BERTHOUD, Colo.—Officials in the small town of Berthoud will hold an emergency meeting Tuesday after the seven-member police department was taken over by the sheriff’s office.
The Larimer County district attorney is investigating the department, and Police Chief Glenn Johnson and another unidentified officer were placed on administrative leave. No charges have been filed, and it’s not clear what the investigation encompasses.
The town board is expected to discuss any arrangements that need to be made during the interim at the meeting, although officials said they expect no impact on police operations because of the takeover.
The town, about 46 miles northwest of Denver, issued a statement on its website, saying that it was appropriate to bring the police department under outside supervision “in order to avoid any appearance of impropriety.” Board members said they don’t know details about the allegations.
Loveland police officers executed a search warrant of Johnson’s office Oct. 3 as part of a criminal investigation but spokesman Justin Chase said Tuesday he couldn’t discuss the probe.
In the meantime, Larimer County sheriff’s Sgt. John Feyen is running the department, sheriff’s spokesman John Schulz said Tuesday.
Schulz said state statutes allow the sheriff’s department to take over while Loveland police conduct an independent investigation.
Berthoud is a town of roughly 5,300 people that straddles the boundaries of southern Larimer County and Weld County.
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