County, sheriff deadlock on funds

By Kate Martin

Larimer County Sheriff Jim Alderden is concerned about escalating gang violence and injured deputies. But it’s not on the streets. It’s in his own jail.

Since the start of the year, there have been 27 fights, said Maj. Gary Darling. Seven of the violent incidents were directed at deputies.

“You have to remember the deputies have to break up all those fights,” Darling said.

Three deputies are on light duty as they recover from injuries suffered in breaking up the attacks.

Alderden asked Larimer County commissioners Tuesday for more money to increase staffing at the detention center, about $600,000 this year and another $1 million the next.

If commissioners vote against the proposal, Alderden said he was fully prepared to limit the number of inmates at the jail to 450. In past months, the inmate population has routinely topped 500 inmates.

Alderden had made the same proposal at a Criminal Justice Advisory Committee meeting Feb. 14.

But commissioners voted to postpone the discussion to a later date. They said there is not enough money in the budget to pay for new employees.

Alderden said the safety of those in the jail is paramount.

Alderden referred to a piece of poster board during his presentation to the commissioners. On the board he pasted the pictures of 72 inmates and one deputy.

One deputy watches those 72 inmates in three different areas. That’s akin to asking an elementary school teacher to watch three different classrooms, he said.

Commissioner Kathay Rennels said she supports more funding, but the money is not in the budget.

“The fact is we have a system that’s beginning to fall apart one brick at a time,” Rennels said.

Voters rejected a complicated ballot measure last fall by a 2-1 margin. She said a tax to pay to punish criminals is a hard sell, unlike open space.

Rennels pointed to the poster board.

“Nobody likes to look at those faces,” she said. “They like to look at people hiking and happy people having Starbucks. That’s the reality.”

After the meeting, Alderden said he would hold off a jail cap for now. But a change must happen within the next few weeks, he said.

If commissioners cannot find funding, he said he would have to refuse admittance to all but violent felons. Alderden said it’s not his job to find a solution to the funding problem.

“My job as sheriff is to work with the resources I have,” he said. “Their job as commissioners is to find the funding source and to generate the revenue that the county needs to operate.”