Colorado town's police department quit over newly elected mayor

Small town of 700 has no more police force. They all quit because they opposed the new mayor. Puts new meaning to the words united we stand....

kxan.com...

a reply to: shinethelight

Oh well, hire a new police force....of 4

a reply to: Vector99

I know, huh! If they're not a rough bunch they'll be fine. Shoot, we needed more police than that at my high school! We had bomb squad show up, riot police there, that was rough.

I know where this town is, as it is not too far from me.

It is a VERY nice area, good people who live a quiet life. I wonder if the El Paso Country Sheriff's Office can just take over the duties until they get it all straightened out?

As for them quitting, it is good, and bad. Good that folks are standing up for what they believe in (no shortage of that out here in Colorado, but they're very nice about it lol) and having the gonads to actually do what they feel is right.

Bad for the town of Green Mountain Falls if there is a sudden spike in crime.

Honestly though, it is a very small town/area off of Rt. 24...

If you've ever been to the Colorado Springs area, Rt. 24 is west of Colorado Springs, going towards Manitou Springs. It is the main road that goes UP the pass (where Pikes Peak is) into the mountains. An absolutely beautiful drive once you get past the towns and up the mountain a ways, if you were wondering.

I love it up there and we've actually looked at some homes for sale right in that area because it is away from the Springs but not too far up. Plus, you're still be able to get back down to town (the Springs) with a good 4WD vehicle in the event of snow.

By the way, we aren't yet down with snow and cold weather here. We are expecting more next week. Argh! Come on Summer!

a reply to: lovebeck

Crime won't spike, state troopers without a doubt have been dispatched to cover routine policing.

a reply to: shinethelight


As one person commented below the article, "Something is missing from the story. What could it be?".......

a reply to: seeker1963



The why is strangely missing here.

Anybody know?

Apparently this whole thing has been brewing for some time now:

Mayor Jane Newberry (2014)

Newberry doesn’t favor bringing back the marshal’s office, which was shut down last November following the exit of Marshal Tim Bradley. Instead, she supports exploring the possibility of forming a cooperative law enforcement agreement with El Paso County.

Marshal Bradley (2013)

Last week, the GMF Board of Trustees by a 7-0 verdict voted to accept the resignation of Bradley, the town’s head law enforcement chief for the last two and a half years, and agreed to offer him a $12,000 severance package, with the details to be worked out by the town attorney. Bradley left his position on Friday and the locks on the marshal’s building were changed and the phones were disconnected, according to GMF Mayor Lorrie Worthey.

The timing of the marshal’s exit, and the circumstances behind this move, are generating a slew of concerns, mostly voiced on social media outlets, with some residents viewing this move as the final death blow for the town’s long-standing tradition of having a head marshal. Others also believe this was the culmination of a campaign orchestrated by several elected leaders, who allegedly had an “ax to grind” with the former police chief.

The majority trustees, though, say that isn’t the case. This compensation offer, which occurred in a closed door meeting on Nov. 5, came shortly after the trustees indicated they would keep the marshal’s office but would restructure the department. “They restructured it alright. They got rid of the marshal,” blasted Dick Bratton, a long-time resident and former mayor and council member. “This is very sad. In my opinion, he was the best marshal Green Mountain Falls ever had.” “I am very concerned,” said Worthey. “I am totally against the direction this (agreement) seems to be headed. The timing is definitely questionable. There seems to be a private agenda,” added the mayor, who has found herself at odds with the majority trustee members on a variety of issues, including the operations of the marshal’s office.

It sounds an awful lot like the marshal simply got tired of the town's stupid bulls# and called it a day.

Typical small town politics. Dirtier than the feds.

a reply to: NthOther

I think they might get a lot more than they bargained for when El Paso PD gets their hooks into Green Mt.

El Paso PD does not exist. It is the county's sheriffs office. A county with lots of bigger towns, at least it was not Cascada or Manitou this happened to, that would be awful. I literally just drove up to Woodland Park from the Springs two days ago. It is such a beautiful area. They truly are above the clouds up there.

As other posters said, I am sure they could find 4 more police officers pretty easily from their own population or surrounding towns. A new marshal is the only issue.

On the plus side, there is still too much snow up there for any spike in crime i believe. Come to think of it, on my drive two days ago I did see a Manitou Springs cop driving up 24 right along Green Mountain Falls. Could be related, or he was simply going home.

originally posted by: NthOther

It sounds an awful lot like the marshal simply got tired of the town's stupid bulls# and called it a day.

Typical small town politics. Dirtier than the feds.

From the information you so kindly provided it appears the new mayor had advocated eliminating the Marshall's office (and deputies) in favor of forging a cooperative use agreement with the Sheriff's Department to provide police services to this small town. For a town of 700 to support four full-time police officers at current salaries had to have been expensive. If the mayor could forge an agreement with the Sheriff's department it would theoretically cut expenses and eliminate at least one administrative position and its accompanying paperwork.

In other words, the Sheriff's Department could do it cheaper. So the Marshall and his deputies all saw the writing on the wall and resigned, with the Marshall getting a severance package, though it sounds small. IT'S WORTH SAYING that if you quit a job on a huff, you don't get a severance package at all; you just leave. So this must have been a 'negotiated severance.' The opposition seems to feel that because this town of 700 has "always had a Marshall" that there could not possibly be another more efficient way of doing things. If there is anything "dirty" about this it is the police force quitting in protest for what the mayor wanted to do, eventually, without letting the process play out. In the absence of any evidence to the contrary, that seems a rather immature thing to do.

So rather than "typical small town politics" it sounds very much like the small town, perhaps cash strapped as many small towns are, was simply looking for a more efficient way of doing business. The new mayor campaigned on that idea, and won. Imagine that.

Except for some butt hurt, I'm not sure I see a problem here. Of course, there could be more to the story, but we don't have any information otherwise at this point.