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Jeffco Sees Decline in Crime in Fourth Quarter
Crime in Jefferson County dropped 13 percent in the fourth quarter of 2009 compared to the fourth quarter of 2008, according to Sheriff Ted Mink's quarterly Law Enforcement Authority Report to Commissioners.
 Although the county experienced a decrease in overall crimes, some crimes, such as assault and burglary, increased slightly when comparing 2008 and 2009.
Other highlights of Sheriff Mink's report include the following:
- Deputies discovered a "fashion show" at Mr. Biggs in the 9600 block of West Coal Mine Avenue in South Jeffco in late December. Women were wearing mostly latex paint and little clothing. The manager received a summons for violating Jeffco's "nude entertainment" ordinance. The Liquor Licensing Authority will hold a hearing on Feb. 4 to determine whether to permanently transfer the building's liquor license to the new owner.
- In November and December, staff from the Sheriff's Office and the Jeffco Incident Management Team assisted the Jefferson County Department of Public Health in holding H1N1 vaccine clinics at six local schools. Nurses administered more than 20,600 vaccines.
- The Sheriff's Office solved a 28-year-old murder investigation with the arrest of Christopher Sorensen in November in Grand Junction. Sorensen is accused of murdering Anthony Yanish in 1981. Investigators received a tip earlier in 2009 that allowed the cold case investigator to uncover additional details that led to Sorensen's arrest.
- Although bank robberies in Colorado increased from 139 in 2008 to 200 in 2009, Jefferson County experienced only one, at the Bank of the West in the 8100 block of South Kipling Parkway on Dec. 4. Investigators believe the "Portfolio Bandit," who could be responsible for eight metro area robberies, is responsible for the one in Jeffco.
- Last year, law enforcement agencies throughout Jeffco began to work together to consolidate resources to benefit the community. Sheriff Mink said it is the first time he has seen this level of collaboration in his 37 years in law enforcement. Efforts include regionalizing the training academy, SWAT team, crime lab and analysis, and communications center.
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BCC Approves Rezoning for New Mixed-Use Development in Ken Caryl
The Board of County Commissioners unanimously approved a rezoning request for a new 14-acre Planned Development zone district at Shaffer Parkway and Shaffer Place in Ken Caryl.
 The proposed Ken Caryl Towne Center would include offices, retail and as many as 160 homes to "create a mixed-use urban village feel," according to the applicant's architect, Intergroup Architects, of Littleton. The developer needed approval for a new planned development to allow for residential units and incorporate design standards that would promote the town-center concept. The town center has architectural and design standards that include earth-tone building materials, wide sidewalks to encourage walking, park benches, and trails.
Neighbors of the proposed development, particularly from the nearby Sunset Ridge Townhouse Community, said they had concerns about whether the new buildings would block their views of the mountains. Staff Planner Alan Tiefenbach told Commissioners that staff and the architect had examined the area's topography and agreed to limit building height to 35 feet to 75 feet, depending on the building's location, to protect current visual corridors.
The Planning Commission recommended approval of the Planned Development zoning request, with the addition of adding public and private schools into the allowed uses. Staff did not support addition of schools for several reasons including schools' requirement for more land than other uses. Commissioners approved the request without the addition of public and private schools. |
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Other BCC Actions
Commissioners Approve Purchase of New Network Equipment for IT
The Board of County Commissioners approved a request to spend more than $101,000 on new Cisco network equipment as part of a project to upgrade and replace the county's existing IT data storage and backup system. The current system, a Hitachi storage unit, is full and can no longer accommodate the county's needs for more disk space. The funding for the new equipment was included in the 2010 budget. |
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