Heather Willard / NewsBreak Denver / April 25, 2023
(Parker, Colo.) As more people make Douglas County their home, local police departments employ more tactics to ensure everyone stays safe.
Parker police officers spent April 19 cracking down on speeding and traffic infractions resulting in about 120 stops. During the saturation period, not all stops ended with tickets, as officers sought to educate residents on what they did wrong and why they should change their behavior.
According to Parker Police Officer Trevor Casey, the increase of people in Parker has led to road congestion and more traffic complaints as a result. Although the complaints are mainly about speeding, red lights, and other traffic infractions, officers are serious about cracking down on poor driving habits.
“We definitely take (LetsTalk reports) to heart,” said Casey. “It kind of gives us a way to line up with the community and it’s helping us a lot.”
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Douglas County’s population grew 5% from April 1, 2020, to July 1, 2022 — amounting to approximately 72,500 new residents in the last decade. Castle Rock, DougCo’s biggest municipality, has grown approximately 4.6% between April 2020 and July 2021, rising in population from approximately 48,200 residents to over 73,000 residents.
U.S. Census data shows over 13,200 new residents moved into Parker between 2010 and 2020, and an estimated additional 2,000 residents may have entered the town by July 1, 2021 for an approximately 3.1% population growth.
“We’re blowing up, and there’s definitely a lot more vehicles interacting on the road,” Casey said. “With us getting out there and stopping traffic violations, we’re able to educate and sometimes cite if the violation is excessive.”
To help ensure residents’ reports are received and reviewed, the Parker Police Department implemented interactive, online maps that compile all resident complaints. Residents who make an account can report a range of traffic complaints on letstalkparker.org. The pins allow officers to follow up with investigation or implement heavier patrols in the area.
Casey noted that younger generations are more online, and social media provides a unique communication avenue. He called the online reporting site an aspect of the department’s outreach to the younger community.
“They love (LetsTalk),” Casey said. “In Parker, we have such a great relationship with our community, and our residents are always telling us great job and to work on this or that — it’s just a great sense of community.”
So far this year, the Parker Police have conducted over 1,000 traffic stops — up 5% from last year. However, crashes are down by about 5%, and there have been no road fatalities this year. Four individuals died on Parker’s roads in 2022.
Comments / 0