Boulder County Sheriff Joe Pelle has pitched the idea of providing police services to Nederland as the small mountain community faces high officer turnover and the recent retirement of the town’s marshal.
The Nederland Board of Trustees is expected to discuss the sheriff’s proposed contract at a budget hearing Tuesday night. Nederland would pay $580K a year for sheriff’s services.
“I’m not looking to take over, but we wanted to make sure they understood this as an option,” Pelle said. “It’s very difficult for a small town to hire and retain and train police officers. It’s very difficult to attain 24-hour coverage.”
Pelle said the sheriff’s office already is responding to emergencies in Nederland when the town doesn’t have officers on duty.
Former Town Marshal Paul Carrill — who retired in early September — previously acknowledged that Nederland struggles to retain officers and would need several more to provide 24-hour coverage.
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