WALSENBURG — The Huerfano County Sheriff says, starting next year, his deputies will no longer patrol the City of Walsenburg.
Sheriff Bruce Newman tells News5 he notified the mayor and city council after extensive talks about the city potentially forming its own police force.
The sheriff tells us he realizes it will be a challenge to find applicants, but says he cannot continue to see his staff be stretched thin.
You can read the sheriff's letter to city leaders below:
Walsenburg dissolved its police department in January 2017, folding the city into the jurisdiction of the sheriff's office.
The mayor of Walsenburg tells News5 he still hopes to retain the sheriff's office, especially since voters will not be able to decide whether they want a city police department until November 2025.
The city council has a regularly scheduled meeting Tuesday when it is expected to discuss the sheriff's decision to end his contract with Walsenburg.
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Prop. 130 Would Increase Funding For Law Enforcement Across Colorado
In November, Colorado voters will decide whether to give $350 million in state funding to local law enforcement agencies across the state and a one-time $1 million payment to families of first responders killed in the line of duty.
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