On 11/1/19, a female party came in to the Nederland Police Department to report her vehicle had been struck in the Barker Reservoir parking lot, causing damage to her right rear and a break to her bumper. She stated that a male party got out of his red Ford Focus and took responsibility for the incident and gave her his first name and phone number, however he refused to give additional information upon request. The female party reported getting a photo of the male party as he pulled away from her. Nederland Police located the party through further investigating and issued a summons for failing to provide information. 

On 11/1/19, Nederland Police responded to a report of a lost firearm. A male party reportedly had the pistol with him while temporarily staying on 4th Street to work in the area. While he recalls keeping it in the center console of his work truck, he could no longer locate it and still intended to contact his mother to check his personal residence and truck while he conducts a thorough search of his sleeping quarters. He gave a detailed description of the pistol and missing ammo after describing his exact whereabouts up to the time of his noticing the guns absence. The officer contacted Boulder County Dispatch for them to upload the pistol’s owner and information to NCIC and CCIC. 

On 11/2/19, a Nederland Police Officer was summoned to a local lodging establishment to investigate a complaint of criminal mischief. The officer made contact with the hotel manager who explained that earlier that morning he had gone to the room of a particular male patron who had rented the room starting the previous day. His first attempt to summon the male party to the door were met unanswered, though the manager could hear the sound of water running through the door. Upon his third attempt to summon someone to the door of the room within the past 30 minutes, he entered to find water running in the tub which filled to the brim, with other damage done to the furniture in the room. The total cost of damages is determined to be approximately 1,300.00 dollars.

On 11/5/19, a Nederland Police Officer took a phone call from a parent reporting a violation to a protection order her daughter has against another female teenager (female #2) in the area. The parent reported the female #2 had been seen at the skate park during school hours while her daughter attended school that day at Chinook. Between conversations with school staff, parents of both females in question, and a review of multiple copies of the restraining order, the officer determined the female #2 had not been in violation of the order. 

On 11/10/19, Nederland Police were contacted by two females and a male (three separate phone calls) concerning a missing male party who hadn’t returned home the night before and missed a planned dinner at a Black Hawk casino that evening. He also was not answering phone calls or responding to messages, highly unusual behavior as the missing male has COPD and one of the concerned reporting party is his caregiver. The officer located the missing male later that evening through the help of interviews and social media. He was found living it up in Colorado Springs, having taken buses and a taxi to get there of his own volition. 

On 11/12/19, Nederland Police were dispatched to a local business on East 1st Street on the report of an abusive customer. Having received a description of the suspect, the officer called a second officer to attend to the store employee in question, who found out the suspect works next door but was not in attendance at the moment. The officers were forced to follow up a few days later, and went to the business in question to watch the video of the event which corroborated the report of the events. The officers then made contact with the suspect at his place of employment, who stated his own history of conflict with the employee in question, and that he had not heard the clerk request he leave multiple times due to wearing headphones.

On 11/13/19, Nederland Police were in route to a location where it was reported that fireworks were being discharged in the area. Fireworks are prohibited under Nederland Municipal Code 10-243 under which it is “unlawful for any person to sell, use or possess fireworks within the Town limits”.   The officers received a subsequent phone call from Gilpin County Sheriff with additional information of a male party they believed to be setting off fireworks while driving intoxicated. Upon further investigation, it was discovered that the alleged suspect was driving without a valid license as well as having been in an unreported accident with a vehicle belonging to a female with which he was acquainted, and was subsequently issued a summons. 

On 11/17/19, a Nederland Police Officer was summoned by a phone call from a parent to check the welfare of a male party, his son of whom they had not heard from for several days until the recent phone call from the male party stating he had been shot that day and was currently drinking at a local establishment. Upon making contact with the male party, it was observed that he displayed behavior consistent with intoxication (slurred speech, red and watery eyes, the odor of alcohol on his breath and stumbling or swaying stance). Prior to making contact with the male party it was discovered on a routine clearance run that the male party had an outstanding Nederland municipal warrant for FTA. The officer spoke with the male party, explaining that his father had called for a welfare check on him believing he had been shot. The male party displayed his wound and explained the course of events leading up to the wound, and that he had not received medical attention. The officer arranged for paramedics to assess the male party, at which time he was taken into custody for the outstanding warrant. The male party was taken to Boulder Community Hospital for treatment prior to being transported to Boulder County Jail. The officer also sought assistance on the shooting incident from Gilpin County Sheriff’s Office due to the location of the incident, receiving documentation of their investigation. 

On 11/18/19, a Nederland Officer took a report from a local store clerk regarding what she referred to as a “creeper” driving around town in a van targeting young women and girls with attempts to lure them to his van. This report coincided with a report taken earlier from an employee of a local ski resort having witnessed similar male party/van and behavior at a parking lot of the resort. The store clerk showed the officer pictures of the suspect with his van as well as sitting in a local establishment, describing forward and aggressive behavior with local young women ages 18-20 and throwing money at a band in the local establishment and bragging of recently getting out of jail. Further investigations around town produced reports from several women corroborating the behavior. The officer was then able to dig up information through Boulder County Jail regarding a criminal history for the suspect and made contact with the suspect through a routine traffic stop. The suspect was advised a PC exists for a traffic stop, summons and advisement town is not a safe place for him. 

On 11/21/19, a Nederland Police Officer was dispatched to the Chinook School for a criminal trespass.  Upon arrival, an officer met with one of the teachers who showed him the two broken windows he found that morning upon arrival at school, as well as another broken window on the northern end of the school. The officer investigated further and found several rocks as well as a Bud Light Clamata can in the area. The officer then spoke to the Executive Director of the school who reported two students had recently been removed from the program. The officer made contact with a parent of the more recent student removed, asking if she was aware her son may or may not have left their residence on the night in question and was told she was unaware due to failure to set up a video camera properly. The case will remain open pending further investigation. Total damage is estimated at 942.00 dollars.

(Originally published in the February 6, 2020, print edition of The Mountain-Ear.)