Making a Difference

The Sheriff's Office is involved in the community on many levels -- not just law enforcement. Check back for up-to-date information on the work being done in Jefferson County and beyond.

KYGO Christmas Crusade for Children
Through KYGO's Christmas Crusade for Children, deputies and animal control officers nominate more than 300 underprivileged children from Jefferson County during the holidays. Each child receives a gift hand-delivered by the deputy or officer, on or before Christmas day. This is a photo of Jeffco staff on Christmas Crusade "shopping day," an event wherein officers from agencies throughout the metro area shop for children's gifts.

Law Enforcement Torch Run
The Law Enforcement Torch Run is an annual, multi-agency endeavor benefiting Special Olympics Colorado. Law enforcement officers statewide run different legs of it all over the state, and the treks culminate in the final leg and ceremony at the Special Olympics summer games. Jefferson County Sheriff's Office runners run approximately 13 miles from the I-70 Evergreen exit to the Colorado Mills Mall in Lakewood, where they join with Special Olympics athletes and other officers from throughout the metro area for a short ceremony.

To learn more, visit the Special Olympics Colorado Web site.

Tip-a-Cop
Deputies serve the community in more ways than one each August as part of the Tip-a-Cop event, benefiting Special Olympics Colorado. Deputies join wait staff at the Red Robin restaurant at 7708 W. Long Drive to serve meals and solicit tips from patrons to benefit Special Olympics. Deputies wore aprons over their uniforms and greeted customers during their restaurant visit. During Tip-a-Cop, the officers explain the Special Olympics program and solicit donations separate from the customary wait staff tips. Visit http://www.specialolympicsco.org/ for more information.

Polar Plunge for Special Olympics Colorado

Courage Walk for Victims' Rights
The annual Courage Walk coincides with National Crime Victims' Rights Week. National Crime Victims' Rights Week recognizes the devastating impact of crime on victims and communities. The courage walk is a time to honor the strength and courage of survivors we have come to know in the aftermath of crime. It is also a time to speak in unison for victims' rights and services, today and in the future. Learn more about the courage walk.

Clothesline Project
clothesline_project_1 Each April, victim advocates host the annual Courage Walk for victims' rights at the Jefferson County Administration and Courts Building. The walk, which coincides with National Crime Victims' Rights Week, is free and open to anyone in the community. The purpose of the walk is to honor the strength and courage of crime victims, and to honor those who lost loved ones to violence. The Courage Walk features the Clothesline Project, a colorful display of T-shirts hand-decorated by crime victims, as a way for them to express their feelings about crime and its aftermath. Victim advocates coordinate the shirt-decorating efforts among dozens of victims throughout the county.

Kookie the Clown
Joyce Nelson is an administrative coordinator in the Patrol Division at the Sheriff's Office. In addition to her normal assigned duties, Joyce dresses up as "Kookie the Clown" for many school programs and community events to teach children about safety. She has used several different children's safety programs over the years to spread her message, including Charlie Check-First. Charlie's rule is to CHECK FIRST before going anywhere with anyone!

Be Kind to Animals poster contest
Each spring, the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office Animal Control Section holds an annual "Be Kind to Animals" poster contest for elementary school students in unincorporated Jefferson County. Elementary school children are encouraged to incorporate their ideas of what it means to be kind to animals into a poster design. Animal Control sponsors the competition to help promote National Be Kind to Animals Week and to help educate young children about the importance of handling animals humanely.

Quarterly Bonfils blood drives
The Sheriff's Office regularly hosts blood drives in conjunction with Bonfils blood centers. The blood drives are held on-site and allow Sheriff's Office
employees and other Jefferson County employees
to donate blood to help meet the needs of
Colorado patients.

Cops Fighting Cancer at Children's Hospital
Each winter and spring, a group from the Sheriff's Office joins the metro-wide nonprofit group Cops Fighting Cancer for a visit to Children's Hospital in Denver. Together all the officers and volunteers visit virtually every child in the hospital. The deputies and other volunteers bring stuffed animals, coloring books, crayons and stickers to each of the hospital's patients. Deputies and officers who are themselves cancer survivors visit the oncology area to show their support and share their stories.

scout1 Scout night at the Sheriff's Office
Each fall, the Crime Prevention Unit hosts "scout nights," inviting scouting groups from all over the county to attend presentations on crime prevention, drugs, fingerprinting and other safety topics. The scout night events teach scouts about safety and helps them earn various badges.

Dunk a Deputy
The Dunk-a-Deputy dunk tank at the Sheriff's Safety Fair during the Summerset Festival at Clement Park has raised donations for many charities over the years. They include Katrina victims, the I Love U Guys foundation, Safe2Tell, and the department's Explorer post. Deputies, command staff and other employees take turns taking the plunge to the delight of dunkers of all ages.

Pumpkins at Pleasant View
In October 2007, just in time for Halloween, Sheriff's Office school resource officers delivered dozens of pumpkins to Pleasant View Elementary School in Golden. Teachers at Pleasant View used the pumpkins for learning and fall decorating in their classrooms.

Over the summer and into the fall, inmate work crews at the Jefferson County Jail raised the pumpkins, along with other plants, at the jail's greenhouse/garden area. The gardening and landscaping training that inmates receive through the work crew program can help them be more marketable to potential employers after their release.

copsvkidsbball Cops vs. Kids for Chatfield United
A motley crew of Sheriff's Office staff defeated a scrappy team of Chatfield High School seniors on Wednesday, May 4, 2005, in the first "Cops vs. Kids" basketball game. Sheriff Ted Mink took on public address announcer duties at the scorer's table. Admission fees and raffle proceeds from the game went to benefit the Chatfield Unified basketball team, a sports organization for disabled teens in the Chatfield area. Chatfield Unified played a scrimmage during halftime of the main event.

The tradition continues; the Cops vs. Kids game has returned each year since.

Remembering Emily Keyes
On September 27, 2006, 16-year-old Emily Keyes was fatally shot at Platte Canyon High School in Bailey, Colorado, by a gunman who had entered her classroom. In September, 2007, one year later, the law enforcement community joined forces with the I Love U Guys Foundation to remember Emily and to raise money for the foundation?s philanthropic efforts. On September 29, 2007, law enforcement officers from throughout the Rocky Mountain region converged on Bailey for a memorial run. The Jefferson County Regional SWAT team ran 38 miles from the Jefferson County Sheriff?s Office, in Golden, to Bailey. SWAT team members ran legs of the trek along C-470 and Highway 285. Upon reaching Bailey, the SWAT team was joined by other law enforcement officers for the last five miles from the town of Bailey to Platte Canyon High School. The run raised more than $10,000 for the I Love U Guys Foundation.

Last Modified: Jun 23, 2009 11:49 AM