The Berthoud Police Department has had its share of scandal. Late last year, a Berthoud police officer was fired after pleading guilty to Child Abuse charges. The Police Chief at the time resigned after it was revealed he knew about the abuse accusations, but did nothing. The town’s (situated in both Weld and Larimer County) police department is now being handled by the Larimer County Sheriff. When a review was done of the Berthoud police department, the Larimer County Sheriff was scathing. It was found the officers were heavily armed and untrained, evidence was mishandled, and the department was in chaos. This is a bad combination, but it is a common one. The general public in Greeley, Evans, and Erie has a belief that the police are on their side and always want to do the right thing. This isn’t always true. Let’s take a closer look at what was going on in the Berthoud Police Department to see what I mean.
Police Station Heavily Armed with Military Machine Guns
When the Berthoud Police Department was handed over to Larimer County’s Sheriff, it was discovered that the police station was stocked with fully automatic machine guns. These types of weapons are not standard (or appropriate for standard police operations). The guns were acquired from the military. To make the situation even worse, the weaponry wasn’t stored in a secure area. Instead, they were in an open room with little security. The fact the police were so heavily armed is scary, especially when it considered that the gun rights of law-abiding citizens in Weld, Morgan, and Logan County are slowly being infringed upon. We all need to see the warning signs when the state is more heavily armed than the public.
The fully automatic weapons weren’t stored in a secure area, and were used by untrained officers.
Heavily Armed Officers Had “Woefully Inadequate” Training
To make the situation even worse, it was also discovered that the police officers had “woefully inadequate” training. Years ago, outside agencies offered to help the struggling police force by offering training. But, they refused these offers. In addition, the managers of the department also hired police officers who had “glaring” signs of inappropriate behavior – and hired them anyway. In short, the Berthoud Police Department was a mess. Evidence, personnel files and other paperwork wasn’t handled correctly, and equipment such as Tasers and laptops were broken.
Why Should You Care about an Untrained, Heavily Armed Police Force?
Now, you might be wondering – as long as I don’t get into trouble, why does it matter if the police force is untrained? Think about it this way: If you face accusations of a crime, police officers are the first to respond. And, in the case of Berthoud police, the first responders were untrained, machine-gun wielding troublemakers. That officer is the one who is going to be filing a report on your behavior. If they are belligerent or violent, you can be sure that won’t go into the report. And, when a police department is mismanaged, important evidence goes missing, cases don’t get filed, and general chaos ensues. Unfortunately, police departments across Colorado aren’t always run efficiently, or legally. The Berthoud Police Department is evidence of this. So, if you face charges of a crime, don’t entrust your future to police officers because you think they’re looking for the truth. You need to contact an outstanding criminal defense lawyer to fight on your behalf in the courtroom. You need a highly skilled attorney passionately fighting for your future.
If you or a loved one faces charges of a crime in Weld, Morgan, or Logan County, be smart and exercise your right to remain silent. Then, contact an experienced criminal defense attorney at the O’Malley Law Office at 970-616-6009. Together, we can protect your future.
Image Credit: Pixabay – Patrice_Audet