Small mountain towns lose officers to large cities

The improving economy means police forces in larger Front Range cities are hiring away officers from smaller mountain towns.

The Summit Daily reported Sunday that police and the sheriff’s department in Summit County struggle to keep young officers because of the lure of better pay, lower living costs and milder weather in such cities as Denver and Aurora.

Breckenridge officials say their police officers usually stay two to four years, leaving them with many newcomers and few veterans.

Breckenridge police chief Shannon Haynes says she stresses retention in recruiting, looking for officers who want to stay in the community.

Silverthorne Chief Mark Hanschmidt says his staff often recruits future officers before they finish training, and they keep them on board by offering them more training than bigger departments do.