Colorado Police Dept. Resigns --Madeleine Norton, 4th period

There has recently been an interesting conglomeration of police officers stepping down from their active roles in the government. Many of these people have threatened or felt threatened, or have likewise been sent to jail or simply sent home. However, there is currently a small Colorado town that has lost all it's police department to resignation, and no one is speaking out about it.

Tony Marco/Catherine E. Shoichet of CNN reported Sunday on the issue, and seem to have found no further information as to why these officers have stepped down. From what we do know, on the other hand, the head marshall resigned and then the volunteer officers, having no one to lead them, were forced to resign as well. The journalists recently interviewing new Mayor Jane Newberry (who works approximately 15 miles away from Colorado Springs as of last week) to discuss/analyze this event that many people are talking about:

"'In an election year, there's always some people who choose to stay and some people who choose to go, and I think that happens at every level of government,' Newberry told KOAA. 'Just because there aren't currently police working for the city doesn't mean there aren't law enforcement officers protecting the town, or others who residents can call for help in Green Mountain Falls. I've stressed many times that the town is perfectly safe,' she said. 'One of the advantages of a small town -- we have less than 700 full-time residents -- is neighbors look out for each other.'"

With this in mind, Marco and Shoichet assure viewers that "the El Paso County Sheriff's Office already handled dispatch and provided backup for the town, spokeswoman Jacqueline Kirby told CNN. Now, they'll play a greater role. 'Patrols will be stepped up based on need,' she said. 'If they need extra patrol, we would be glad to help out.' The Teller County Sheriff's Office will also provide assistance, Newberry said, in addition to the Colorado State Patrol."

 

Apparently this isn't the first occurrence of the police marshall resigning, either. In 2013 ("during a restructuring" claims Newberry), the police officer stepped down and wasn't rehired until four months later! It's very possible, therefore, that the marshall could be in conflict with the current political campaigns or candidates, and in an effort not to work with their changing system felt the need to go ahead and end their career early. This time, in contrast to last time, should have far more people lining up for the job, and Newberry announced that she had received many applications on the position even though it has yet to be posted. It appears that even though the situation seems dire the townsfolk are handling it quite calmly, focusing on the well-being and interconnectedness of their tight-knit community.

This can be synthesized to Nixon resigning from office after the Watergate scandal, although the officers previously mentioned haven't committed any federal offenses. Much talk ensued after this, and likewise many people began to distrust or question the government.

The article can be found here: http://www.cnn.com/2016/04/24/us/colorado-police-department-resigns/index.html