Re-Accreditation 

The Vail Police Department earned a CALEA re-accreditation in 2020. It is an achievement that speaks highly of the VPD's efforts to maintain the public's confidence and validate its exceptional standards.

Accreditation is a voluntary process for Colorado law enforcement agencies to demonstrate their adherence to 186 policing standards.

About CALEA

The Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. (CALEA), was created in 1979 as a credentialing authority through the joint efforts of law enforcement's major executive associations:

• International Associations of Chiefs of Police (IACP)
• National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives (NOBLE)
• National Sheriffs' Association (NSA)
• Police Executive Research Forum (PERF)

The Vail Police Department investigates all complaints. Complaints are generated through our internal audits or by citizens. At the conclusion of any professional standards investigation, the disposition will be one of the following findings:

• Sustained when misconduct occurred.
• No sustained when an allegation is unsubstantiated.
• Unfounded when the allegation is false or did not involve the employee named.
• Exonerated when the employee acted lawfully and properly.
• Within policy.

In 2020 there were zero incidents of misconduct, compared to six in 2019 of which three were reported by citizen and three internally.

Related Vail Police Policies

Policy 320 Standards of Conduct

Policy 338 Public Safety Video Surveillance

Policy 805 Protected Information

Policy 1010 Personnel Complaints

Training Policy

 Our department's policy is to provide each and every employee an opportunity for growth and development and ensure they are the most qualified and well-trained of any resort police department in the nation. Levels of training are significant and training plans are reviewed with each employee to ensure their skills and decision-making abilities are where they should be.

Each supervisor has participated in the Leadership in Police Organization Program; a training based on a program developed at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. Coursework focuses on the leadership process and the role a leader plays in influencing behavior of individuals to achieve organizational goals, serve the public and develop future leaders.

The Vail Police Department puts special emphasis on training, not just for officers but for all personnel involved in the operations of the Department. Twice a year, in the Spring and the Fall, all police and code enforcement officers attend four days of comprehensive training classes ranging in subjects from accident investigation and defensive tactics to mental health first aid and swift water safety.

VPD's Training Focus:

• In-Custody Death Prevention
• Implicit Bias and Policing
• Proper Restraints and Holds
• Fair and Impartial Policing
• Community Policing
• De-escalation
• Crisis Intervention
• Less Lethal Force Option
• Minimizing Use of Force & Proper Holds and Restraints
• Ethical and Effective Policing
• Anti-Bias Training

The Vail Police Department prides itself in employing a quality workforce that is adept at serving a global community and working in an international resort. Employees must be resourceful, open-minded, and interpersonal. They must treat all people with courtesy, fairness, respect and professionalism.

 Our recruiting strategy focuses on drawing in people from all walks of life without regard to age, gender, race, ethnicity or country of origin. Our Administrative Commander and Community Liaison Sergeant are working towards increasing our diversity. Currently, 13% of officers and 59% of civilians are women and 12% of employees are visible minorities.

New Hires

It takes 30 weeks from the time an officer is given a conditional employment offer until they are on the streets solo. During that time the new hire will spend two weeks in orientation, 12 weeks in a police academy, and 16 weeks in a field training program.

Click here for Town of Vail job listings including for the Vail Police Department.

Related Vail Police Policy

Policy 1000 Recruitment and Selection

It is clear that the health epidemic within the law-enforcement sector is of extreme concern especially in new generations of Law Enforcement Officers (LEOs). As the duties required of LEOs increase and tensions rise within the sociopolitical climate of policing, stress placed upon LEOs will continue to mount. While this is an inherent part of the job, the physical manifestations of this kind of stress is something that can be mitigated if proper focus is placed on intervention strategies proven to be most effective at all levels of need within the law-enforcement community.

All employees of the Vail Police Department and the Vail Public Safety Communications Center Center are enrolled in the Sigma Law Enforcement Heath Initiative. SIGMA, a health consultancy company founded by Craig Bettis, a prior Vail Police Commander, and exercise physiologist Dr. Ben Stone, use a three-pronged approach of advanced metabolic testing, precision nutrition and complete laboratory analysis.

Used by many police departments throughout Colorado, SIGMA's Tactical Health Program serves as a conduit of information for emergency response personnel subjected to extreme occupational demands with the aim of improving one's health status via physical, nutritional and medical means.

Click here to see an infographic on the VPD's Wellness and Resiliency Program.

The Vail Police Department implemented a body worn camera program in January 2016.  The VPD's draft policy was immediately revised to include the requirements from the Colorado Legislature and Colorado District Attorney's Council reports, released in February 2016, on the use of body worn cameras.  

The VPD has also equipped marked patrol cars with Mobile Audio Video (MAV) recording systems to provide records of events and assist officers in the performance of their duties.

Related Vail Police Policies

Policy 424 Portable Audio Video Recorders

Policy 422 Mobile Audio Video

Colorado Senate Bill 20-217

For SB 20-217, Colorado's Enhance Law Enforcement Integrity Bill, we established new procedures for required data collection on officer-initiated contacts and reviewed compliance of the bill's provision.

In June, Colorado legislators passed the Enhance Law Enforcement Integrity Act following nationally publicized cases of police brutality. The State becomes the the first in the nation to eliminate qualified immunity as a defense for officers if state civil rights laws are violated.

Previously, under the qualified immunity doctrine, officers were not subject to personal liability for incidents if acting in good faith and in accordance to Colorado law and department policy.

Passage of this landmark bill has propelled law enforcement everywhere to look, if they had not done so already, at their governance, use of force policies and accountability for police conduct, agency practices and the protection of civil liberties.

The Vail Police Department's policies are continuously revised and amended as case law and statutes evolve.

In the case of SB217, the VPD only had to make minor changes to its policies and immediately trained members on these changes.

Significant Policing Reforms in SB217

• Banning of chokeholds.
• Banning of the use of deadly force in non-violent offenses.
• Mandate to collect data on officer-initiated contracts and report to state and federal agencies.
• Mandate to report officer names to a nationwide database who  are decertified, terminated or who have resigned while under investigation.
• Directives for use of body-worn cameras and release of footage.
• Establishment of a legal basis for contacting someone required.

 Related Vail Police Policies

Policy 300 Use of Force

Policy 301 Use of Force Review Board

Policy 303 Control Devices and Techniques

Policy 305 Officer-Involved Shootings

Governance and Accountability

The Vail Town Charter establishes the Town Manager as the Chief Executive and Administrative Officer of the town. The Town Manager is appointed by the Town Council and serves at the pleasure of the Council. Article 6.3 of the Town Charter encumbers the Town Manager with the proper administration of all affairs of the town placed in their charge.

The department utilizes Lexipol's policy and training management software: the Knowledge Management System (KMS). In order to ensure that the generalized policies are appropriately modified for Vail, a policy review committee discusses potential impacts of the updates and makes recommendations for approval and implementation. Officers review policy scenarios daily at shift briefings to ensure understanding.

Police Chief

The Vail Police Chief reports to the Town Manager and leads Administrative, Operations and Communications Divisions. They coordinate community relations, strategic planning, fiscal management, technological developments, organizational efficiencies and problem-solving approaches.

Deputy Chief

The Vail Police Deputy Chief follows and supports the Vail Police Chief in their duties and responsibilities. They oversee the Operations and Investigations Commanders, ensuring communication between all divisions of the department.

Operations Commander

The Operations Commander leads a field branch of patrol, investigations and code enforcement officers, They perform a variety of duties including calls for service, education and enforcement of criminal codes, investigations, crime scene collection, arrests, traffic accident investigation, traffic enforcement, road safety, proactive and preventative patrol, public order measures, and general community and interagency activities.

Investigations Commander

The Investigations Commander leads the Investigations Team, Administrative Division and Volunteer Team and is responsible for the following functions:

• Professional Standards
• Accreditation
• Budgeting
• Drug and Alcohol Abuse Prevention
• Mental Health Issues
• Demand Reduction
• Grants
• Planning and Research
• Auditing
• Training
• Hiring
• Recruiting
• Reserve Program
• Building Maintenance and Administration
• Citizen's Police Academy
• Community Emergency Response Team

VPSCC

The Vail Public Safety Communications Center is part of the Vail Police Department and is funded through a consortium of the Eagle County 911 Authority and 12 user agencies. The 911 Authority contributes the largest share of funds. Remaining funds are allocated to user agencies based upon the percentage of the total number of calls for services averaged over the past three years. In 2016 the Town of Vail's share was 34%.

We are grateful for the solid support and collaborations with the community, Town Officials and our government and non-governmental partners.  Below are some of our flagship programs.

Eagle County Law Enforcement Immigration Alliance

Since 2010 LEIA has united local law enforcement leaders from incorporated municipalities in Vail, Eagle and Avon, along with the Eagle County Sheriff's Office, with community partners such as Catholic Charities, Bright Future Foundation, Salvation Army, and Eagle County Schools, in support of cooperation, communication and trust-building between law enforcement and our immigrant communities. LEIA members meet regularly to plan and conduct outreach and educational events, fostering good relationships across cultures.

The Eagle County Law Enforcement Immigrant Advisory Initiative is helping to reverse the immigrant community's skepticism of law enforcement in the country. This innovative, award-winning program focuses on strategies to foster strong affiliations between police and the immigrant community. Outreach work includes a coat drive, community-oriented educational sessions, volunteer interpreter program, open forums, victim assistance, visits by consulates, a frequently asked questions brochure and resource guides. An outcome of the alliance's success is a decrease in the percentage of Hispanics victimized from 18.3% in 2017 to 16.5% in 2020 as compared to the total service population.

Co-Response

Integral to a co-responder mode is the relationship between members of law enforcement, paramedics and behavioral health professionals who all share a common goal: to keep individuals in a mental health crisis from being incarcerated or from being admitted to an emergency room. In Vail and Eagle County a coordinated response to the mental health crisis is helping to provide the best outcome for individuals. In 2020, the Vail Police , Eagle County Paramedic Services, the Hope Center and Eagle Valley Behavioral Health handled over 23 emergency calls utilizing mental health resources. 

Drug Task Force

The Gore Range Narcotics Interdiction Team (GRANITE), comprised of Vail Police Officers and Eagle County Sheriff Deputies, is a vital component of the battle against drugs in the region. GRANITE continues to disrupt established criminal networks and target individuals involved in the illicit drug market. As a testament to GRANITE's on-going task force successes, the Drug Enforcement Administration is assigned a full-time DEA agent to GRANITE in February 2018.

Although the unit's primary focus is drug investigation, they also help support patrol services as needed by backfilling shifts and by working high crime pattern activity such as theft assessments and plain clothes operations to monitor dangers associated with domestic terrorism.

Explorer Program

Sworn staff from Vail Police Department, Avon Police Department, Eagle Police Department and the Eagle County Sheriff's Office provide an overview of the law enforcement profession to young adults between the ages of 14 and 21. The program is aimed at prompting critical thinking skills and building character.

Collaborative Interstate Initiatives

Average traffic volumes on Interstate 70 through Vail reach 36,000 vehicles daily. The goals and strategies to maintain safe roadways, even under difficult circumstances like heavy traffic volumes, adverse weather conditions and avalanches, have been laid out in the Colorado Department of Transportation's and Colorado State Patrol's Traffic Incident Management Plan for Eagle County. 

The Vail Police work with the Colorado State Patrol and the Colorado Department of Transportation to target road safety, improve the safety of chain-up areas and  traffic incident management on Interstate 70.

Safe Bar Campaign

Vail Officers meet with restaurateurs and with owners and employees of the bar district to reinforce the message of responsible service of liquor and the consequences of failing to manage high occupancy and disorder.

After several years of implementing our 2016-2020 strategic plan the Vail Police Department began a new strategic planning process with the help of Civic Canopy, a community-based nonprofit focused on connecting diverse groups of people and equipping them with tools to create meaningful and lasting impact.

Vail Police Strategic Plan

We Pledge To:

• Inspire a strong affiliation with our community.
• Protect life and property.
• Divert mentally ill individuals away from the criminal justice system.
• Reduce harm on roadways.
• Address the challenges of serving a major resort town.
• Prioritize the health and resiliency of our employees.