Bennett agrees to pay Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office $500K for law enforcement
DENVER (KDVR) — The town of Bennett has secured new law enforcement services after refusing to pay the Adams County Sheriff’s Office 26% more in 2024 than the year before.
According to a letter from Bennett Mayor Royce Pindell, the Adams County office was seeking about $489,923 for an additional contract with the town of Bennett in 2024. That was a 26% increase from the previous year’s contract, and the town said it had only budgeted for a 6% increase.
As of Wednesday, March 27, Bennett has secured new law enforcement services with the Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office beginning May 1, according to a release from the county. The contract is costing the town $502,129, according to Arapahoe County. That base rate includes all salaries, benefits, equipment and other direct and indirect costs.
“In consultation with Town Trustees, the Sheriff will determine a service schedule for coverage hours and days; residents will have 24/7 access to the Sheriff’s 911 communication center for emergencies and dispatch as needed,” the agency said.
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Bennett is an incorporated town located partially in Adams and Arapahoe counties, and the approximately 3,300 residents pay taxes depending on which county they’re living in.
“The Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office is deeply honored to provide law enforcement and safety services for the people of Bennett,” said Sheriff Tyler Brown. “Residents can be assured that we bring a tradition of professionalism, excellence and innovation to our work and that we are looking forward to building strong relationships with the entire community.”
Pindell echoed Brown’s sentiments.
“The Town of Bennett is greatly encouraged to have Arapahoe County expand their services to all of incorporated Bennett,” said Pindell in the Arapahoe County release. “This partnership underscores our unwavering dedication to Town safety. Together, we are committed to ensuring a safe and thriving community for all Bennett residents.”
The Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office will be designated as an independent contractor and so will operate similarly in Bennett as it does in the city of Centennial. According to the agency, the new dedicated deputies to Bennett will free up other officers for unincorporated coverage.
“This is a win-win for the people of Bennett and Arapahoe County and allows us to provide effective coverage for our Eastern residents amid tight economic times,” said County Commissioner Jeff Baker, whose district includes Bennett and Eastern Arapahoe County. “These kinds of partnerships reinforce our commitment to providing the best law enforcement by partnering with Bennett in a deal that benefits all.”
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The Adams County services were discontinued at midnight on Feb. 29, according to the agency, which stated, “The Adams County Sheriff’s Office will only respond to calls for service made through traditional 911 calls to protect the lives and property of the Town of Bennett citizens in fulfilling our statutory obligations. All other complaints and non-emergency requests for police contact should be directed to the Town of Bennett Staff and Board of Trustees.”
Before that, the town stated it would not be contracting with Adams County.
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In a letter explaining the decision to Bennett residents that was published on Feb. 20, the town leadership stated that it believes the Adams County Sheriff must provide Bennett residents police services, regardless of payment.
In a letter penned by Pindell, the mayor said that Adams County Sheriff Gene Claps had threatened to stop providing school resource officers to School District 29J, as they are not part of “emergency services.” Pindell said he believed the sheriff’s office contracted directly with the Bennet and Strasburg School Districts, and a change in relations with the town would not impact that contract.
The Adams County Sheriff’s Office stated in its Feb. 29 release that it had agreed to a month-to-month contract with 29J School District to provide a school resource officer and ensure a uniformed deputy was in the school district until Bennett could provide public safety services to the town.
The mayor wrote that a lack of communication, unexplained discrepancies and conflicting information, a lack of documentation and unwillingness to explain the financial impact, and a threat to the community’s public safety were all part of why he wanted to discontinue working with the Adams County’s sheriff.
“You have made it clear to the Town that you do not wish to serve its citizens any longer and I can assure you the Town Board is equally anxious to obtain law enforcement services from an entity other than you,” Pindell wrote. “Therefore, we are working as expeditiously as possible to get new law enforcement services in place and will notify you as soon as that is accomplished. I assume you will fully cooperate in this transition so as not to put any of our citizens at risk.”
The town also consulted its attorney, Scotty Krob, about what services the Adams County office is obligated to provide.
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Krob said in his letter that Colorado statute “places the burden on sheriffs” to keep the peace “’in their respective counties’ without any indication that their obligations are confined solely to unincorporated parts of their county.”
“If all county taxpayer are paying the same taxes for sheriff services, then all county taxpayers should receive those services, regardless of whether they are in the unincorporated or incorporated parts of the county,” Krob wrote.
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