{"id":807416,"date":"2020-05-13T19:45:00","date_gmt":"2020-05-14T01:45:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.summitdaily.com\/?p=383270"},"modified":"2020-05-13T19:45:00","modified_gmt":"2020-05-14T01:45:00","slug":"summit-county-law-enforcement-officials-praise-residents-response-to-public-health-orders","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/ksmt\/local-news\/summit-county-law-enforcement-officials-praise-residents-response-to-public-health-orders\/","title":{"rendered":"Summit County law enforcement officials praise residents\u2019 response to public health orders"},"content":{"rendered":"<figure class=\"wp-block-image p402_hide\">\n<div class=\"caption-container\">\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"684\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.summitdaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2020\/05\/Enforcement-SDN-051420-3-2-1024x684.jpg\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-post-image\" alt srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.summitdaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2020\/05\/Enforcement-SDN-051420-3-2-1024x684.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/cdn.summitdaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2020\/05\/Enforcement-SDN-051420-3-2-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cdn.summitdaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2020\/05\/Enforcement-SDN-051420-3-2-768x513.jpg 768w, https:\/\/cdn.summitdaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2020\/05\/Enforcement-SDN-051420-3-2-1536x1026.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/cdn.summitdaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2020\/05\/Enforcement-SDN-051420-3-2-2048x1367.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\"><\/p><figcaption><strong>In the background, a digital sign pictured Wednesday, May 13, encourages people to wear face masks. Summit County law enforcement officials, including those in Breckenridge, say residents have been largely compliant with the public health order.<\/strong><br \/><em>Jason Connolly \/ jconnolly@summitdaily.com<\/em><\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p>DILLON \u2014 It\u2019s been nearly two months since Summit County enacted its COVID-19 public health order, placing restrictions on businesses and gatherings, and later requiring residents to wear face coverings in public areas.<\/p>\n<p>Community members largely have risen to the challenge, according to officials. Local law enforcement leaders have maintained a position of <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"education over enforcement from the beginning (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/www.summitdaily.com\/news\/summit-county-law-enforcement-emphasize-education-over-punishment-for-health-order-violators\/\">education over enforcement from the beginning<\/a> and say residents have been open to adjusting their habits to meet requirements.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cEverybody in town has been fantastic,\u201d Breckenridge Police Chief Jim Baird said. \u201cWe have one-off cases here and there, but for the most part, everyone has been complying with public health orders and has been receptive when we point out they\u2019re not in compliance. Almost always, the cases we come across are because of a lack of knowledge.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Fifth Judicial District Attorney Bruce Brown noted that things have been quieter in Summit County than in neighboring areas in the district. He said three violations have come out of Eagle County so far, including an incident when a man in a grocery store <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"allegedly purposefully coughed on another customer\u2019s groceries (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/www.vaildaily.com\/news\/eagle-county-sheriffs-office-seeking-man-who-allegedly-coughed-on-groceries-at-edwards-village-market\/\" target=\"_blank\">allegedly purposefully coughed on another customer\u2019s groceries<\/a> after being asked to physically distance.<\/p>\n<div class=\"row\">\n<div class=\"col\" readability=\"6\">\n<div class=\"row sd-donation sd-donation-mobile p-0\" readability=\"7\">\n<div class=\"col-xl-4 p-2\">\n<div data-bg=\"url(https:\/\/cdn.summitdaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2020\/03\/SDN-logo-white-1.png)\" class=\"p-0 mt-2 mb-2 h-75 text-center rocket-lazyload\">\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.summitdaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2020\/03\/SDN-logo-white-1.png\" class=\"logo m-0 p-0 invisible\"><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><h3 class=\"d-inline mr-3\">Support Local Journalism<\/h3>\n<p><button class=\"btn d-inline\" type=\"button\" onclick=\"handleDonationButtonClickMidArticle()\">Donate<\/button><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Brown said he\u2019s working with law enforcement in Lake County to develop a hierarchy of enforcement, meant to provide guidance to officers dealing with individuals \u201cmore brazen about violating.\u201d The guide would essentially give police direction on how to handle different levels of violations, repeat offenders and more.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cLaw enforcement officers by instinct and training use their ability to exercise discretion to reflect the community,\u201d Brown said. \u201cBut now they\u2019re being tested to do it in a public health environment that is foreign to all of us. So this is some type of guidance. The last thing we want to do is try and police our way out of a public health crisis. Public health and public safety are different goals. It just so happens they do <a href=\"https:\/\/www.summitdaily.com\/news\/summit-county-courts-go-virtual-officials-work-to-reduce-prison-populations\/\">intersect in the age of coronavirus<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Those same needs haven\u2019t been voiced by Summit\u2019s law enforcement.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPeople have been compliant in Summit County,\u201d Brown said. \u201cThey\u2019re very vigilant in policing themselves and sometimes over vigilant in policing their neighbors.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"p402_hide\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\n<div class=\"caption-container\">\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.summitdaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2020\/05\/Enforcement-SDN-051420-5-1024x683.jpg\" alt class=\"wp-image-383278\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.summitdaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2020\/05\/Enforcement-SDN-051420-5-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/cdn.summitdaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2020\/05\/Enforcement-SDN-051420-5-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cdn.summitdaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2020\/05\/Enforcement-SDN-051420-5-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/cdn.summitdaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2020\/05\/Enforcement-SDN-051420-5-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/cdn.summitdaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2020\/05\/Enforcement-SDN-051420-5-2048x1365.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\"><\/p><figcaption><strong>A Summit County Sheriff\u2019s Office vehicle is parked in Dillon on Wednesday, May 13.<\/strong><br \/><em>Liz Copan \/ <a href=\"mailto:ecopan@summitdaily.com\">ecopan@summitdaily.com<\/a><\/em><\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>Brown is referring to individuals submitting complaints about issues that weren\u2019t legitimate public health order violations \u2014 something the county and its law enforcement agencies said was common.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cLast week, countywide we responded to 21 calls for service, and no citations or notices were issued,\u201d Sheriff Jaime FitzSimons said. \u201cIt kind of gives you a grasp of what people think they\u2019re seeing as violations. But when we get there to investigate, it\u2019s really not.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Officials pegged short-term rental violations as perhaps the most frequent complaint popping up. The county follows up on every complaint dealing with a specific property or business.<\/p>\n<p>Summit County Planning Department Director April Kroner said code enforcement or law enforcement officers visit short-term rental properties following complaints to ensure compliance but that bad actors are rare.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s typically a second-home owner doing some work on their home or a housekeeper doing some deep cleaning,\u201d Kroner said.<\/p>\n<p>Other common complaints deal with noncompliance in businesses, either in regard to a lack of physical distancing or mask enforcement. When a complaint about a business is received, county officials contact the store directly and follow up with an in-person visit from staff or law enforcement to ensure compliance.<\/p>\n<p>The county is also about to begin conducting random checks on businesses to make sure they\u2019re in compliance. Tanya Shattuck, who\u2019s overseeing the spot checks for the county, said they\u2019d include filling out a checklist of requirements \u2014 including mask and glove compliance among employees, social distancing between customers and more \u2014 and help to educate business owners when necessary.<\/p>\n<div class=\"p402_hide\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\n<div class=\"caption-container\">\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.summitdaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2020\/05\/Enforcement-SDN-051420-1-1024x732.jpg\" alt class=\"wp-image-383256\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.summitdaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2020\/05\/Enforcement-SDN-051420-1-1024x732.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/cdn.summitdaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2020\/05\/Enforcement-SDN-051420-1-300x215.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cdn.summitdaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2020\/05\/Enforcement-SDN-051420-1-768x549.jpg 768w, https:\/\/cdn.summitdaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2020\/05\/Enforcement-SDN-051420-1-1536x1099.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/cdn.summitdaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2020\/05\/Enforcement-SDN-051420-1-2048x1465.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\"><\/p><figcaption><strong>A sign lists new social distancing rules that are being enforced at Carter Park in Breckenridge on Wednesday, May 13.<\/strong><br \/><em>Jason Connolly \/ <a href=\"mailto:jconnolly@summitdaily.com\">jconnolly@summitdaily.com<\/a><\/em><\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>Assistant County Manager Sarah Vaine, who oversees the county\u2019s COVID-19 email service, said mask compliance among residents has become less of an issue as more signage at businesses and other areas improves. Though, complaints do remain and steps are being taken throughout the county to ensure community members are taking the policies seriously. Vaine said the county has given out thousands of masks and pamphlets to businesses and customers who weren\u2019t wearing masks.<\/p>\n<p>In Breckenridge, town staff members are working as ambassadors at public buildings and parks, hoping to educate community members about social distancing and face coverings.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe point of them being out there is to help educate, engage with people who might not know and give a little peace of mind to others in the parks and other facilities knowing there\u2019s someone there to focus on that,\u201d said Haley Littleton, Breckenridge\u2019s communications coordinator.<\/p>\n<p>Both Breckenridge and Frisco have adopted their own ordinances requiring face coverings in some public locations. By way of the county\u2019s public health order, <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"county residents are already required to wear masks (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/www.summitcountyco.gov\/DocumentCenter\/View\/28134\/Amended-public-health-order?bidId=\" target=\"_blank\">all county residents already are required to wear masks<\/a> in indoor public places and outdoors when 6 feet of separation can\u2019t be maintained.<\/p>\n<p>The town ordinances directly mirror the county\u2019s order, but town officials believe the move will help emphasize and show support for the policy.<\/p>\n<p>Frisco adopted its ordinance Tuesday evening. Baird said his department in Breckenridge has received just two calls regarding possible violations since the <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"Breckenridge ordinance was passed last week, (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/www.summitdaily.com\/news\/breckenridge-passes-ordinance-requiring-masks\/\">town ordinance was passed last week,<\/a> and no citations have been issued.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019ve responded more so the stores have a little bit of backing,\u201d Baird said. \u201cA lot of times, they\u2019d have to call us and say, \u2018We have a mask policy that somebody isn\u2019t abiding by,\u2019 and we end up going up there. Now it\u2019s an ordinance, as well. We\u2019ve seen large compliance with it since it\u2019s been in place.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Trailhead crowding and second-home owners arriving in Summit County make up most of the other complaints. And while second-home owners are allowed, <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"though discouraged by public health officials, (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/www.summitdaily.com\/news\/summit-county-urges-second-home-owners-to-stay-away\/\">though discouraged by public health officials<\/a> from making their way to the county, the increase in visitors over the weekend wasn\u2019t an illusion.<\/p>\n<div class=\"p402_hide\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\n<div class=\"caption-container\">\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.summitdaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2020\/05\/Enforcement-SDN-051420-4-1024x683.jpg\" alt class=\"wp-image-383280\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.summitdaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2020\/05\/Enforcement-SDN-051420-4-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/cdn.summitdaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2020\/05\/Enforcement-SDN-051420-4-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cdn.summitdaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2020\/05\/Enforcement-SDN-051420-4-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/cdn.summitdaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2020\/05\/Enforcement-SDN-051420-4-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/cdn.summitdaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2020\/05\/Enforcement-SDN-051420-4-2048x1365.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\"><\/p><figcaption><strong>Traffic from the Front Range heads west on Interstate 70 through the Eisenhower tunnel into Summit County on Wednesday, May 13.<\/strong><br \/><em>Liz Copan \/ <a href=\"mailto:ecopan@summitdaily.com\">ecopan@summitdaily.com<\/a><\/em><\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>According to traffic data from the Colorado Department of Transportation, the number of Front Range vehicles making their way west through the Eisenhower tunnel has steadily increased over the past three weekends from 14,110 (April 25-26) to 16,365 (May 2-3) to 20,160 (May 9-10). Additionally, a crude count of 468 cars on Summit trailheads last weekend represents the second highest total since at least the first weekend in April, according to the Summit County Sheriff\u2019s Office.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s unlikely the county can expect its normal number of visitors anytime this summer, but as restrictions around the state begin to loosen and summer holidays arrive, officials are prepping for an influx.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019re anticipating Memorial Day weekend will be heavier than all of them,\u201d said Capt. Jared Rapp, the local Colorado State Patrol commander. \u201cWith the increase in traffic and the safer-at-home order change, we\u2019re trying to stay ahead of the curve and make sure we\u2019ll be anticipating those increased traffic flows. We\u2019ll be increasing our presence as well.\u201d<\/p>\n<p> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.summitdaily.com\/news\/summit-county-law-enforcement-officials-praise-residents-response-to-public-health-orders\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">via:: Summit Daily<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In the background, a digital sign pictured Wednesday, May 13, encourages people to wear face masks. Summit County law enforcement officials, including those in Breckenridge, say residents have been largely compliant with the public health order.Jason Connolly \/ jconnolly@summitdaily.com DILLON \u2014 It\u2019s been nearly two months since Summit County enacted its COVID-19 public health order, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[99],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-807416","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-local-news"},"acf":[],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-07-11 05:06:38","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"KSMT The Mountain","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/ksmt","push-errors":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/ksmt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/807416","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/ksmt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/ksmt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/ksmt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/ksmt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=807416"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/ksmt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/807416\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/ksmt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=807416"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/ksmt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=807416"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/ksmt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=807416"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}