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 Ted
Mink is sheriff of Jefferson County. He leads the Jefferson
County Sheriff's Office, the largest full-service sheriff's office in
Colorado.
The
Jefferson County Sheriff's Office is committed to the principles of
community policing through education, partnership, analysis and enforcement.
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June 2010
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Teens:
Think Twice about Unsupervised Parties, Unsafe Driving
Young
people today have to navigate a complex world and a complicated social
scene. As law enforcement officers, we want to mitigate the dangers
so that teens and young adults can safely enjoy their free time. We
urge parents and teens to join us in doing so. Here are some issues
to consider now that school's out for summer.
Unsupervised Parties
The Sheriff's Office reminds parents and residents to be aware of potential
risks i
nvolved
in allowing teens to participate in or host unsupervised parties.
Each
year, deputies respond to calls about parties hosted by underage youths in
their parents' homes - parties taking place without parental knowledge or
consent. Often, these parties are intended to be small gatherings of close
friends, but they quickly grow beyond the host's ability to control. Word
of mouth spreads rapidly through social networks, and uninvited or unknown
people frequently show up.
Many
of these parties have resulted in property damage, theft, assaults,
juveniles being transported to the hospital for alcohol poisoning, and even
more severe offenses.
The
Sheriff's Office wants all residents to have a safe and enjoyable summer.
To that end, we ask for your help:
- Parents: Please use caution in allowing
young people to host or attend unsupervised gatherings. A little
caution can go a long way in preventing property damage or a trip to
the emergency room. Let your neighbors know if you are going out of
town and planning to leave your young adult at home alone.
Residents: Please call the Sheriff's
Office if you believe there may be an underage party with alcohol. While
there is no law prohibiting underage people from hosting or attending
lawful parties, your awareness may help prevent an unpleasant and
unintended situation for your neighbors.
Teen Driving Reminders
Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for U.S. teens,
according to the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention. In an effort to reduce teen driving
deaths, Colorado enacted graduated driver licensing laws. The
following recap of teen driving laws is excerpted from the CDOT website.
Passenger Restrictions
Teens driving with a permit:
- No
passengers other than a driving instructor, parent, legal guardian or
a licensed adult 21 years of age or older (authorized by
parent/guardian).
Teens driving with a license:
- For the
first six months, no passengers under 21, unless a parent or other licensed
adult driver is in the vehicle.
- For the next
six months, one passenger under age 21 (unsupervised)Siblings and
passengers with medical emergencies are exceptions.
- At any time,
no more than one passenger is allowed in the front seat.
Cell Phones and Texting
Teens under age 18 are prohibited from using a cell phone
while driving. Teens can be fined and may risk losing their
license. Exceptions include emergency calls to the police or fire
department. Texting while driving is illegal for drivers of any age.
Curfew
For the first year as a licensed driver, teens must abide by a curfew -
no driving between midnight and 5 a.m. unless accompanied by an instructor,
parent or legal guardian. Exceptions include: driving to/from school/work
(signed statement from school/work required), medical emergencies and
emancipated minors.
Alive at 25
Younger drivers have little experience behind the wheel, and
when you factor in the many distractions they can face - like cell phones
or peer passengers - practicing safe, defensible driving becomes even more
difficult.
The Sheriff's Office is a proud participant in the Colorado
State Patrol's Alive at 25 program. Deputies and state troopers serve
as instructors, teaching young people driver awareness in a four-hour
classroom setting. You do not need to have a driver's permit or
license to attend. Learn more at aliveat25.us.
Youth and Law Enforcement
Historically, the relationship between teens and law
enforcement has often been antagonistic. Often their only contact
occurs when the teen is in trouble. We're striving to change that
each day through the proactive work of our school resource officers, as
well as our participation in programs and events like Take It to the Track,
Safe2Tell, the new Youth Academy and the
Cops vs. Kids
basketball game tradition. Through these activities we're able to make more
positive connections with young people in a relaxed setting, and encourage
them to make good decisions. Learn more about our youth-oriented
programs at www.jeffcosheriff.com.
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Learn
More About Crime and Corrections in Your County
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 The Sheriff's Office annual report (PDF)
provides a recap of our agency's activities, major events and crime
trends over the last year, as well as year-to-year comparisons of crime and
traffic statistics.
The report also reflects the 150-year anniversary of the
Jefferson County Sheriff's Office with photos from yesterday and today.
"No one could have predicted the sweeping changes this
law enforcement agency would see between 1859 and 2009. What was once
a man, a gun and a horse is now a modern law enforcement agency of over 800
men and women, using tools like DNA analysis, crime mapping,
dashboard-mounted laptops and iris scanners to carry out its mission of
public safety." -- Ted Mink
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Do
You Have the Power of the Safety Kid?
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 We invite families to check out our new Safety
Kids videos on YouTube, presented by
child safety ambassador Joyce Nelson. The videos provide guidance to
children from preschool to 5th grade on issues like:
- What to do
if you get lost
- Checking
first before you go anywhere with anyone
- Bullying
- Good touch/bad
touch
- Reporting
dangerous or hurtful things
Filmed in short, easy-to-digest episodes, these videos are
great for parents and children to watch alone or together.
Joyce visits schools, day care centers and scout groups
throughout the county, sharing her safety tips. For these
videos, we got a little help from the wonderful kids at the Wooden
Shoe day care center in Westminster!
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Coffee
With a Cop: Pull Up a Chair!
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 A new series of walk-in community meetings called Coffee With a Cop began
in spring 2010. These informal events are opportunities
for Jeffco residents to speak one-on-one with our agency's command
staff, and ask questions about crime and quality-of-life issues in their
neighborhoods or on the roadways.
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The
monthly "Behind the Badge" column is written on or before the
20th of each month by Sheriff Ted Mink of the Jefferson County Sheriff's
Office, in Golden, Colorado. It features information and tips for
local residents regarding crime prevention, crime trends, public safety and
quality-of-life issues.
The
column is distributed to Jefferson County homeowner associations,
Neighborhood Watch captains, Business Watch participants and local
news media. Please contact us with questions or comments at aburns@jeffco.us.
View
previous posts by visiting the Behind the Badge archive here.
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