Anne Scarffe, Gilpin County. A group of Gilpin County residents heard about the Gilpin County Sheriff’s Department shortfall at the July 7, 2020, Gilpin County Board of County Commission meeting, and decided to do something about it. They know that they can’t raise a whole million dollars, but they wanted to show how much they respect the department and especially Sheriff Kevin Armstrong. 

Ron Schott, the leader of the group, works for a window treatment company, and has been in Gilpin County for many years. He met Sheriff Armstrong at Roy’s Last Shot in Mid-Gilpin County when Armstrong was first running for the office. He also knew Sheriff Bruce Hartman before.

 The group holds the Sheriff’s Department in very high esteem, and appreciates the sheriff’s time and commitment to the community.

The group created a simple sticker that says “I Support Gilpin Sheriff” and several restaurant, gas and convenience stores will have them available in the next few days. Available places will be on the Facebook group, “Good Ol’ Gilbilly,” and lockboxes have been provided at Base Camp across from the Community Center and JKQ Barbecue in the Teller House. 

Every donation of $5, $10 or $100 will go to fund the Sheriff’s office. The time and materials for making the stickers was donated by BFG Graphics. Schott said, “This is about being good neighbors coming together for the community.”

At the July 7 Commission meeting, Sheriff Armstrong thanked the Board for the opportunity to discuss why the proposed cuts in the Sheriff’s Office staff are too deep. “I have always known the Sheriff’s Office was going to be impacted by the severe financial crisis Gilpin County is experiencing. 

“I have said the 12.5 cuts in staffing positions puts deputies at risk, which in turn puts our community and county at risk. These are the reasons I do not support these deep reductions in staff,” Armstrong said.

A number of special circumstances require the Sheriff’s Office to maintain the current level of staffing.  Deputies get hurt, take vacations, court time, days off and training, so they need additional deputies to cover their shifts because of the 24/7 operation.

Armstrong has two injured deputies and two going out for surgery. Other deputies will need to cover their shifts. 

The Sheriff’s Office has three dispatch positions open and two deputy positions open due to deputies leaving or unqualified people applying for positions. In April, the Sheriff’s Office already cut about $169,490 from the budget for vehicle replacement and equipment, training, supplies, overtime and other line items.  

This $169,490 plus the current vacant positions and a Division Chiefs position equals $711,999. The Office is being asked to cut 12.5 positions or $930,000, Armstrong said. 

“Again, this is only a disagreement in how deep the cuts in personnel are for the Sheriff’s Office. I appreciate all the BoCC has done to support the Sheriff’s Office,” Armstrong concluded.

(Originally published in the July 30, 2020, print edition of The Mountain-Ear.)