Douglas County Sheriff's Office

Help us take a bite out of crime (not the candy like Deputy Falkner!) Here are some important safety tips to keep in mind as you head out for trick-or-treating: •Stay Visible: Make sure costumes have reflective elements or carry a flashlight. Glow sticks are a fun and safe way to help kids stay visible. •Use Sidewalks & Crosswalks: Keep to well-lit sidewalks and cross streets at designated crosswalks. Watch for cars that may not see you! •Travel in Groups: Young kids should be with a responsible adult, and older kids are safer when they trick-or-treat in groups. •Inspect Treats: Check candy and treats before eating them to ensure they’re safe and sealed. •Costume Safety: Choose costumes that fit well to avoid trips and falls. Masks should not obstruct vision, and accessories should be soft and flexible. •Drive with Extra Caution: Drivers, please slow down in neighborhoods and watch for trick-or-treaters! Our team will be out and about helping to keep the community safe. #HonorServiceValor

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and some of our own at the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office are courageously sharing their personal stories and journeys with breast cancer. #DCSO Budget Analyst Debbie Millington said, “Breast cancer awareness is really important to me. It has hit my family very hard. My mother, grandmother and four aunts passed of breast cancer. My mother-in-law also had breast cancer, but thank goodness she survived it by early detection. Obviously, I am at a high risk, and my daughter even more so since breast cancer is on both sides of the family. Breast Cancer Awareness is such an important cause, not only for our family, but for people of this organization that are also suffering from cancer. I just really believe that if we can get a cure for breast cancer, it can really go a long way in curing all types of cancer.” In the meantime, let’s support our staff who are fighting cancer.

Thank you, Douglas County! This past weekend, you safely dropped off 707 pounds of unwanted or expired prescription medications at our #DrugTakeBack event. You are helping to keep our community safe and protecting our environment from potentially harmful substances. If you missed out, you can drop of unused prescription medication at our substation during regular business hours. 9250 Zotos Drive, Highlands Ranch, CO. #HonorServiceValor

Behind the Badge • Meet DCSO • Chaplain Tim Ralph Chaplain Tim Ralph joined the Sheriff’s Office in 2008 as a volunteer chaplain with the Victims Assistance program. He is from Minneapolis, Minnesota, where he started “ministry” right out of college as a police chaplain for the Minneapolis Police and Hennepin County Sheriff. He later moved to Colorado for what was supposed to be a short-term job in construction. However, after the job ended, he decided to bring his family out and stay for good. Chaplain Ralph officially became an employee of the Sheriff’s Office in 2013, where he received his POST certification and built the agency’s Chaplaincy program from the ground up. Today, the program partners with the Wellness Unit and Peer Support, providing top-notch assistance to the sheriff's office's employees and families. Together, the program is known as one of the best in the region, if not the country… but we aren’t biased or anything. Chaplin Ralph says, “Being a deputy has been a very rewarding part of my life along with the education into law enforcement that I have been privileged to have. What I love most is being a chaplain. He went on to say that he enjoys the fact that there is no routine day for a chaplain. He can come to work with a plan for the day and end up doing something completely different. Law enforcement is not Chaplain Ralph's only passion. He also spent 27 years as a Larkspur Firefighter and 38 years as a local church pastor. Chaplain Ralph says he likes to do “mindless” things around his property in his free time. Living on a property with a 150-year-old farmhouse keeps him busy, but it is doing those things that he enjoys most. In fact, his experience in construction helped him completely remodel his home when he moved in. When asked if there was one thing he wished he could share with everyone, Chaplain Ralph stated the importance of taking care of all “four pillars” in one's life: spiritual, physical, emotional, and social. Thank you, Chaplain Ralph, for everything you have done and continue to do for our #DCSO family and for the community!

🎃 Happy #NationalPumpkinDay from Olive! 🎃 Olive, #DCSO’s therapy dog for the Community Response Team, is paws-itively thrilled to celebrate National Pumpkin Day with all of you! She found the perfect pumpkin display to show off her autumn spirit and is here to remind everyone to stay safe this during this spooky season! 🍂🐾 📸: Deputy Zepeski

Never a dull day on the job at #DCSO. We need to be prepared for anything. Several weeks ago, #DCSO deputies responded to a disturbance call. It was reported that someone was in the middle of the street, possibly experiencing a mental breakdown. Deputies got to the scene quickly and secured the person. During the incident, deputies noticed a suspicious box behind the subject's car. The subject repeatedly made suspicious statements about the box, which led deputies to request the Bomb Team respond to the scene. After an initial examination of the box, it was decided to evacuate the immediate neighbors so that the bomb team could render the box safe. Thankfully, they determined that nothing was suspicious inside the box. We are so blessed to have personnel with the necessary training to ensure our community's safety, no matter the circumstances. #HonorServiceValor

Neighbors helping neighbors. Yesterday, the Douglas County helicopter was called in to help put out a fast-moving grass fire in Elbert County . No structures were damaged. It was a Wildland Fire Team training day, so deputies and team members were able to respond quickly.

Public service at its finest. Every little bit of help goes a long way. #DCSO Deputy Holl and his clinician, Catherine, part of HEART(Homeless Engagement, Assistance and Resource Team), were connected with this mother and her children. Mom had left Texas to get away from an abusive relationship. She found herself in Colorado in hopes of a better life for herself and her children. Unfortunately, her car broke down, and she did not have enough money for housing; they ended up living out of the car and a tent. While she wanted to stay in Colorado, she knew that she needed more family support and decided to return to Texas and stay with other family members. We helped repair her car and got her some funds to make the trip back. We are very proud of Deputy Holl, Catherine, and the rest of our HEART units for all the good they do in Douglas County.

How cute is she?? Olive, our #DCSO Community Response Team Therapy pup, is sporting her best pink in honor of #BreastCancerAwarenessMonth. Happy Wednesday, Douglas County.

🏀With the NBA season about to start, we wanted to share this special moment when Sheriff Weekly got to meet local hometown champion Derrick White who won a championship with Boston Celtics and followed it up with a Team USA gold medal in the Paris Olympics. Little known fact: Sheriff Weekly was a huge Celtics fan growing up, so this was a memorable moment for him. The Sheriff is now a Nuggets fan, but will always cheer for this hometown kid!