This week I thought it might be kinda cool to give you a little bit of "inside information" on what it's like to provide law enforcement services in a small town, in a small agency, with a big heart. And do so in fewer than 500 words.
First off, policing is much more personal here than it is in a larger place and I think that's great. I think the staff of the Marshal's Office does a good job of getting out there and mingling with the people and that has great value both ways. Yvonne, Dave and I are all approachable and friendly and for the most part it's cool to work in a small town environment.
What makes it cool on one hand can make it not so much fun on the other. When you have what I'll generically call a "law enforcement interaction" with someone you know, it's not necessarily pleasant. As long as we are doing things in a fair and consistent manner, well, that just comes with the territory and its part of being a small town copper.
Small or not, the MMO is held to the same standard of education, training and basic law enforcement response as is any other agency in Colorado, and you should expect nothing else. To ensure we meet those standards (and yours) training is and always will be a priority for us. I want you to have confidence in me and my staff and from what I hear, you do. That is very much appreciated. We will always do our best to provide you with the services you need. I would describe the sacrifices that our personnel make just to send one officer to training, but that would just sound like I'm whining. I will acknowledge the willingness of Yvonne and Dave to work extra shifts and/or do whatever needs to be done so that we CAN train and be the best we can be.
I'll also tip my hat to our Town Board members, the mayor, and our town administrator for supporting our training initiatives.
To ensure that you are receiving services that meet modern, accepted, professional law enforcement standards, I am working towards obtaining state accreditation for the MMO through the Colorado Association of Chiefs of Police Professional Standards program. It will be a long process with a lot of work involved, but it is another example of doing whatever we can to be the best little agency we can be.
Law enforcer, counselor, travel guide, legal expert, auto mechanic, (but don't expect much from me on that one) problem solver, dog catcher, public relations guru; we do it all. It's the best darn job in the world and it's a privilege to be doing it (the right way - see "big heart" noted above) in the Town of Mancos.
As always, thank you for your support and I'll talk to you again soon.
Marshal John L. Cox can be reached at jcox@mancoscolorado.com