The Dolores Town Board agreed to another one-year contract for law enforcement service from the Montezuma County Sheriff's office.
But before they did, some board members had some criticisms for Sheriff Dennis Spruell and undersheriff Lynda Carter on the department's policies and patrol style.
The board will pay $154,000 for 80 hours per week of law enforcement in the 900 resident town, the department's only municipality that it covers. That is a four percent increase over last year, but the deal is well worth it, Spruell said.
"It is a real fair bargain for Dolores, and the contract has not gone up in many years. If you were to contract for a marshal service like in Mancos it would be more like $300,000 per year," he said.
The board of trustees prefers a dedicated officer assigned to Dolores that residents get to know, but Carter and Spruell said the logistics for that are too difficult and the arrangement can lead to favoritism.
They have been rotating the departments 15 deputies through Dolores to gain familiarity with the town and its nightlife, and will eventually settle on 2-4 officers who will mainly cover Dolores.
Town requests to cut back on hours per week does not make financial sense for the department.
"We're not making money on the deal, and we have to pay our deputies fairly. All the gas is also included," Spruell said.
Carter said the town actually gets more than 80 hours of service required in the contract.
"It is closer to 500 hours per month because of calls and investigations we respond to when we are not on patrol there," she said.
Patrol style was also addressed by the board, especially recent reports of people being contacted by deputies for walking down the street.
"We're a street-walking town," said town trustee Ginger Black. "There are not enough sidewalks, and we should not get a ticket for that."
Even the former town administrator was given a warning for walking in the street, she said.
Spruell defended his deputies actions and said he would not operate as a "good ole' boy, Barney Fife" type department, where some people get special treatment.
"That is not right for our department or Dolores," he said. "We stop people walking at night because they could be a burglar, or involved in a crime, or have a warrant. It is our job as law enforcement."
With several drinking establishments in town within walking distance, it is common to see groups of revelers walking home on the highway and down the middle of local streets.
But doing so is against the law, Spruell said.
"Walking drunk on the street is illegal, and an obvious safety issue for the person and public," he said. "If you're drunk, walking late night on the street, you can expect to be contacted."
Typically, violators are told to move to the sidewalk, but they could be ticketed, or even arrested for public drunkenness depending on the circumstances.
Walking home from the bar tipsy is better than driving home drunk, trustees countered.
"We're asking you to be more lenient," Black said. "How do people get back from the bars if they can't walk home?"
"I could see it if they were carrying a TV down the street," quipped trustee, Colette Heeney.
"If you want us to do law enforcement we have to check things out," responded Spruell. "We can't turn a blind eye based on knowing who someone is. If we start to pick and choose, then that leads to missing contact with a really bad character."
Trustee Mark Youngquist, owner of the Dolores River Brewery, urged a regular officer be assigned, adding that some officers are polite and friendly, but others are less so.
"It should be a civilized interaction with residents," he said.
