City police department won’t be ready in Walsenburg, sheriff’s office to stop working in 2025
HUERFANO COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO) - The Huerfano County Sheriff's Office announced starting January 1, 2025, they will no longer enforce the law in Walsenburg. The City of Walsenburg is set to create its own police force and take over law enforcement responsibilities inside city limits.
The city is now saying that the city-run police department will not be ready by 2025.
The Huerfano County Sheriff's Office in the heart of the city currently provides law enforcement services to Walsenburg.
The Mayor of Walsenburg is stressed this afternoon. He says he won't be able to put together a police force by the beginning of next year.
The sheriff tells KRDO13 Investigates that even though he said he would stop providing services on January 1 he will not abandon the people who live here.
Sheriff Bruce Newman declined to speak to KRDO13 Investigates on camera even after we had a scheduled interview, but he says nearly 80 percent of the crime calls his deputies respond to are in the city of Walsenburg, despite the city only making up nearly half of the population.
He has 13 deputies and says he can't afford to keep it up even though the city is paying him.
Mayor Gary Vezzani is worried he won't be able to hire the police force or the number of officers the city deserves.
The county commissioners and sheriff say they will help with the transition over the next year or so.
The Huerfano County Sheriff's office has provided services in Walsenburg since 2017 after city voters disbanded their police department.
KRDO13 Investigates learned state constitutional law requires the sheriff to make arrests and enforce state crimes until there is a functioning police force in place.
KRDO13 Investigates asked the governor's office if they are aware of this change and what it is doing to help the people here. They told us they're looking into the situation and will get back to us.
