Eagle County law enforcement is asking for patience as the high season, snowy weather, staffing challenges and returning mask mandates collide, causing an uptick in crashes and other public safety incidents.
Chris Dillmann/cdillmann@vaildaily.com
The Fourth of July holiday was a weekend full of heightened celebration, remembrance and, inevitably, 911 calls.
Many may be feeling rested coming off a long weekend, but many of Eagle County’s law enforcement personnel did not have the weekend off and were busier than normal responding to the uptick in calls typically seen around holiday weekends.
While “alcohol may be a factor” in this increase in shenanigans, the most likely reason behind the increase in call volume over Independence Day is “just pure math,” Vail police commander Ryan Kenney said Thursday.
“We see an increase in guests on most holiday weekends,” Kenney said. “With more people in town we tend to see an increase in call volume.”
inciweb.nwcg.gov/Special to the Daily
The early arrival of Eagle County’s first large wildfire of the season last week and, with it, Stage 2 fire restrictions has resurfaced an inevitable question: What should happen to those who don’t do their part to prevent fires?
The Eagle County Sheriff’s Office typically takes an education-forward approach to dealing with people who violate the county’s fire mitigation restrictions, but there are a few criminal charges that can be utilized in more extreme cases, Sheriff James van Beek said.
“We wrote the (fire restriction) ordinance in such a way as that it’s more of an education piece … but it gives us a set of teeth should we need it,” van Beek said. “We approach it from the community policing standpoint of we need everyone to do their part because we’re all part of this community and if everyone does their part, then that lowers the risk.”
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You came, you climbed, and you helped us reach new heights. SpeakUp ReachOut is extremely grateful to the Eagle Climbing and Fitness Gym for hosting the second annual Climb For Hope event June 19.
We raised over $8,000 for local suicide prevention programs and events for adults and youth. These funds will help us expand our impact as we work to prevent suicides in Eagle County through training, awareness and hope/
The organizing committee of Dave Dantas, Larry Moore, Pavan Krueger, Ashley Patriacca and Amber Mulson-Barrett of the Eagle County Sheriff’s Office dedicated themselves to making this family event a huge success. SpeakUp ReachOut can’t do the hard work of suicide prevention alone. For these big-hearted champions to join our cause, it means the world to us. Huge shout-outs and many thanks to all the following businesses and individual who sponsored and donated: