A recent article posted by Patch Network (Abbott, 2019) Erie was listed as one of the top 3 safest cities nationwide. This is something that our residents, our Town staff, police force, EMT teams, and fire departments should be proud of. With violent crimes and property crimes decreasing while the population is increasing, it is obvious our town has and continues to emphasize safety as an area for critical investment.

Our town is growing at an exponential rate and as we continue to grow, we need to continue to emphasize the safety aspect of our town. An FBI study (FBI.gov, 2012) showed that on average, police agencies were staffed at 2.4 officers per 1000 residents. With Erie’s current population of 28,300, statistically, we should have 67 sworn officers; Erie currently has 29 sworn officers. That said, I do not believe that Erie is in the place where we need an additional 30 officers, nor is that the belief of our Erie police force, but we should have a plan and budget to allow for the need as our Police Chief sees the need arise. Ensuring that our public service employees have the support of our Board is essential. We need to continue to ensure our police, fire and medical response teams are staffed at a level they feel comfortable with to manage our town, and that they have access and budget for the training and equipment needed to maintain the safety of our town experiences.

We also need to understand that the word safety does not just revolve around crimes, it also relates to the environment in which we live. Our town has environmental safety concerns that need to be addressed. We need to look closely at the location of oil and gas operations in regard to our neighborhoods and schools. Our children are truly the future of our town and they should be protected at all costs.

It is important to me to work with fellow board members to develop a culture of teamwork, safety, transparency, authentic community, and a town first mentality. What this means to me is this:

As a Mayor, I will:

• Promote a teamwork approach with all branches of our town staff to ensure each branch is represented and supported in a way that allows them to perform to the best of their ability.
• Work with our law enforcement, fire departments, and emergency response teams to develop long-term budgets that allow for advanced training, equipment, and staffing needs.
• Work with the board to appoint a representative that can be the voice of Erie regarding oil and gas operations at the state levels. Someone with in-depth knowledge of O&G and the political side so that we are represented at the highest, most educated level possible.
• Work with the board to eliminate the O&G operations inside residential areas as well as close proximity to schools.

Police Employee Data. (2012, May 15). Retrieved January 20, 2020, from https://ucr.fbi.gov/crime-in-the-u.s/2011/crime-in-the-u.s.-2011/police-employee-data

Erie Ranked As 1 of the 3 Safest Cities in America. Retrieved January 20, 2020, from https://patch.com/colorado/boulder/erie-ranked-1-3-safest-cities-america