By Amber McIver-Traywick

The Surveyor

The Larimer County Board of Commissioners approved the final step in ensuring the Larimer County Sheriff’s Office Berthoud Squad will have another Corporal in its ranks.

At Tuesday nights meeting the board unanimously approved the addition to its standing contract with the Town of Berthoud. This followed the Dec. 10 approval of the 2020 budget for the Town of Berthoud by the town board of trustees previously covered by the Surveyor which included the additional funds for police positions to improve coverage and increase supervisory capacity for the town.

Berthoud Squad’s Sergeant Jim Anderson said the addition of a Corporal will enable better 24-hour coverage with two patrol shifts that work opposite of each other to have a first line supervisor. “The Town of Berthoud has continued to grow at an exponential pace and our calls for service, and response area, have also increased with the population. Our mission will be supported by this addition, which is to provide exceptional service to the community” Sergeant Anderson said.

Though staffed by the LCSO the town pays for the squad to be the police force for Berthoud. According to the Sheriff’s Office website deputies assigned to Berthoud focus on providing a community-oriented police presence within the town.  Deputies are responsible for traffic enforcement, criminal law enforcement, and provide limited animal control duties when the town’s Code Enforcement Officer is unavailable.  They enforce Berthoud’s Municipal Ordinances in addition to applicable county, state and federal laws.

The LCSO Berthoud squad will now have nine officers as well as a part-time investigator and two school resource officers. The Berthoud squad has been covering the town since April 30, 2014.