BRIGHTON, Colo.—Mayors from seven cities in Adams County are insisting that county Sheriff Doug Darr start accepting more inmates at the county jail, saying the 30-inmate cap is costing them money.
Darr imposed the cap in 2012 with the county commission’s permission because of budget problems. Commissioners later rescinded the cap, but the sheriff has refused to enforce it, The Denver Post reported Thursday ( ).
One reason: Personnel needed to accommodate a higher jail population are still being trained.
In a letter to the commission, the mayors insisted that the commission, not Darr, have final say in how many inmates can be housed at the county jail. With the cap in place, some inmates have been freed and others sent to jails in other counties—at the expense of the cities where they were arrested.
“The ongoing rejection and release of municipal prisoners is a very critical public safety issue. Further delay in resolving it is not acceptable,” the mayors said in their letter.
Mayors from Aurora, Brighton, Commerce City, Federal Heights, Northglenn, Thornton and Westminster signed the letter.
“We feel like we’re running out of options with the sheriff,” said Aurora Mayor Steve Hogan.
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Information from: The Denver Post,
