Pueblo sheriff expands municipal bookings, warns city of jail costs and staffing limits

Sheriff Dave Lucero told the Pueblo City Council on March 17 that the Pueblo County Jail has opened limited new misdemeanor booking categories to help city police, but that bed capacity, staffing shortages and growing costs pose limits to how far the county can expand that support.

Lucero said the county in 2025 began accepting certain municipal-level misdemeanor charges that the jail had not accepted in recent years. He said the sheriff’s office will accept unlawful carrying of a concealed weapon, unlawful possession of a weapon, prohibited use of weapons, possession of defaced firearms, theft of $300 or more and criminal mischief of $300 or more. He also said the jail will accept municipal defendants when the officer documents multiple recent priors ("if they in a calendar year, an offender ... had 3 priors that we would accept them into the jail").

The changes are a response to concerns presented by the city about rising thefts, vandalism and repeat offenders in commercial corridors. Lucero described the policy as a measured step: "I went back and looked to see where I could help and what I could do. And I was able to agree in 2025 to these misdemeanor charges ... those were the misdemeanor crimes that ... I was able to address." He said the sheriff’s office will continue to evaluate how accepting…