Gunnison police chief reports higher call volume, warns of recurring fraud schemes

The Gunnison police chief briefed the council on department activity, saying call volume in April was about 30% higher than the department’s recent average and describing the types of incidents that contributed to the uptick.

The chief summarized several fraud patterns affecting local residents: impersonation or romance scams in which a purported foreign actor or “prince” pressures victims to withdraw cash at multiple ATMs, and aggressive cons staged at gas stations that ask for large sums in exchange for forged travel documents. “They will say, ‘oh, I’m a prince’ … they need $1,600 … an individual went to multiple ATMs,” the chief said, describing the recurring mode of operation.

The chief also reported two assaults during the month and a stolen vehicle that was recovered in Salt Lake. The department made roughly eight arrests during the reporting period; some arrests were handled by screening with the district attorney’s office rather than formal booking. The chief said department accreditation paperwork has been completed and staff are working through the remaining documentation.

Why it matters: the spike in calls and the described fraud schemes indicate public-safety issues that may require outreach or preventive messaging to residents, particularly those vulnerable to impersonation scams. The chief offered to provide details on specific incidents to council members upon request.

Next steps: no formal council action was taken. The chief offered to follow up with specifics if council members have questions.