BECAUSE
YOU ASKED
Q: What are seagulls doing in Colorado? How did they get here?
A: You are probably referring to the ring-billed gull that is very common in Colorado. These birds look similar to seagulls, are about 17.5 inches long, and live year-round in urban and suburban areas near trash cans, garbage dumps, reservoirs, and especially freshly plowed fields – basically, wherever they can find a meal. They live in most parts of the state except for high mountain regions or treeless areas of the Eastern Plains.
Four types of gulls live in Colorado: ring-billed, Franklin’s, California (which looks like the ring-billed gull) and Herring.
Source: “The Guide to Colorado Birds” by Mary Taylor Gray; The Audubon Society, greater Denver
Q: The other day, I saw a sheriff’s car that said “Centennial Sheriff” on it in Sheridan. It looked as though the officer had pulled someone over. My questions are: Why is there a Centennial sheriff instead of a police force? Aren’t sheriffs usually at the county level? And does the Centennial Sheriff’s Department have jurisdiction in other municipalities?
– James Douglas, Denver
A: The city of Centennial was incorporated in 2001 from parts of unincorporated Arapahoe County. At the time, the Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office had been handling law enforcement in those unincorporated parts of the county. When the city was incorporated, it was determined that it would be more economical to keep the structure that was in place, so now the city contracts with Arapahoe County for law enforcement and most public works such as snowplowing.
All Arapahoe County sheriff’s deputies, including those who are under contract to municipalities, have countywide jurisdiction and may be called in to other towns or unincorporated areas to help. This may have been the situation if the deputy from Centennial was helping in Sheridan. On the cars that say “Centennial Sheriff,” “Arapahoe County Sheriff” is written on the trunk.
The Sheriff’s Office also provides law enforcement for Foxfield, Deer Trail and the parts of Watkins and Bennett that are in Arapahoe County.
Source: Mark Campbell, Arapahoe County undersheriff
– Compiled by Bonnie Gilbert
HAVE A QUESTION?
Have you ever wondered how to register your child for school? What a political caucus is and how to get information about one? How many fourteeners Colorado has? If you’d like information about something in the state outside Denver, send questions to because youasked@denverpost.com or mail to: Because You Asked, Denver Post, 1560 Broadway, Denver, CO 80202. Include your name, city of residence and phone number.
