Stampede traffic, property crimes topics of ‘Coffee with a Cop’

By Ruthanne Johnson, The Monte Vista Journal
Original article HERE

More than 20 community members attended July 4th’s Coffee with a Cop, despite the event being held on a holiday.

Monte Vista Police Chief John Rosecrans opened the meeting with an explanation of the goals of Coffee with a Cop. “The two things I care about are crime and the fear of crime—and eliminating both,” said Rosecrans. “And then there are the community partnerships. These meetings are so we can hear your concerns, understand where each other is coming from and open the lines of communication so you feel comfortable calling us.”

The Monte Vista Police Department handled around 17,000 calls in 2017, Rosecrans said, and community members have been key in crime prevention. “I am a big advocate of community. The police don’t get it done. The community gets it done.” As an example, the police had netted over 65 grams of methamphetamine in a drug bust the night before. “That was you guys calling in—and that’s helping.”

Rosecrans encouraged community members to get involved in the city’s Neighborhood Watch program, which meets the third Monday of every month at 6 p.m. in the Monte Vista Chamber of Commerce/Information Center. “Those meetings help educate people on what is suspicious, how to respond, when to involve someone and who to involve,” Rosecrans said.

One topic discussed in the meeting was traffic flow during Ski-Hi Stampede, which slows significantly due to multiple stop signs along the diversion route. Resident John Long suggested volunteers direct traffic. “Right now, the cars have to stop and go several times,” said Long. “Maybe having citizens on the corner guiding traffic through those stop signs would help, rather than drivers having to stop at each one.”

Rosecrans said he had suggested volunteer traffic directors as an option in a recent Neighborhood Watch meeting. “Doing something like this will depend on the response.”

Another topic discussed was property crimes. “The number of burglaries in our town is higher than the state and national averages,” said Rosecrans, who believes part of the problem is the number of homes sitting vacant for a significant period of time because of people going on vacation or leaving for the winter season. “There’s also an element in this town that just wants to reap the benefits of someone else’s hard work.” To prevent theft, make sure your property is secure. “If you don’t want to lose it, lock it down.”

Another preventative measure is trimming back vegetation. Overgrown trees and grasses can create places for criminals to hide, as well as blocking the view of potential witnesses. “You may not want to see your neighbor, but guess what? Your neighbors also can’t see you,” Rosecrans said, “and that can let the bad guys in there.”

Bicyclists were also brought up at the meeting. One resident asked if police officers could help educate people about bike laws. For example, cyclists are required to ride with traffic. But the resident said she often sees cyclists riding against traffic while driving her car, which has caused a few close calls. Rosecrans admitted the police could do more to help with bike educations. “One of the things I would also love to see are better defined bike paths,” he added.

Long agreed. “Bicyclists are supposed to ride on the main road, but I ride in the parking lane because I don’t want to get hit. What we really need is a designated bike lane, and I think there’s plenty of space for that.”
Coffee with a Cop is held at 7 a.m. at Java Dave’s on the first Wednesday of every month. For more information, visit the Monte Vista Police Department’s Facebook page or call Monte Vista City Hall at 719-852-6161.