Community Service Officers Hit the Streets

The Salida Police Department will soon have two full-time civilian officers dedicated to addressing non-emergency calls for service.

Last year, the police department received 6,747 calls for service; that’s a 25% increase from 2019. In 2021, the department has already received 1,059 calls, which is a 27% increase over the same period last year.

The two code enforcement staff positions will be rebranded and reorganized as community service officers to improve the police department’s efficiency and service quality. The civilian positions will primarily focus on non-emergency calls, including:

Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) inspections
Animal control
Parking enforcement
Property issues
Found property
Code enforcement

The newly structured positions are expected to save over 75 hours of sworn police officer time over the next year. This is a conservative estimate based on the amount of time the police department recorded in 2020 while completing VIN inspections and found property reports.

The job title and duties of the community service officers better align with the police department’s goals while providing better service and police coverage to the community. These changes will take effect beginning March 8.

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Dan R

Danny “Dan R” Ridenour has been in radio and television broadcasting for over 40 years, starting as a senior in high school in Rogers, Arkansas. His radio career has had stops in Nashville, Memphis, Oklahoma, and eventually, Colorado. Dan enjoys being involved in the community, having been a member of the Upper Arkansas Service Club and is currently on the board of directors for the Salida Community Center and is a member of the Chaffee County Fair Committee. He and his wife Carrie spend their days doing everything the mountains have to offer: hiking, camping, fishing and skiing. They've raised 3 children and have 2 grandchildren.

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Community Service Officers Hit the Streets

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