'Strike Force' Formed In Douglas County With Community, Voter Safety In Mind
DOUGLAS COUNTY, Colo. (CBS4)- As Election night nears, the excitement is building in Colorado and across the country. For some there's also an uneasy feeling that is hard to ignore.
"Emotions are high considering how people behave after sports games," one Douglas County voter said. "The costs are pretty high when it comes to the election."
"I believe that the country is polarized," another voter told CBS4.
With those concerns in mind, Douglas County Sheriff Tony Spurlock and police chiefs from Castle Rock, Parker and Lone Tree are forming what's called a "strike force."
The hope is to ensure community safety leading up to the election and in the days following.
"It's a force multiplier for everyone. We have 84 officers that are attached to this and will work over that 5-day period of time. Their assignment really will be working toward the public safety issues surrounding the election," Spurlock said.
He says working with multiple agencies allows them to have the needed resources on hand without impacting day-to-day operations.
While Spurlock hopes they're not needed, he knows things can change in an instant.
"This really is about being preventive but also about being prepared. We saw what happened in the Denver metro area with peaceful protesting turning into criminal behavior where there's violence," he said.
Voters CBS4 spoke with support the idea for security reasons, "I think it's a smart move to be prepared."
But also to bring back focus on the excitement of election night, "I love our country and I love our democracy."
The sheriff said the team is scheduled to be on the election assignment for five days, but they will re-evaluate as often as possible.
