Sections

Office of the Sheriff

The duties and responsibilities of the Sheriff are set forth in Colorado Revised Statutes.  As one might imagine, the statutory mandates for the Sheriff are vast and cover a wide range of topics.  These include topics like maintain peace and order in El Paso County, provide general law enforcement services to unincorporated areas of the County, operate all jails within the county, serve criminal warrants and civil process throughout the entire county as directed by the District and County Courts, coordinate search and rescue efforts, suppress prairie and forest fires in El Paso County and perform other duties as directed by Colorado State Statutes and the Courts.
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Information Technology Section

The IT Section is a coordinated team that provides all facets of IT support to the Office.  We are responsible for maintaining all of the technology operations including phones, printers, fax machines, computers, mobile devices and major software systems in use throughout the Office.

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Finance Unit

The El Paso County Sheriff's Office Budget and Finance Unit is comprised of four major functional areas: Accounting/Finance; Budget; Payroll and Grants Management, which, in conjunction with each other, provide overall quality and integrity of the Sheriff’s Office financial management and control system.

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Law Enforcement Bureau

On behalf of the 170 plus employees assigned to the Law Enforcement Bureau, I welcome you to our respective web pages. The Sheriff’s Office Law Enforcement Bureau is comprised of two (2) divisions, the Investigations Division and Patrol Division, all tasked with carrying out the statutory responsibilities of the Sheriff.

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Patrol Division

Within the pages of this website are descriptions of the various Sections and Units that make up the Patrol Division. Each is designed to meet the needs of the community we serve in the most efficient and economical method possible.

The El Paso County Sheriff’s Office Patrol Division is comprised of three Sections including over one hundred twenty-five men and women dedicated to serve the public and preserve the peace for all who reside in or visit El Paso County.  With the passing of 1A, this number will be increasing significantly as we add approximately forty-four new deputies to the Patrol Division.

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BHCON Unit

Mental Health issues affect every aspect of law enforcement, from encounters on the street, to court to incarceration. Mental health related trainings and Crisis Intervention Training is provided to EPSO deputies to prepare them to interact with this segment of our population. In 2017, Sheriff Elder began working with El Paso County Public Health to secure a grant to bring a “Co-Responder” policing model to rural and unincorporated areas of the county. In July of 2018, the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office deployed a Co-Responder Model, Patrol unit called the Behavioral Health Connect Unit or BHCON (pronounced Beacon). The BHCON Unit pairs an El Paso County Sheriff’s Deputy with a Licensed Behavioral Health Clinician for a coordinated response to emergency calls that are mental-health related. The BHCON Unit is funded by a grant from the Colorado Department of Human Services (CDHS) and will be a five-year pilot comprised of a partnership between the El Paso County Sheriff's Office, the El Paso County Department of Health and UCHealth. The Unit is primarily assigned to unincorporated regions of El Paso County.
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K9 Unit

The El Paso County Sheriff’s Office K9 Unit is comprised of two dual purpose dog teams and two single purpose dog teams. The dual-purpose dog teams each certify in narcotics detection and patrol work. Each dual-purpose dog team is certified in the areas of handler protection, evidence searches, tracking, building searches, field searches, suspect apprehension, obedience, agility, and narcotic detection. The two single purpose dog teams each certify in narcotics detection. The El Paso County Sheriff’s Office K9 Unit is a member of and certified with the National Police Canine Association (NPCA)

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Patrol Section

The Patrol Section is the heart of the Law Enforcement Bureau of the El Paso County Sheriff's Office.  The Section is divided into three overlapping shifts more commonly known as Day Shift, Swing Shift and Mid Shift. The overlapping hours between these three shifts are strategically designed to ensure the community maximum law enforcement coverage during the hours of greatest need based on historical data and learned behavior. The Patrol Section also includes the Civil Unit, Sheriff’s Citizen Patrol and the Crime Analyst.

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Reserve Section

The El Paso County Sheriff’s Office is continually seeking quality candidates to join our Reserve Deputy Program.  Being a Reserve Deputy Sheriff is among the most rewarding volunteer opportunities available in the law enforcement or public service fields.    If you think you might be a good fit, or know of a family member or friend who might be interested, please take a moment to review/share the information below. 

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Ride Along Program

The El Paso County Sheriff’s Office is committed to fostering strong community involvement with the citizens we are proud to serve. The concept of community oriented policing strives for the building of partnerships within the community to solve identified problems.

During your ride along, you may observe deputies interact and work with citizens or business owners/employees to help solve problems in the respective neighborhood areas.  You might also see patrol deputies work together with Sheriffs Office specialized units including the Traffic Unit, the Crime Reduction Unit, the K-9 or Mounted Unit and at times, even the Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) Team to solve issues throughout El Paso County, promoting our Community Policing philosophy.

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Investigations Division

The Criminal Investigations Division is responsible for investigating felony crimes against persons and property occurring in the unincorporated areas of El Paso County. The division is led by 1 commander, 3 section lieutenants, and 6 unit supervisors that oversee Crimes Against Persons, Property Crimes, Technical Investigations, and the Metro Vice, Narcotics, and Intelligence Section.

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Criminal Intelligence Unit

The Criminal Intelligence Unit (CIU) is a newly created Unit of the Sheriff’s Office. The CIU deploys using the concepts and philosophies of Intelligence Led-Policing. The Unit’s main task is investigating violent prolific offenders, but is also tasked with investigating pattern crimes, property crimes, robberies, motor vehicle thefts and deploys detectives with the Beat Auto Theft Through Law Enforcement (BATTLE) South Task Force. The CIU works closely with other Divisions within the Sheriff’s Office, to include Patrol, Detentions, and Special Operations. The Unit also works closely with multiple outside agencies, to include surrounding law enforcement agencies, state and federal agencies and parole. Working with these internal and external partners, the CIU has arrested numerous prolific offenders and has closed numerous cases associated with these prolific offenders. The CIU also works closely with the District Attorney’s Office and participates in the STOP program, to ensure these prolific offenders receive maximum sentences for their crimes.
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Cold Cases

The El Paso County Sheriff’s Office currently has 18 cold homicide cases and 7 missing person cases with suspicious circumstances.  If you have any information on any of the Sheriff’s Office unsolved cases, please contact Dispatch at (719) 390-5555 and ask for Investigations or call the Sheriff's Office Tip Line at 719-520-7777.

 

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Crime Prevention

The El Paso County Sheriff’s Office practices Community-Oriented Policing. This means that our agency, along with other law enforcement agencies in the area, are committed to a partnership with the citizens of El Paso County to prevent crime rather than just respond to criminal activity after it has taken place.

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Metro Crime Lab

The Colorado Springs Police Department and the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office formed a joint forensic laboratory at the time the Police Operations Center first opened in 1993. The Metro Crime Lab provides impartial and professional documentation, collection and evaluation of a variety of different types of physical evidence. The Unit includes chemists, firearms examiners, crime scene technicians, DNA analysts, and latent fingerprint examiners who provide analysis and expert courtroom testimony for a variety of forensic disciplines.

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Metro VNI Section

The Metro Vice, Narcotics and Intelligence Division, or "Metro VNI" for short, is a multi-agency, co-located drug task force divided into multiple units, responsible for specific enforcement responsibilities. Detectives assigned to the Narcotics Street Teams investigate, control, and prevent the illegal distribution, possession, and/or manufacturing of illegal narcotics and/or controlled substances. Their primary focus is on individuals, businesses and groups of individuals involved in street level and mid-level distribution of narcotics throughout El Paso and Teller Counties.

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Neighborhood Watch Program

Neighborhood Watch is a safety program designed to bring together law enforcement agencies, community organizations, businesses and individual residents in an effort to deter and reduce crime in neighborhoods.  As one of the oldest and most effective crime prevention programs in the country, it was created in 1972 and developed in response to requests from sheriffs and police chiefs seeking a crime prevention program involving citizens.  Neighborhood Watch programs are an effective tool in fighting crime.   

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Victim's Assistance Program

The Victim Assistance Program is a Unit within the Investigations Division of the El Paso County Sheriff's Office. Victims of crime may have experience injury, loss, confusion, and a disruption of life. Feelings of Shock, disbelief, fear, vulnerability, anger, and frustration may occur. Having information and an understanding about the criminal justice system may be helpful for you. Our Victim Advocates can assist you navigate this process and provide services and resources that you may need immediately after a crime has occurred.
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Law Enforcement Support Division

Law Enforcement Support Divisionis responsible for the specialized units designed to enhance the level of law enforcement service of the Sheriff’s Office, thus increasing the quality of life of the citizens of El Paso County.  Through programs and various services, the Division provides direct interaction between the Sheriff’s Office and the citizens of our community, enhancing a partnership that ultimately expands the capability of our crime prevention efforts.  

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Civil Unit

Colorado State Law mandates all Sheriff's Offices within the State maintain a Civil Unit. The Civil Unit is responsible for the service of all civil papers received by the Sheriff's Office. The Civil Unit also executes all court orders involving civil process issued by the Courts, to include the collection of money and/or seizure of property, as prescribed by law.

The Unit collects any and all required fees and keep/send accurate returns to the courts of this County, as well as to all other courts in the United States. They are also responsible for arranging/conducting Sheriff's Sales and making due return to the court in accordance with the law.

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Patrol Chaplain

Patrol Chaplain's are an available resource to provide comfort, counseling and spiritual guidance to any Sheriff’s Office member in need. They assist citizens during times of tragedy, such as serious injuries, accidental and natural death, homicides and suicides, and make death notifications. The Chaplains also provide invocations and benedictions at Sheriff’s Office functions. 

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Regional Bomb Squad

The Regional Bomb Squad is a joint team of highly motivated officers who are specially trained in the recognition, construction, handling and rendering-safe of improvised explosives and devices. The Unit consists of members of the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office and the Colorado Springs Police Department. The Regional Bomb Squad has a primary response area which includes El Paso, Teller, Lake Park and Chaffee Counties, as well as 33 counties in the southern half of the State of Colorado.

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Rural Enforcement & Outreach Unit

In early 2015, the Sheriff’s Office created the Rural Enforcement and Outreach Unit (REO) to support the Patrol and Investigations Divisions and increase services to the community by offering enhanced law enforcement response to the large expanses of Eastern El Paso County.  REO is community oriented and high impact policing with a rural twist. 

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Search & Rescue

The El Paso County Search and Rescue is a Mountain Search and Rescue Unit dedicated to saving lives through search, rescue and mountain safety education. The Team is comprised of volunteers and is available upon request for help with mountain searching rescue anywhere in Colorado under the authority of the local County Sheriff, or in other states and countries under local authority. The team is able to search for downed aircraft and lost people by tracing the location of the aircraft’s emergency location transmitter, as well as personal locator beacons. The members, numbering over 70 strong, serving a variety of roles are working toward a single goal; saving lives. There is never a charge for Search and Rescue services and they are on call year round. They typically accept applications during last quarter of the year for consideration for the next year’s new member class.
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Sheriff's Citizen Patrol

In early 2009, the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office implemented a new volunteer program, the Sheriff’s Citizen Patrol (SCP).  The Sheriff’s Citizen Patrol is a citizen based program which allows residents of El Paso County the ability to volunteer within their community performing law enforcement related duties which do not require a sworn member.  This program allows volunteers to actively participate in a wide variety of opportunities which were historically unavailable to volunteers.

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SRO Units

School Resource Officers (SRO's) are deputies who have been selected and assigned to work in and around assigned middle and high schools on a long-term basis.  SRO's job functions are based on the "triad" concept of school-based policing.  The triad concept divides the SRO's responsibilities into three areas:  Teacher, Counselor/Mentor, and Law Enforcement Officer.  By performing these functions collaboratively with parents and school officials, the Sheriff's Office promotes a positive image of law enforcement to the youth of our community when they are most impressionable and most likely to benefit from such exposure.  The opportunity for students to have one-on-one contact with respected law enforcement professionals allows for trust and mutual respect to develop. 

It is our goal to help provide a safe learning environment for our youth, while we blend the SRO program with the many other community policing programs within the schools.

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TSU (Tactical Support Unit)

The Tactical Support Unit (TSU) consists of multiple specially trained Units. These Units include SWAT, (Special Weapons and Tactics), TDU, (Tactical Dispatch Unit), CNU, (Crisis Negotiations Unit), REU, (Regional Explosives Unit), TEM, (Tactical Emergency Medics), BEAR drivers, and Mobile Command Operators. All these Units combined are deployed to handle high risk situations which aren’t commonly encountered by patrol personnel.

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Traffic Unit

The El Paso County Sheriff’s Office Traffic Unit is a community oriented, problem solving unit, which provides public safety service and traffic enforcement to the citizens of El Paso County. The Traffic Unit was established in 1996, and is comprised of one sergeant, and six deputies.

The Traffic Unit focuses on providing traffic specific enforcement throughout the county, responding to citizen complaints, as well as working those areas known to have high occurrences of traffic accidents and/or speeding. The Unit also provides training both to deputies in our Office, as well as other law enforcement officers throughout the region.

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Wildland Fire Management

El Paso County Wildland Fire Management is a combination of career and volunteer members comprised of citizens from El Paso County and the surrounding areas dedicated to saving lives and property that are affected by fire. The crew members come from all walks of life to assist in these endeavors.

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Detention Bureau

Welcome to the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office Detention Bureau. Our goal in the Detention Bureau is to maintain a safe, secure environment for those incarcerated at the El Paso County Jail and the Metro Work Release Facility (MWRF). We strive to provide opportunities for inmates to obtain the necessary discipline, skills and therapy through a multi-systemic approach including substance abuse and anger management programs, progressive/regressive classification system, and the Reintegration and Recovery Program, to successfully return to their communities once released.

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Detention Operations Division

The Detention Operations Division is responsible for operating two sections; Intake and Inmate Services, as well as Court Services.

The mission of the Intake and Inmate Services Section is to ensure responsibilities are accomplished in accordance with accepted professional standards as prescribed in Colorado Revised Statue (C.R.S.) 17-26-103. In addition, the Section maintains required records and ensures accountability and security of inmate funds and property. During an inmate’s stay, all of the inmate’s records are maintained by this Section to include court updates, new charges, bond charges, work release fees, pre-trial services and any holds generated by other agencies.

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Court Services

Located in the El Paso County Courthouse, the Court Services Section is part of the Detention Operations Division and is divided into the Court Unit and the Transport Unit. This Section is responsible for ensuring the public’s safety by providing security in 50 court rooms as well as 1 advisement courtroom within the El Paso County Jail.  They are responsible for moving inmates to and from court in a safe, secure, and timely manner, in addition to arresting and processing remands in accordance with prescribed directives and applicable laws. Further, to provide safe and secure vehicular transportation for inmates to and from court, between local detention facilities, State Hospital, Department of Corrections facilities and other law enforcement jurisdictions throughout the state and as directed by the courts.

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Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA)

In 2003, the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) passed the Prison Rape Elimination Act (known as “PREA”), in an effort to eliminate sexual abuse in correctional (‘confinement’) settings.

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Inmate Funds

Cash, Cashier’s Checks, Official Checks, or Money Orders can be accepted 24/7 at the main transaction window located in the lobby of the El Paso County Jail. No personal checks will be accepted and no change is available to be given. Deposits to inmate accounts can only be done through the jail Bookkeeping window or one of Trinity's systems (cash machines located in the El Paso County Jail, Metro Work Release facility, or online systems).

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Inmate Property

All inmate property is inventoried during pre-admit processing, booking, then re-inventoried by Property Technicians who control and account for inmate property.

No property is accepted for an inmate once they are formally booked into the El Paso County Jail with the following exceptions: prescription glasses, certain pre-approved prescription medications which must be verified and accepted by the jail medical staff, clothes for jury trials, State Identification, Passports, vehicle and house keys.

Upon completion of a Personal Property Release form, an inmate can release property to a specific, identified person. The person receiving this property must have a valid picture identification card and present it prior to any property being released to them.

Property can be picked up 24 hours a day at the transaction window in the lobby of the El Paso County Jail.

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Intake and Release

To ensure all Intake and Release responsibilities are accomplished in accordance with accepted professional standards and as prescribed in Colorado Revised Statue (C.R.S.) 17-26-103. In addition, Intake and Release maintains required records, ensures accountability and security of inmate funds and their personal property.

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Special Response Team (SRT)

The responsibilities of the team cover a large gambit of duties, which have expanded since the original implementation of the team. Some of these include: Forced Cell Extractions, Open Area Containment, Riot Control, Mental Health Pick Ups, High Risk Extraditions and Transports, High Risk Jury Trials and Site Visits, and supplemental duties to the SWAT Team.

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Bonding / Advisements

HB 21-1280 BONDING PROCESS

LEGAL RIGHTS RELATED TO POSTING MONEY BOND PURSUANT TO SECTION 16-4-102, COLORADO REVISED STATUTES

  1. BOND FEES, BOOKING FEES AND OTHER FEES OR DEBTS NEVER NEED TO BE PAID TO SECURE A PERSON'S RELEASE ON MONEY BOND.  A PAYOR NEED ONLY PAY THE BOND AMOUNT IN ORDER TO SECURE RELEASE.
  2. WHILE NEVER A BASIS TO HOLD A DEFENDANT IN JAIL, THE FOLLOWING FEES ARE CHARGEABLE AS A DEBT TO THE DEFENDANT AFTER RELEASE IF THE PAYOR CHOOSES NOT TO PAY THE FEES AT THE TIME OF BONDING:A $10 BOND
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Detention Security Division

The El Paso County Sheriff’s Office Detention Bureau, Security Division is comprised of a group of approximatley 279 dedicated men and women who are proud of their ability to ensure inmates are housed in a safe, secure and constitutionally sound manner.

The men and women of the Security Division provide vital services to an approximate daily average jail population of over 1,600 inmates. 

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Detention Support Division

The Detention Support Division is responsible for support services to all Detention Bureau units and residents.  The division is divided into four subunits: Jail Industry Management, Inmate Services, Jail Based Behavioral Health Services, and the Gateways Through the Rockies Inmate Work Program. The Detention Support Division is also responsible for jail vendor contract management.

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Detention Investigations Team

The El Paso County Jail has its own Detention Investigations Team. The Team consists of two full-time members and several part-time members. Team members conduct and assist in investigations of criminal activity within the facility, crimes technically occurring outside the facility but with ties to incarcerated inmates (such as restraining order violations by telephone or through inmate mail), and major incidents, such as in-custody deaths and suicide attempts.
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Gateways Through the Rockies

Since 1996, the EPSO Gateways Through the Rockies Program has provided effective educational and therapeutic programming, re-entry support, and employable work experiences though community based business partnerships. Gateways is a non-taxpayer/self-supported inmate work program. We strive to have a positive personal impact on criminal offenders, significantly reducing crime in El Paso County and surrounding counties, and to save taxpayers money that would have been spent on policing and re-incarceration.

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Inmate Classification

Inmate Classification is responsible for assigning a security classification to each inmate after being booked into the El Paso County Jail, which contains several types of wards or cells. The Classification Unit considers various factors when determining an inmate's classification and placement; however, an inmate's classification can be changed even after being admitted. Housing reviews/re-classifications are completed on a 45, 60 and 90-day period depending on where the inmate is housed.

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Inmate Mail

In an effort to curb the introduction of contraband into facilities, the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office (EPSO) has renovated its system for distributing mail to inmates. EPSO continues to make changes to its mail procedures to ensure the safety of all inmates and staff.
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Inmate Programs

Inmate Programs operate within the Support Division of the El Paso County Sheriff's Office Detention Bureau.

A portion of the Inmate Programs Section is responsible for providing educational, religious, and therapy-oriented programs to the inmate population.  Attendance in programs is voluntary and available to most inmates upon written request at no charge.  The El Paso County Jail provides a multitude of programs to incarcerated inmates in an ongoing effort to give them the opportunity to earn an education and resolve personal growth issues.  Below are just a few of the programs that are offered to our General Population inmates.

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Jail Based Behavioral Health (JBBS)

Since the 1990’s, recidivism rates and greater demands on our judicial system have kept jails and prisons overcrowded and searching for relief. The El Paso County Sheriff’s Office is very proud of our efforts to reduce our jail population and criminal recidivism, and to prepare offenders to reintegrate into the community as productive members of society. Since the early 2000’s, the El Paso County Sheriffs Office has offered the jail inmate population different avenues for developing skills, managing emotions and reducing release/recidivism. One of these programs was the Reintegration and Recovery (R&R) program. Until 2019 this program was offered to a small population of inmates who met a strict criteria.
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Administrative Bureau

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Operations Division

The Support Operations Division is comprised of over 60 personnel and is responsible for providing a communication connection between the Office and the community, as well as ensuring the required manpower and material resources are available to meet the Sheriff's Office mission .

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Concealed Handgun Permit

The El Paso County Sheriff's Office is pleased to provide you with the following information in order to assist you with the Concealed Handgun Permit (CHP) application process. On this page you will find the following information to guide you: application, information packet, required fees, procedures and guidelines for the program. The El Paso County Sheriff's Office Concealed Handgun Program complies with Colorado Revised Statutes regarding concealed handgun permits. (Colorado Revised Statutes 18-12-203 through 18-12-207)
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Dispatch 911

Communications dispatchers are the first first responders.  Our dispatchers handle incoming 911 and non-emergency calls and dispatch law, fire and medical resources to the residents of our community. 

The El Paso County Sheriff’s Office Dispatch Center is one of eight Public Safety Answering Points (PSAPs) in El Paso and Teller Counties.  We dispatch for eight law enforcement agencies and 19 fire departments.  We are pleased to be able to provide call taking and dispatch services for the communities of  Fountain, Calhan, Green Mountain Falls, Manitou Springs, Monument, Palmer Lake, Pikes Peak Community College and the United Stated Air Force Academy.

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Emergency Preparedness & Response

 

MOCOM

The Mobile Communications and Command Unit supports Sheriff’s Office emergency response for Special Operations, Investigations, Firefighting, Search and Rescue, and special events.

 

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Extra Duty Program

General Information

The El Paso County Sheriff’s Office Extra Duty Program was formed to provide additional law enforcement services requested by private businesses, public agencies and individuals for events located in unincorporated El Paso County.  The private business, public agency or individual requesting Extra Duty is required to pay for the deputies' services at the rate(s) established by the Undersheriff of the El Paso County Sheriff.

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Records Unit

The Records Unit is responsible for organizing case files prepared by deputies in the Law Enforcement Bureau. Case reports are prepared from electronic submissions by deputies and prepared for transmittal to the District Attorney or other agencies for prosecution or further investigation. This Unit also maintains the files of case reports and other criminal justice data and processes the release of case reports to authorized individuals.

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Professional Standards Division

Within the pages of this website are descriptions of the various Sections and Units that make up the Division of Professional Responsibility.

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Community Affairs and Research

Community Affairs and Research continuously strive to maintain open communication between law enforcement and the community we serve. Their creation is based on the recognition of the need for mutual understanding and cooperation to solve community and neighborhood problems. Through effective relationships, community members learn about policing while law enforcement members learn about the policing needs of the community.
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Community Programs

The El Paso County Sheriff’s Office is driven by a duty to serve the community and its members.  We are intentional about remaining community-minded as we fulfill our statutory obligations and provide services to the citizens of El Paso County.  The Sheriff’s Office would not be successful if it weren’t for the relationships and partnerships we have created with community members, as it’s these very relationships and interactions that help us not only identify community problems, but allow us to collaborate in an effort to find the best solutions.

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Neighborhood Watch Program

Neighborhood Watch is a safety program designed to bring together law enforcement agencies, community organizations, businesses and individual residents in an effort to deter and reduce crime in neighborhoods.  As one of the oldest and most effective crime prevention programs in the country, it was created in 1972 and developed in response to requests from sheriffs and police chiefs seeking a crime prevention program involving citizens.  Neighborhood Watch programs are an effective tool in fighting crime.   

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R.E.A.C.T. Program

In 2016, the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office began offering an awareness level program for community members that focuses on how to create A RESPONSE PLAN and HELP prepare for a response to a critical incident. R.E.A.C.T. stands for Rapidly Evolving Active Crisis Training. This is a three hour course designed to explore how to train for different types of critical incidents and highlights the need to have a plan in advance of a crisis situation. The course is meant for groups of 15-50 people.

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Community Video Program

Video cameras are one of the best methods for detecting and apprehending criminals. Police regularly ask public organizations, businesses, and individuals to share video camera footage that might aid in crime-solving efforts.

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Coffee With A Cop

A cup of coffee is a common bond and activity usually shared by friends. It is also a way for strangers to come together and get to know each other. In this light, the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office is trying to build better relationships with the community that we serve. So…. What is Coffee with a Cop?

  • It is agenda free. There will be no Power Point presentations, no speeches or specific topics to discuss. Just informal conversation about what matter to the community or anything else that you would like to talk about.
  • There are no barriers. There are no radios or patrol vehicles or calls for service to attend to. It is just a time for the Sheriff’s Office to be more approachable and have a relax conversation with our citizens.
  • Time for problem solving. These events are great opportunities to work on solutions to ongoing issues in neighborhoods. By coming together under less stressful circumstances, peaceful and wise solutions can be realized and only strengthens the relationships between the Sheriff’s Office and the community.
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Badges and Books Program

In January 2016, the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office in collaboration with local schools in El Paso County launched a reading education and community interaction program, dubbed “Badges and Books”. This program brings uniformed Law Enforcement officers to classrooms to interact with students by reading books and answering questions.  

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Community Liaison to Seniors

The Community Liaison to Seniors program provides a proactive approach to help seniors and at-risk adults within our community avoid becoming victims of crime.  All too often, seniors become targets of any number of scams, ranging from telephone scams to fraud scams.  Criminals choose to prey on this group for a variety of reasons, some of which include their trusting personalities and the difficulty for a senior citizen to be a strong witness and follow a criminal case through prosecution.

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Citizens' Academy

The Citizens’ Academy offers participants a broad overview and unique insight into the various functions of the Sheriff’s Office.  Participants will have the opportunity to participate in a ride-along with deputies to observe first-hand the variety of calls handled by the Sheriff’s Office.  A tour of the Criminal Justice Center will be conducted to demonstrate the challenges facing our detention staff.  Topics of discussion will include the intricacies of a criminal investigation as detectives take them through the investigative process.  Additionally, participants will learn about use of force, vice and narcotics operations, and emergency services, which includes our Wildland Fire and Search & Rescue teams. The tours are an opportunity for citizens to learn about the challenges faced by law enforcement.

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Internal Affairs Unit

Internal Affairs Unit goal is to inspect, audit and investigate Sheriff’s Office operations to ensure they meet community expectations and the highest professional and industry standards related to law enforcement, detentions, and criminal justice agencies. Toward that end, the Internal Affairs Unit conducts scheduled unit inspections, reviews critical incidents and investigates reports of wrong doing, and substandard performance.
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Evidence Unit

The four-person Evidence Unit receives, stores and maintains all of the evidence taken into custody by the Sheriff’s Office. Additionally the section handles found property, impounded vehicles and property held for safekeeping. They also coordinate the release of property by appointment. The Evidence Unit destroys a considerable amount of items taken into the facility each year. Each item destroyed has been approved for release or destruction by policy or order of the District Attorney’s Office. A few examples of why items are destroyed include: The Item is destroyed (typically weapons) as part of a plea agreement; The item contains bodily fluids and potential biohazards rendering them unsafe to maintain or release; illegal weapons or illicit drugs and drug paraphernalia.
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Accreditation Unit

The El Paso County Sheriff's Office has been participating in the accreditation process since 1992. The accreditation process provides us with the opportunity and guidance for evaluating and comparing our operations against nationally recognized standards. Achieving and maintaining accreditation requires commitment across all areas of our agency. The Accreditation Unit works diligently with agency personnel to identify and remedy any operational deficiencies, therefore continually improving the quality of our law enforcement and correctional programs and services.
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Honor Guard

Honor Guard Mission:

To provide the fallen with the highest honors that they deserve. The Honor Guard also strives to present a professional ceremonial presence during selected public appearances. These appearances have included parades, funerals, city or county functions, sporting events and other such functions.

Membership:

The Honor Guard is made up of deputies of all rank and position.

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Media Services Unit

The Media Services Unit have many responsibilities and serves all areas of the Office. They are responsible for the development of various publications using multiple technologies for distribution on the web and in print. They update the internal and external websites promptly and efficiently. They films, edit, and produces videos for distribution within the Office, as well as for public viewing. The Media Services Unit also photographs and videos Office functions for various mediums of publication. They assists in gathering data, editing articles and composing designs for various publications to include quarterly reports, annual reports, and other publications.

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Judicial Liaison

The Judicial Liaison is responsible for developing and maintaining effective interagency relationships between the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office, Problem Solving Courts, Pretrial Services, the 4th Judicial District Attorney’s Office, Public Defender, the Judiciary, the Board of County Commissioners and the public.  To provide ongoing analysis of Sheriff’s Office business operations for efficacy and efficiency and act in collaboration with other stakeholders in making program decisions.

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Public Information Office

The El Paso County Sheriff's Office Public Information Section has the important responsibility of serving as a liaison between the media, community and the Sheriff's Office. We continually strive to provide this service to our citizenry with the tenets of community oriented policing as the foundation of this section.

Specifically, the Public Information Section is responsible for the dissemination of accurate and timely public safety information to the community through media releases, social media, and various publications. By performing this service, we serve as the conduit through which the public is made aware of matters that are of interest to our community.

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Administrative Services Division

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Volunteer Program

The El Paso County Sheriff's Office Volunteer Program is composed of a collective citizens group with a true and common desire to partner with the El Paso County Sheriff's Office by volunteering their services while learning more about the internal workings of the law enforcement community. As the population in El Paso County increases, so does the demand for service on the Sheriff's Office. The use of citizen volunteers assists the Sheriff's Office in the meeting of these demands and, as the demand continues to grow, so will the need for active citizen participation.

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Sheriff's Citizen Patrol

In early 2009, the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office implemented a new volunteer program, the Sheriff’s Citizen Patrol (SCP).  The Sheriff’s Citizen Patrol is a citizen based program which allows residents of El Paso County the ability to volunteer within their community performing law enforcement related duties which do not require a sworn member.  This program allows volunteers to actively participate in a wide variety of opportunities which were historically unavailable to volunteers.

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Training Section

The El Paso County Sheriff’s Office Training Section strives to prepare deputies for service to the community through a comprehensive, cooperative, efficient and effective training program. This is accomplished using modern training methods, technology, equipment and sites. We operate a Colorado P.O.S.T. approved Basic Law Enforcement Academy, Non-Certified Academy and Reserve Academy, as well as providing annual in-service training to deputies and civilian personnel. These programs plus the additional advanced, specialized, and hosted training that the section has oversight of equates to an annual average commitment of 60,000+ man hours of training.
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Office of the Sheriff

27 East Vermijo Avenue
Colorado Springs, CO 80903
United States

719-520-7100 / 719-390-5555 (after hours)

El Paso County Jail

2739 East Las Vegas Street
Colorado Springs, CO 80906
United States

719-390-2000