By Will Cornelius
The Surveyor

There is a new police chief in town. Long-time Larimer County Sheriff’s Office (LCSO) Sgt. Jim Anderson retired on March 23 after nine years as the police chief in Berthoud. Replacing Anderson is another LCSO Sergeant from a small town. Justin Williamson from Wellington, Colo. has been named as the new police chief in Berthoud.

Born and raised in Larimer County, Williamson has served for over 20 years with the sheriff’s office. “With Jim [Anderson] retiring out, it was an opportunity for someone to come in. Come in here and carry on the good work that he’s done to get Berthoud to where it’s at,” he said.

Williamson said he has big shoes to fill with Anderson retiring. His approach is not to reinvent the wheel, but to build on the community support Anderson created in Berthoud.

But there are also some new strategies he is excited about. One of them is them is the automated license plate reader pilot program by Flock Safety. “I would definitely recommend it to the town board,” said Williamson about adopting the program full-time. He said it helps law enforcement with stolen vehicles, warrants and investigations.

Williamson said that policing has gotten more difficult after the murder of George Floyd in 2020. Hiring new deputies has become more challenging, but that has also forced the sheriff’s department to recruit from other law enforcement agencies where candidates already have the required skills they are looking for. “It’s a very rewarding career,” said Williamson about what he would tell a young person considering a career in law enforcement.

He also highlighted how policing is changing with the co-responder program. A co-responder program is a unit within the LCSO that assists with mental health calls and issues. Just like the K-9 unit or bomb squad, it’s another resource for law enforcement to use to help serve the public.

While some things may change, Williamson wants to continue the community policing practices Anderson started. He also said that Santa Cops and the LCSO food drive will be going forward again this year.