The volunteer Sheriff’s Citizen Patrol was introduced in January of 2009. The program is aimed at providing support to patrol deputies and providing a service to the community. Citizen volunteers who receive several hours of specified training prior to deployment, perform law enforcement related duties that serve the community but do not require a sworn peace officer. The Citizens on Patrol conduct motorist assists, traffic control at the scene of accidents; respond to parking complaints, abandoned vehicles, and certain animal complaints such as stray livestock; and conduct vacation checks upon request. Through June of this year, the citizens patrol has taken, 53 case reports, responded to 70 animal complaints, conducted 227 motorists assists, assisted on 82 traffic accidents with traffic control, taken 102 parking complaints, 257 citizen contacts and provided 322 crime prevention tips just to mention a few. This program was begun and sustained without additional funding from local tax dollars.

Since 2002, the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office has continuously received accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA) and in August of 2009, was designated as a Flagship Agency. Flagship status is awarded to those agencies achieving a 95% or better score in the overall assessment to determine compliance with 404 nationally recognized standards. The Sheriff’s Office received a perfect score and was given the Flagship Agency Award.

In 2003 the hazardous material team had scant equipment and was reliant on our City neighbors for much of the equipment for simple hazardous material responses. All the equipment was carried in a moving like van. Every piece of the equipment had to be unloaded from the van each time in order to gain access and to set up for the response. Today is much different.

Realizing the danger to the responders and the citizens a hazardous material incident presents, the Sheriff focused on correcting this situation. Providing funding in tandem with Homeland Security funds to the hazardous material team project which included but was not limited to specialized training and equipment the team is currently able to fully support all hazardous material responses in the County.

Today the El Paso County hazardous material team is currently one piece of equipment (this piece of equipment is on order) away from being a National Type 1 team, the highest rating that can be achieved. Before Sheriff Maketa’s arrival the team struggled to properly handle even small hazardous material incidents safely.

The instruction of long guns into patrol cars is not an entirely new concept: however, to increase a responding deputy’s ability to confront dangerous and hostile situations Sheriff Maketa took it a step further and insured each sworn member of the Patrol Division was issued a long barreled weapon. This was done to maintain a viable response capability should a major incident occur. In addition to acquiring these rifles, Sheriff Maketa’s administration took it a step further and by the end of this year, each long gun will be equipped with an electronic sighting system. These weapons and sites were acquired with no additional local tax dollars.

Sheriff Maketa recognized the benefit of partnering with Federal agencies in the area of drug enforcement and interdiction. Drug trafficking is not just a local issue since the drugs are usually manufactured outside the State of Colorado and normally outside the United States. Since the Sheriff’s Office does not have the authority or resources to pursue these trafficking enterprises, it made perfect sense to assign a Deputy to DEA’s Southern Colorado Task Force. This partnership develops a force multiplier that has in effect taken down international cartels engaged in meth and marijuana trafficking. These arrests would not have been possible if it were not for the broad resources supplied by the Drug Enforcement Administration. Asset seizures from these illegal trafficking organizations have supplemented funding for local drug investigation efforts, thus increasing the safety of our citizens and the quality of life in our community.

In 2005, the Sheriff’s Office began analyzing response data, such as calls for service and resource deployment, to better utilize existing staffing and improve response times. In addition, procedures response procedures were examined and modified to better utilize authorized staffing. This approach has proven very beneficial considering the Sheriff’s Office has been subject to budget cuts several times over the last seven years and yet response times have remained constant and services have actually been increased.

In 2003, Sheriff Maketa began holding Community meeting throughout El Paso County. The intent of the meeting was to share crime related data with citizens and discuss priorities in address concerns and crime related issues. Furthermore, it offered an opportunity for citizens to voice their concerns and gain a better understanding into the operation of the Sheriff’s Office. Attending are given presentations of crime prevention, neighborhood watch, business watch, sex offender registration updates and budget updates as it relates to the County’s overall financial situation and how that could impact service delivery. These meeting provided a great venue for creating a stronger partnership between the Sheriff’s Office and community members. In typical year, six to eight meeting are hosted throughout the County.

Following a major disaster, first responders who provide fire and medical services will not be able to meet the demand for these services. Factors such as the number of victims, communication failures, and road blockages will prevent people from accessing emergency services they have come to expect at a moment's notice through 911. People will have to rely on each other for help in order to meet their immediate life saving and life sustaining needs.

As of 2010, there are over 637,000 citizens living in El Paso County. In the event of a major disaster, County law enforcement, fire services and emergency services resources would be stretched beyond their capabilities.

The President has asked all counties in the United States to create a program that will support law enforcement, fire services and other emergency service personnel, and help citizens to be self-sufficient during the first critical 72 hours immediately following any type of disaster, whether natural or human-caused.

As a county, we want to be prepared to face any situation that might affect our way of life. The blizzards of the 2006/2007 holiday season, floods of 1999, the Ellicott Tornado in 2001, the Hayman Fire and events of September 11th demonstrate how important it is for us to prepare to take care of ourselves, our families and our neighbors.

Sheriff Terry Maketa has directed the Emergency Services Division to design and implement the CERT Program to accomplish the goal of enhancing the safety of all El Paso County citizens.

One also expects that under these kinds of conditions, family members, fellow employees, and neighbors will spontaneously try to help each other. This was the case following the Mexico City earthquake where untrained, spontaneous volunteers saved 800 people. However, 100 people lost their lives while attempting to save others. This is a high price to pay and is preventable through training.

If we can predict that emergency services will not meet immediate needs following a major disaster, especially if there is no warning as in an earthquake, and people will spontaneously volunteer, what can government do to prepare citizens for this eventuality?

First, present citizens with the facts about what to expect following a major disaster in terms of immediate services. Second, give the message about their responsibility for mitigation and preparedness. Third, train them in needed life saving skills with emphasis on decision making skills, rescuer safety, and doing the greatest good for the greatest number. Fourth, organize teams so that they are an extension of first responder services offering immediate help to victims until professional services arrive.

This partnership has brought about numerous benefits to the citizens of El Paso County. In 2005, Sheriff Maketa assigned one deputy to the ATF Criminal Gun task Force, in an effort to broaden and expand local effort to detect and apprehend felons in possession of firearms. This effort was extremely successful, and from its inception through 2008 prosecuted more cases in El Paso County that any other jurisdiction. Additionally ATF assisted, by assigning their agents to work along side our personal on property crimes such as burglaries in circumstances where guns were used or stolen. This Partnership has been very valuable and much like the DEA’s task force created a force multiplier situation giving us the ability to clear more crimes and apprehend more violent offenders.

The Crime Reduction Unit (CRU) is a semi-undercover rapid-response team that supports the Law Enforcement and Detention operations of the Sheriff’s Office. The daily duties and responsibilities of CRU deputies vary greatly, but can generally be summed up as encompassing fugitive apprehension, case follow-up in support of Patrol Deputies, response to crime-related tips and self-initiated investigation. Any of these duties may take priority at any given time.

CRU deputies regularly work interactively with officers and agents from a number of local and federal agencies. These include ATF, FBI, the U.S. Marshall’s Service, the U.S. Postal Inspectors, local police departments and others. Additionally, CRU deputies work tips and leads which are received from a number of sources, including Crime Stoppers, anonymous calls, requests from other agencies, information shared by other deputies and more.

Much of the work typically done by CRU deputies originates as a simple warrant service or traffic stop, but these contacts have often been taken further by the deputies developing probable cause to secure search warrants for motel rooms, apartments, vehicles and houses. The search warrants have resulted in the recovery of several methamphetamine labs and hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of illegal drugs and stolen property.

In 2003, Sheriff Terry Maketa reinstated the Canine Section. The mission of the Canine Section is to support investigative functions in locating suspects, lost persons, contraband, jail searches, and performing public demonstrations to educate the citizens of El Paso County on the value of the canines and their specialized abilities. The canine deputies also serve as additional staffing or back-up for other deputies on patrol.

The El Paso County Sheriff’s Office introduced its’ first annual Teen Academy in July of 2004. The academy is designed to give young adults between the ages of 15 to 17 an opportunity to learn about the Sheriff’s Office operations. The students learn through a combination of classroom, practical demonstration, tours and interactive scenarios. The one-week academy is held every year during the summer months. Since the inception of this program 117 teens have had the opportunity to attend this academy. This program did not require additional tax funds.

Sheriff Maketa continues to analyze and establish new and improved cost saving measures. In years past police vehicles reaching a certain age and or mileage would be removed from fleet and therefore replaced with a new model. Typically Patrol units, assigned to the Sheriff’s Office, are rotated out of service once they reach 5 years or 120,000 miles, which ultimately results in an added expense of approximately $22,000 to replace that vehicle with a new Impala equivalent.

Having faced budgetary constraints with each new budget year and looking forward into the future, Sheriff Maketa took the initiative to explore cost saving options as it pertained to fleet management. In the later part of 2008, Sheriff Maketa began discussions regarding cost effectiveness and functionality of restoring police vehicles that fit a specific criterion. Having done so and working out the details, beginning in 2009, the Sheriff’s Office, in a collaborated effort with a local dealer, implemented the "Police Vehicle Recondition Program".

Each year the Sheriff’s Office evaluates its current fleet and makes informed decisions to discard and replace or rotate amongst current staffing. This Recondition Program now gives the Sheriff’s Office one more option to explore as it pertains to Patrol units. Determining when it is most economical to replace a Patrol vehicle is a key component to a cost effective fleet management program anyhow. Timely replacement is important as well for controlling vehicle availability, safety, reliability and efficiency. Therefore, two main criteria were considered when establishing a vehicle replacement standard, which was the vehicle’s mileage and age. A secondary criterion to consider is the maintenance costs associated with units deemed for replacement. At this point, eligibility vehicles must now meet another specific criteria, meaning the vehicle was never in an accident and the vehicle is in good condition overall. Remaining vehicles, which do not meet this criteria, are phased out and replaced with a brand new model, which is done at the beginning of each budget year.

Identified units for this program are then sent off for a complete recondition, which replaces predetermined components which affect the safety, handling, and reliability while extending the life of the Patrol vehicle for up to another 4 year. The average cost to submit the eligible vehicle through this Program averages about $9,000, as opposed to purchasing a brand new one at $22,000. This Recondition Program typically takes one week and then the Patrol vehicle is back in service, so the downtime is minimal. The Recondition Program evaluates the entire vehicle and replaces whatever components would be deemed necessary. This includes components such as the engine and transmission.

To date this program has returned favorable reviews and has maintained the confidence level of Patrol deputies assigned to these vehicles. Ultimately, the initiative taken by Sheriff Maketa to implement this program has been successful and has notably been a cost savings measure for the Sheriff’s Office. This program has saved tax dollars.

In 2006, Sheriff Terry Maketa introduced the first evidence gun sale program in El Paso County with proceeds returned to the Sheriff’s Office to support the firearms program. The guns are inspected for value and functionality to ensure safety prior to the sale. Only persons possessing a federal firearms license are eligible to purchase the weapons. This program has been very effective and generated nearly $29,000 which is dedicated to the Sheriff’s Office firearms program, thus reducing the demand for local general fund tax dollars.

On November 1, 2005, the Court Date Reminder Call Center, which is located in the Metro facility, began making phone calls to defendants reminding them of their upcoming court dates. The idea is simple, but has proven to be very effective in both locations.

With this program, individuals who have received a traffic or misdemeanor summons from our Office are contacted by telephone 1-2 weeks prior to their court date to remind them of their scheduled court appearance. The Call Center is staffed by volunteers, so any associated operational costs are minimal. The cost savings to our local criminal justice system has tremendous potential. Since initiating the call centers, we have seen the number of traffic and misdemeanor failure to appear warrants reduced by nearly 30 percent. Our call center averages over 8000 calls per year. For the first quarter of 2010, they made 2360 calls. By trying to reach defendants at different times of the day we have a high success rate of contact. So far, the comments have been very positive, with several defendants remarking that they appreciate the reminder phone call from our Office, and this new community service. Some of the specific comments received by our volunteers were:

• A woman said she was unaware that her twenty-year-old son had a court date, but she assured the caller that her son would make his appearance.
• A man said he had received a number of tickets over the years, but he had never gotten a reminder phone call before and he sure appreciated the caller’s efforts.
• A number of defendants indicated that they preferred to pay the fine and not go to court, but were unsure about the process. Our callers were able to instruct them on how to go about paying their fines.

The volunteers also gave directions to the courthouse and offered advice on when to arrive for court and parking alternatives in the downtown area. The Call Center exists to provide as much information as possible to ensure that the defendants make their court dates, and has only been successful due to the hard work and dedication of several employees and volunteers.

Reality Based Training is a collection of concepts, skills and techniques based on real-life situations which the employee is likely to encounter in his or her daily work environment. Over the past several years, both the military and law enforcement communities have realized that the best way to train employees is to create a specific "problem situation" as close to real-life as possible. Reality Based Training is easy to learn and can be implemented within a fairly short period of time. This training is based on instinctive responses, situational changes and acts of aggression or possible conflict.

Not only does it subject our employees to real situations to assess their skills with regard to use of force and other general activities in which they may encounter on the job, but it also creates a valid historical record of how reasonable deputies would respond to a given situation.

This can be very important in defending our employee’s actions, particularly with regard to accusations of excessive use of force, as court decisions will be based on a reasonable objective standard.

Our Office has undergone several training audits and has received numerous accolades for our extraordinary training programs.

Prior to 2009, recruitment had become very competitive as the labor pool of qualified candidates began to shrink nationally. A challenge for our Office was the fact that our pay had fallen below the mid point of our comparison market. Initiatives were enacted to insure the make-up of our work force represented the community we served. This was particularly challenging due to the competition with other agencies pursuing the same goals. We began a broad recruiting campaign, as well as, a very personal approach to recruiting, hosting open house meeting and treating potential candidates with meals and opportunities to become more familiar with our organization and the responsibilities of our employees and Office. These meeting offered an opportunity for candidates to speak to employees see brief presentations concerning our operations and ask question. We quickly increased the female and minority representation of our work force to be in line with the community we serve.

In 2004, going into 2005, an effort was initiated to increase the thoroughness of our hiring process and background investigation effort. First, we implemented a year round monthly testing process that created opportunities for us to expand the pool of potential candidates, rather than using specific set times frame of application acceptance as traditionally used. Then we reinvented the application and background check process to give us a better understanding of the candidates work history, personal skills, daily interaction abilities and behaviors. This expanded background included personal neighborhood visits, as well as, expanded personal reference contacts. Through this effort our ability to pre-screen candidates was increased and our hiring success rate and retention rate increased. This was accomplished with the addition of one sworn member assigned as a back ground investigator who is responsible for conducting back ground investigations on sworn and civilian candidates and contract employees. This effort required no additional budgetary increase.

In 2003, the Taser was introduced in both the Law Enforcement and Detention Bureaus. Deputies were trained and certified in the use of this non-lethal weapon providing them another alternative in the field and in the detention setting when force is necessary to stop a threat to themselves, the suspect or a third party. This equipment has proven to be very valuable in minimizing injury to deputies and citizens while restoring a safe, secure environment in the field and within the detention facilities. The taser implementation was accomplished with in our existing budget.

In 2009, the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office brought COPLOGIC on line to assist the citizens in reporting crimes with no suspect information that do not require a deputy response. The on-line reporting system allows citizens to enter the information which directly interfaces with the Sheriff’s Office Records Management System. The Sheriff’s Office reviews the reports and locks them into the system for a permanent record. The data entry process is simple and quick eliminating the need to wait for a deputy to respond to initiate a report. This was accomplished within our base budget and did not require a tax increase.

In 2009, the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office brought Twitter on line affording enhanced capability for the Sheriff’s Office to communicate with the citizens of El Paso County providing real time information concerning unfolding events concerning public safety, criminal investigations and subjects of interest to the public.

The Mobile Computers currently in Sheriff’s vehicles were limited in functionality and reliability. Through grants and other revenue sources the Sheriff was able to expand the use of these computers, to give deputies more access to information, mapping systems with gps greatly enhancing Deputy safety, messaging and the ability to file some reports electronically. Prior to Sheriff Maketa taking Office these computers were ineffective and under utilized. Today every patrol vehicle is equipped with this state of the art technology and there was no additionally County general Fund dollars used nor was a tax increase needed.

In 2008, Sheriff Terry Maketa was pleased to announce the addition of Offender Watch on the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office website to provide the public the ability to identify and track the whereabouts of registered sex offenders in their community. OffenderWatch is a registered sex offender management and community notification tool available to the citizens of El Paso County. Citizens can search for registered sex offenders in their neighborhoods, register to receive email alerts as well as receive safety tips. Additionally, the Sheriff’s Office negotiated and was able to include the smaller municipalities in the service agreement at no cost. This effort substantially benefits the citizens throughout El Paso County as they have just one site to visit to track sex offenders without having to research multiple law enforcement agencies. Only the City of Colorado Springs Chose not to participate in this citizen focused effort. This was accomplished within our base budget and did not require a tax increase.

Upgrading our CAD system and moving to a regional system relieved the Sheriff’s budget of many of the costs associated with operating and maintaining a Computer Aided dispatch system. This new system increased capabilities for data extraction and storage. Numerous agencies benefit from this new system, since Sheriff Maketa provides dispatch services at not cost to 13 fire districts and 5 law enforcement agencies. This new system was acquired without a budget increase or a tax increase.

Sheriff Maketa in keeping his promise of expanding new technology implemented a new records management system. This system made data collection and extraction much more useful and user friendly. It also greatly expanded the ability of staff to analyze patterns and conduct method of operation searches as well as bring the sheriff’s Office into Compliance with Federal crime data submission guidelines which was an unfunded mandate. This system was also acquired and put into operation with a tax increase.

The El Paso County Community Detox Facility proposed by Sheriff Terry Maketa in February 2009 is the first community substance abuse and treatment facility in the State of Colorado operated by a law enforcement agency. The facility was built using funds generated from an Intergovernmental Services Agreement that the Sheriff’s Office has with Immigration and Customs Enforcement for the housing of illegal immigrants awaiting deportation. The operation receives funding from the Colorado Division of Behavioral Health specifically dedicated to substance abuse and treatment operations. It is also funded by Memorial Hospital and Penrose-St. Francis Health Systems, as well as, grant funding through Pikes Peak United Way and the Justice Advisory Grant Recovery Funds. Over 2,079 clients have been admitted to the Detox Facility since it opened August 20, 2009. The current recidivism rate, or repeated return, is 13.6%.

In December 2009, the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office proudly opened its first tensile structure just to the north of the Criminal Justice Center. The structure which was built for the El Paso County Community Detox facility, is a Sprung Instant Structure 70' x 160' with two levels and can provide 144 beds (double bunked). The semi-rigid structure cost $368,000, a fraction of a traditional building this size which would cost approximately 3.1 million.

The El Paso County Criminal Justice Center is nationally accredited through the American Correctional Association (ACA) as well as the National Commission for Correctional Healthcare (NCCHC). In 2010, the Criminal Justice Center was re-accredited under the Fourth Edition of ACA which encompasses 62 Mandatory Expected Practices and 322 Non-mandatory Expected Practices. The facility received the highest score in 2009 with 100% on Mandatory Expected Practices and 99% on Non-mandatory Expected Practices.

In September 2008, the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office entered into an Intergovernmental Services Agreement with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (I.C.E.) for the housing of detainees awaiting deportation. In 2009, this generated $2,694,556.80 in revenue for Sheriff’s Operations and support of the El Paso County Health and Benefits by stabilizing the increasing cost of insurance to the employees throughout the county.

In April 2008, the El Paso County Jail implemented a new incentive based progressive/regressive inmate classification system in an effort to reduce violence and inmate assaults. This new system developed by the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office not only classifies inmates’ security level based on charges, history and propensity for violence, but also takes into consideration good or positive behavior. The inmate has the opportunity to earn their way out of restrictive housing through good behavior and positive actions. Privileges such as reduced lockdown time, increased visits from family or friends, and the opportunity to order additional commissary, can be earned and permits the inmate an opportunity to take responsibility and make decisions. The number of inmate assaults has significantly been reduced providing a safer and more secure environment in the wards.

In April 2007, Sheriff Terry Maketa reinstated the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office Work Release Program after the program was terminated in January due to budget constraints. The program is "offender paid" and provides an effective sentencing alternative for some offenders as they are able to maintain stable employment and provide financial stability for their families. El Paso County’s first tent was erected to house offenders sentenced to the Work Release Program. The 14,000 foot structure was leased until the Sheriff’s Office could renovate the Metro Jail to provide housing for these offenders. Inmate labor was used to erect the tent and build the sub floor.

A partnership developed in March 2008 with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (I.C.E.) under the Department of Homeland Security’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement which delegates federal authority under section 287 (g) of the Immigration and National Act to specially trained deputies to conduct investigations and process individuals illegally in the United States for deportation. This partnership has expedited the deportation process of those inmates incarcerated in the El Paso County Jail. Since the inception on March 27, 2008 to present, deputies have interviewed over 2,363 foreign born inmates and processed 679 for deportation. The remaining 1,684 were not processed due to citizenship exceptions.

The El Paso County Reintegration and Recovery Program was developed in 2007 to address the growing average daily population and recidivism rates among the inmate population at the El Paso County Jail. The multi-systemic program targets sentenced inmates in the El Paso County Jail and provides them with basic education, life skills, substance abuse prevention, anger management classes, vocational assessment and preparation, and work study programs. Early data indicates the program has been successful by reducing the recidivism rate, or return to custody, for this population from 65% to 21.90% and by reducing the overall recidivism rate for the entire population to 58.78%. The average length of stay has been reduced from 26 days in 2008 to 21 days in 2009.

In July 2008, Sheriff Terry Maketa proudly announced the opening of the new Work Release facility. Making efficient use of the Metro jail, previously the maximum security facility which was closed due to outdated safety codes, the jail was renovated into an open bay dorm-style housing unit able to accommodate up to 352 work release offenders. A team of inmates, under close supervision of a Sheriff’s Office lieutenant, completed the demolition by essentially stripping it to bare walls. They removed over 331.2 tons of metal in a period of six months to prepare the facility for renovation. The cost for demolition was $100,9874.93; a fraction on the $793,828.00 that would have been the cost had the labor been contracted.

In 2005, as an effort to prevent and reduce crime occurring within the El Paso County Jail, a full time investigator was assigned to investigate criminal activity and other activities contrary to the safety and security of the El Paso County Jail and its’ occupants. This quickly expanded to two deputies as criminal activity continued to increase. In 2009, these two deputies initiated 104 cases, assisted outside agencies with 198 cases, and assisted other detention deputies with 183 cases. In addition, these deputies completed 120 sex offender registrations and 342 DNA tests and are also responsible for monitoring inmate phone calls, checking 847 calls that came through the inmate Crime Tip Hotline.

In April of 2005, the Criminal Justice Center opened the new 864 bed minimum-medium security tower which increased the inmate housing from 1040 to 1599 beds. This much needed expansion filled to capacity within the first few months of opening. The three-story open bay tower contains 12 wards with 72 beds in each ward. This facility was designed to maximize supervision of inmates’ activities and uses staff as efficiently as possible.

In 2005, the El Paso County Jail opened the Video Visitation Center adjacent to the Criminal Justice Center. All public visits and some professional visits are now conducted through the visitation center which is equipped with 28 booths for the public and 4 private booths for professional visits. This visitation process allows the inmates to remain in their assigned wards and visit via the video monitor and a phone handset. Due to the efficiency of this process, inmates can receive more frequent visits and the risk of contraband introduced in the facility is significantly reduced. Approximately 65,000 public visits are conducted annually.

In June of 2004, the new jail management system was introduced. This database is utilized for all inmate processing and serves as an invaluable resource for identifying and locating suspects, analyzing the inmate population demographics and recognizing jail trends. Inmate demographic reports can be created and analyzed to assist detention staff in more efficient management of detention operations and law enforcement staff from all agencies in identifying suspects and conducting criminal investigations that extend beyond the jail environment.

In 2003, Sheriff Terry Maketa introduced the Jail Mental Health Aftercare Program in an effort to combat the return to custody (recidivism rate) of offenders who suffer from diagnosed mental health conditions that often contribute to their criminal behavior. The El Paso County Sheriff’s Office entered into a partnership with COMCOR, Inc. to provide post release offenders who suffer from mental illness with case management and therapy in an effort to stabilize and rehabilitate them. Potential candidates are assessed and referred to COMCOR, Inc. as appropriate and a portion of the inmate processing fee is utilized to financially support the program. The program has experienced significant success, significantly reducing the recidivism rate amongst this particular population.

Requires a no-bond warrant to be issued in a criminal case when the defendant is determined to be illegally present in the country and the defendant is either removed from the country or is subject to removal. Directs that a no-bond warrant be issued when a defendant who has posted a bond is released to the immigration and customs enforcement agency. Requires that a defendant arrested on a no-bond warrant pursuant to the act shall be taken into custody and held.

EFFECTIVE June 1, 2007

Given the transparency citizens require from Government and the desire to fund those services universally expected from Government, HB 07-1344 allows citizens to approve a tax increase specifically for public safety without funds being diverted to other projects. The bill also states existing funding levels cannot be diminished with the passage of such an increase. Affords public safety entities the ability to seek increases without other non-essential entities receiving money.

EFFECTIVE August 3, 2007

Prevents people who steal cars from taking the cars to a scrap yard and profiting by selling the car for scrap without having proper title, bill of sale, and identification. Requires scrap yard owners to keep records to assist law enforcement in the investigation of motor vehicle thefts. Requires scrap yard owners to hold a vehicle for 7 days before it can be scraped. Provides some safety net for owners to recover their stolen vehicles.

EFFECTIVE July 1, 2006

Increases the likelihood of prison time for offenders who are not violent towards children, but abuse them for failing to provide safety and security. The failure to provide for a child often has longer ramifications then the abuse and with this law, the penalties increase for continued neglect. Establishes better probable cause to remove the child from the home.

EFFECTIVE July 1, 2006

Prohibits the use, possession or selling of a radar jamming device. These devices had become more common and were being used to avoid detection. Violation of this statute is a class 2 misdemeanor.

EFFECTIVE July 1, 2005

This legislation limits the number of methamphetamine precursor drugs to specific packaging, and number of packages that can be sold at one time. Violation of this law is considered a class 2 misdemeanor.

EFFECTIVE July 1, 2005

Removes the limit a Sheriff’s Office can charge for the service of various writs. The full amount of the actual expenses can now be reimbursed.

EFFECTIVE August 8, 2005

A processing fee of $30 will be collected from each prisoner when they are booked into jail. Funds will be distributed and go toward a community based treatment program, training for law enforcement officers and to defray the costs of processing prisoners in and out of custody. We have been able to enhance the quality of training without additional general fund dollars and improve treatment for those individuals suffering mental illness where otherwise no services would have been available.

EFFECTIVE July 1, 2004

If a person manufactures or attempts to manufacture a controlled substance in the presence of a child or on the premises where a child is found or resides, they will be charged with child abuse which is a class 3 felony.

EFFECTIVE July 1, 2003

A person who is incarcerated will be financially responsible for any medical care they require due to a self inflicted injury or a pre-existing condition prior to their arrest. This legislation took the burden of these costs off the backs of tax payers and put the responsibility back on the offenders This new law has saved tax payers millions of Dollars of the past 8 years.

EFFECTIVE August 6, 2003