Letter by J Cascarelli,
Westcliffe CO
It was fourteen years ago that our Sheriff put an ad in the local paper to initiate the formation of the Sheriff’s Posse. About 40 of us volunteered; today we have about twenty active Posse members. Twelve years ago, the Posse command staff, Robin Schmutzler, offered to provide the local school district with daily security patrols when the school was in session, at school athletic events and during school dances including the annual prom. In the beginning, some teachers and at least one School Board member objected to having a uniformed, armed presence at the school. Some of us asked for a tour of the school. This one building school district was built in three phases over the years. There are a dozen little “cubby holes” all over the school. The high school principal conducted a tour for Posse members prior to the school’s opening day. The Posse invited security experts to present the special challenges that school security presents. Continue reading In Custer County, Colorado, We Protect Our Own →