fire situthink. Police officers must move ations, such as school shootings, to hostage instinctively and fall back or take negotiations to everyday traffic stops and aim. It’s do or die. Protect the victim, stop domestic violence. the threat.

“One thing we’ve learned is that you will That kind of mind and body training is fight and act the way you are trained,” happening at a new state-of-the-art facili- Sheriff Spurlock says. ty in Highlands Ranch for local, state and federal law enforcement across the coun- “The situations we practice at the HRLETF try. happen regularly every day. You will make decisions, good, bad or indifferent, all in a “It isn’t just a shooting facility, it’s a train- split second. What you see is not always the ing facility. It’s a classroom, it’s a mindset, scenario it seems. So, this training and it’s a philosophy,” says Don Christensen, preparation is critical.” who helped found and develop it. “The whole being of the officer has to be Without the facility, HRLETF board member tuned. Their skills have to be instinctive.

Bob Armstrong says the cop loses, because Without it, you get slow reactions. And he’s not trained in a shoot, don’t-shoot sithesitation often kills cops.” uation.

“The whole being of the officer has to be tuned. Their skills have to be instinctive. Without it, you get slow reactions. And hesitation often kills cops.”

-Don Christensen, DCSO undersheriff in 1983 The Highlands Ranch Law Enforcement Training Facility (HRLETF) is considered by many users as one of the best in the nation because of its realistic, allencompassing methods of training.

“We’re using practical applications of what happens on the street. That’s the kind of training you have to do with these young officers; to be ready for any situation.”

AIMING FOR EXCELLENCE CONTINUED NEXT PAGE

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There’s no question about the need for such a facility. Since the deadly school shooting at Columbine High School in Littleton 15 years ago, there have been 20 other deadly attacks at schools. Add in shootings like the one in an Aurora movie theater and it’s a no brainer. Law enforcement need to be ready for anything, anywhere, any time.

“The bottom line is so much of society’s ills are pushed onto police officers to resolve,” Steve Zotos, former DCSO Sheriff and current HRLETF board member says.

“We need a place to train and be prepared for those types of things. It’s even more pronounced in today’s world because we have terrorism and threats from the inside and abroad that officers have to respond to.”

Getting the edge Law enforcement is trying to get an edge with the HRLETF. Sixty-four agencies or 2,800 officers use the facilities full-time, including the U.S. Secret Service,

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FBI, Denver SWAT, Federal Bureau of Prisons, Internal Revenue Service, State Parks, Colorado Bureau of Investigations.

They train side-by-side with deputies from Douglas and Arapahoe counties, local police departments and Douglas County Search and Rescue. It’s where deputies stay proficient and qualify to carry weapons. The US Army, Navy and Air Force have also conducted military exercises there.

Wide open spaces The facilities are spread out over 165 acres of scrub oak, rolling hills and valleys. The property’s occupied seven days a week, every hour of the day by peace officers or herds of elk that wander around control towers, shelters and steel targets in the moonlight.

The compound has a rapelling tower for snipers and eight firearms ranges that support rifle, handgun and shotgun training.

Live-Fire Shoot House There’s a live-fire shooting house, the only of its kind in the state, where real bullets are fired at targets, while instructors on a catwalk above grade the performance of trainees.

Arrest and control There’s a 20,000 square foot tactical training building with an Arrest and Control Tactics room with rubberized floors and padded walls for hand-to-hand defensive combat tactics practice.

The facility also has two high-tech Use of Force simulators for decisional shooting. The digital firearms systems pop up bad guys on video screens and responding deputies with real guns altered to fire lasers have about one second to respond to the threat.

It also has a large bay where agencies can drive their tactical vehicles to practice high-risk stops.

Virtual Criminals

The system’s operated by DCSO Deputy and instructor Jack Newton .

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“You have to know the statutes, how to apply the law, how to physically do it and then apply it all on one instant,” Newton says.

The County Sheriffs of Colorado (the state sheriffs’ association) is based at the facility, along with NecroSearch International. That organization buries pig carcasses over six acres because they deteriorate like human bodies. Forensic investigators study the decomposition process and use what they learn to help find clandestine graves across the country.

High-tech learning The icing on the cake may be a newly developed classroom, created in a college auditorium style for police and public safety academies. It’s wired for laptops, wireless and sound. There are also smaller, notech classrooms for basic lectures.

“It’s absolutely magnificent,” says Don Christensen, former undersheriff in 1983 for then-sheriff Stephen Zotos.

NecroSearch Intl.

The hunt The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, led by then Undersheriff Don Christensen, searched for a new place to train. By 1985, they’d convinced their county commissioners they needed a facility.

The top contender was the old Arapahoe County dump at Broadway and County Line. But Mission Viejo that developed Highlands Ranch, had a better idea.

The home developer offered the sheriff a 99-yearlease for $1 on 116 acres at the southern-most part of their boundary. “It was perfect,” Christensen says.

“It’s the finest training The area was too big for Douglas County alone. So, facility between Chicago and the Pacific coast. There Zotos teamed up with the Arapahoe County sheriff to isn’t one that matches it.” create a multi-regional facility.

It sure beats training in a land dump. In 1983, deputies in one county took practice shots at trash. Police in two other agencies used small, indoor facilities that stifled gunmen with fumes and noise. Douglas County deputies were shooting in the fairgrounds in downtown Castle Rock, with old berms to stop the bullets. Everyone was doing their own thing.

When Zotos became sheriff, he said told his undersheriff, “We can’t do this any longer.”

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At the time, the Arapahoe Hunt club hunted on the property. They’d trap coyotes, release them and chase them down with sharp nosed dogs and horses.

A few kennels, stables and caretaker houses stood on the property. Mission Viejo wanted the sheriffs to have it instead, to keep their communities safe.

“That’s one of the great stories we’re able to tell in and outside of Highlands Ranch,” Tim Roberts says, Vice President of Operations for Shea Homes that acquired Mission Viejo in 1997.

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“We are actively involved in law enforcement training in Douglas County and we have a strong relationship Members of the foundation believe the facility serves with the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office. We have both the needs of deputies to train and nearby comsome of the best law enforcement protection in the munities to be protected. entire state because of that,” Roberts said.

Working on the railroad In 1987, the sheriffs took over an old caboose that had been used as a clubhouse, turned it into a classroom and were in business.

INSIDE THE HRLETF ● Eight ranges ● Rappelling tower/ ● Long gun-sniper range ● Agility obstacle course, Law Fit ● Live-shoot house ● Two use of force simulators ● High-tech classroom and meeting rooms ● Arrest and control tactics room ● Tactical training bay

● Baffles to stop stray bullets In 1993, the organization created a nonprofit 501c(3) foundation to run the facility. Shea Homes donated the land outright in 2003. The board includes Shea Homes and is chaired by the sheriffs of Arapahoe and “The operations of the Douglas County law enforceDouglas counties. ment entity is and has been stellar. I think it’s a tribute to the quality of leadership of current and past “We have a good relationship with Shea Homes beleadership, from the top down,” former president of cause it’s a private/public partnership which is very Mission Viejo, James Toepfer, said. rare,” Zotos says.

“We couldn’t have done this without them. Our commitment to Shea Home and Mission Viejo is that we will keep this a first-class facility, be good neighbors and that we will be stewards of the wildlife and the ecology out here. We both have a vested interest in making sure the property is maintained.”

Room to grow There’s more to come. The foundation plans to expand the sniper range from 300 to 600 yards and hold more police academies. They share a dream to one day build dormitories for overnight stays. Board members are aiming for excellence, to keep peace officers and people safe.

Agencies at HRLETF 64 agencies, 2,800 officers train here  Federal agencies including the FBI, ATF, DEA  State agencies including CBI, State Patrol, CO Parks, Department of Corrections  Local agencies including DCSO, ACSO, Denver Swat, Castle Rock, Parker and Lone Tree PDs. 25

The Briefing Room, a magazine of theDouglas County Sheriff’s Office 26

DCSO SWAT training at HRLETF Fall, 2014

The Briefing Room, a magazine of the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office 27

Public tours at

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hile civilians are not allowed to train compound routinely offers tours to th Tourists are allowed to experience so tors as our K-9 handlers demonstrate how their well-traine

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t the HRLETF

at the Highlands Ranch Law Enforcement Training Facility, the he public, Youth Academies, Citizen Academies and the media. ome of the training hands-on. They’re also front row spectaed canines help catch criminals.

WATCH THE K-9 DEMONSTRATION AS DEPUTY JOHN GLASSBURNER WORKS WITH HIS CANINE

K-9 demonstration 1 K-9 demonstration 2

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