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New Monte Vista police chief outlines staffing shortfalls and workload in 60-day update
Summary
The police chief reported staffing levels, call volumes and operational priorities after 60 days on the job: roughly 661 service calls per month, one detective handling heavy investigative workload, supervisor vacancies, and plans to advertise vacancies and update policies and evidence management.
Monte Vista —5 March 5, 2026 —5 In a 60-day assessment to the City Council, the Monte Vista police chief said the department handled about 2,000 calls for service over three months (roughly 661 calls per month, or about 22 calls per day) and described staffing shortfalls and operational pressure on investigations and records management.
The chief said the department—s current staffing includes a chief, one detective, two corporals, eight patrol officers, two sergeants (one vacancy), one administrative staff member and vacant code-enforcement and officer positions. The chief said that limited supervisory coverage and a single detective create a heavy follow-up workload and that patrol officers are frequently pulled from routine patrol to handle investigative tasks.
Operational challenges identified in the presentation included outdated policy manuals, property/evidence custody issues that need resolution, high administrative burdens on patrol, and the need to rebuild supervision and training. The chief said policy and procedure updates are underway and that announcements for three open positions (police sergeant, police officer, code enforcement) were expected soon to restore capacity.
Why it matters Staffing and investigative capacity affect response times, follow-up investigations and the department—s ability to address property crimes, shoplifting and other repeat calls. The chief also told council that regional partnerships, including with the Colorado Bureau of Investigation and federal agencies, are providing additional investigative support.
What comes next The chief said the department will begin advertising for vacancies, pursue policy and evidence-management updates, and continue regional coordination. Council and staff scheduled a follow-up work session to discuss police reorganization and court enforcement options, and an executive session was requested for attorney—lient privileged matters related to court enforcement.
Provenance - topicintro: SEG 1066 (chief begins 60-day overview) - topfinish: SEG 1425 (end of chief—s report and follow-up questions)
Speakers This article is based on the police chief—s presentation and council follow-up recorded in the meeting transcript.
