“We don’t have all the officers that we are currently authorized for Glenwood Springs,” Deras said.
Garfield County Sheriff Lou Vallario echoed Deras’ comments, saying that finding the right candidates is the biggest hurdle.
“I would rather not lower our standards to fill patrol cars on the street and be opened up to civil lawsuits,” Vallario said.
Vallario said inability to hire qualified officers is a nationwide problem, adding that in the last two years his office has been significantly shorthanded.
“We were down as many as 26 positions,” Vallario said. “It’s difficult to keep ahead of that and maintain that.”
Understaffing in local law enforcement groups hinders ability to patrol downtown Glenwood Springs aspentimes.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from aspentimes.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.