Frederick Voters Approved Sales Tax Increase to Support Police Department

In November of 2019, Frederick voters approved a sales tax increase to support the Frederick Police Department. The increase, which went into effect on January 1, 2020, has generated additional revenue for the department each year.

The additional revenue has funded a number of initiatives, including:

• The hiring of additional police officers and supervisors
• The purchase of new safety equipment and police vehicles
• Improvement of the department's technology infrastructure
• The expansion of community outreach programs

The Frederick Police Department is committed to providing the highest level of service to the community. The additional funding from the sales tax increase has allowed the department to continue to meet this commitment and ensure the safety of all Frederick residents.

How the Sales Tax Increase Has Helped

The sales tax increase has positively impacted the Frederick Police Department. First, it allows the department to hire additional police officers and supervisors. This is a critical need, as the department faced staffing shortages for several years. With more officers on the force, the department can better respond to calls for service and improve community safety.

Second, the sales tax increase allows the department to purchase new safety equipment and police vehicles. This is important, as any outdated equipment in the department should be replaced. New equipment makes The department better equipped to protect the community from crime.

Third, the sales tax increase will allow the department to improve its technology infrastructure. This is important, as the department relies on technology to track crime trends, investigate crimes, and communicate with the community. With improved technology, the department will be more efficient and effective in its crime-fighting efforts.

Fourth, the sales tax increase enables the department to expand its community outreach programs. These programs are important because they help build relationships between the police and the community. The department can better prevent crime and keep the community safe with expanded community outreach.

The sales tax increase is a positive step for the Frederick Police Department and the community. The additional funding allows the department to improve its services and keep the community safe.

Frederick Police Department Increases Staffing Levels

The Frederick Police Department is pleased to announce that we have increased our staffing by eight new police officer positions since passing the Public Safety Sales Tax initiative in 2020. These new positions allow us to serve our community better and keep our residents safe.

The Public Safety Sales Tax initiative provides the department with a revenue source to fund these new positions. This funding has allowed us to hire and train new officers and provide them with the necessary equipment and resources.

The addition of these new officers has positively impacted our department. We can now better respond to calls for service, investigate crimes more effectively, and prevent crime in our community.

We are grateful to the voters of Frederick for their support of the Public Safety Sales Tax initiative. This funding allows us to invest in our community's safety, and we are committed to providing our residents with the highest level of service.

Frederick Police Department Staffing Levels

* Support includes Property & Evidence Clerk, Chaplain, Crossing Guards, and Police Clerk.

Annual Public Safety Sales Tax Revenue:

2019: $0
2020: $1,593,922
2021: $2,028,624
2022: $2,737,584
2023: Budgeted Quarter 1: $547,375

Annual Public Safety Budgeted Expenditures:

2019: $3,379,442 
2020: $3,960,355 
2021: $4,211,176 
2022: $4,487,183 
2023: $6,377,100 

Equipment and programs funded by the Public Safety Sales Tax 

Enhanced Retirement Plan for Frederick Police Officers

• Annual Contributions: (2020: $131,038) (2021: $208,563) (2022: $290,320)
• Description of Program: This retirement plan permits police officers with the Town of Frederick to participate in the Fire and Police Pension Association (FPPA) Statewide Defined Benefit Retirement Plan.  Currently, police officers for the Town of Frederick participate in the Statewide Defined Benefit Plan for members affiliated with Social Security paying agencies. The 2020 legislation allows officers to move from the Social Security affiliated retirement plan to the full Statewide Defined Benefit plan. This change provides a much better retirement plan for current and future officers, allowing the Town to recruit and retain the best employees to serve the community.  Frederick will remain one of a handful of agencies that continues to pay into Social Security due to current federal law and decisions that were made by Frederick many years ago.  Officers began coverage under the new plan on January 1, 2021.      

Department Training Program

• Annual Training Budget: $65,000
• Description of Program: The Police Department has established general guidelines for identifying, conducting, and documenting training. The objectives of the training program are to enhance the level of law enforcement service to the public, increase the technical expertise and overall effectiveness of department members, provide for continued professional development of department members, and ensure compliance with POST rules and regulations concerning law enforcement training. 

Co-Responder Program 

• Annual contribution: $15,000 from the Frederick Police Department. The total program cost is shared between the Firestone Police Department, the Dacono Police Department, and the Mead Police Department.
• Description of Program: The Co-Responder program is a collaborative effort between law enforcement and mental health professionals at North Range Behavioral Health to provide a more effective and compassionate response to individuals experiencing mental health crises. The program involves pairing police officers with licensed mental health professionals, such as social workers or psychologists, who accompany them on calls involving individuals with mental health concerns. This program is cost-shared to lower each Town's financial impact while providing a valuable resource to the Carbon Valley and Mead communities.
   

Vehicle Fleet Program

• Average Monthly Lease per Vehicle:  $1,100
• Description of Program: Since 2020, the Frederick Police Department has added 15 vehicles to its fleet at $80,000 per vehicle. The fleet program allows the Town to maintain quality and dependable vehicles while expanding our mission to meet the community's growing needs.

Victim Assistance Program

• Annual contribution: $50,000 from the Frederick Police Department. The total program cost is shared between the Firestone Police Department, the Dacono Police Department, and the Mead Police Department.
• Description of Program: Before January 2023, the Frederick Police Department contracted with the Weld County Sheriff’s Office to provide state-mandated victim assistance. As of January 2023, the Weld County Sheriff’s Office eliminated the program to assist outside agencies. Therefore, the Frederick Police Department had to establish and manage its victim assistance program. This program is cost-shared to lower each Town's financial impact while providing a valuable resource to the Carbon Valley and Mead communities. 

Traffic Accident Reconstruction Team and Equipment 

• One-time Equipment Cost: $70,000
• Annual maintenance: $6,000 from the Frederick Police Department
• Description of Program: The Frederick Police Department, in conjunction with the Firestone Police Department, the Dacono Police Department, and the Mead Police Department, established a multi-jurisdictional traffic accident reconstruction team. The need for this specialized team was identified after state and regional assets weren’t as readily available to investigate traffic accidents involving serious bodily injury or death. To establish this team, several officers from the above-mentioned departments were selected based on their past training and experience in traffic accident reconstruction and appointed to the team. This team is an ongoing effort to train and properly equip highly skilled officers and afford them the ability to provide a high level of service to this area that wasn’t readily available in the past. The equipment purchased is a FARO machine, a type of 3D laser scanner used for traffic accident reconstruction and crime scene mapping. The scanner uses laser beams to capture millions of precise scene measurements, including the position of vehicles, debris, and other evidence. This data is then used to create a highly accurate 3D model, which can be used to analyze the factors that contributed to the crash or the crime being investigated.       

Upgrading Technology: Body Worn Cameras, Tasers, Virtual Reality Training

• Yearly Subscription Fee: $80,000
• Description of Program: The Frederick Police Department benefits from the new Axon Body Worn Cameras and the new Taser 7 in several ways. The Axon Body Worn Camera provides high-quality video and audio recording capabilities, which can be crucial in documenting interactions between police officers and members of the public. This technology also includes advanced features such as automatic activation and real-time streaming, which can improve officer safety and accountability. The new Taser 7 provides a more effective and reliable non-lethal force option, which can help reduce the use of deadly force when it is unnecessary. Additionally, the Taser 7 includes features that improve accuracy and effectiveness, such as improved range and multiple-shot capability. In addition to the Body Worn Camera and Taser, the Axon system and their new virtual reality training allow the officer to train with these tools virtually. This decreases the funding needed to replace inert or training cartridges and allows the officer to gain many more repetitions than in a traditional training setting. The VR simulator also provides officers with the ability to train in a different scenarios that include responding to mental health-related incidents and other incidents where de-escalation tactics can be used.    

Additional Less Lethal Options: Beanbag Shotguns

• Cost to outfit each patrol vehicle: $15,000
• Description of Equipment: The Frederick Police Department purchased a less-lethal shotgun to be placed in every patrol vehicle to allow every available officer to have as many less-lethal options as possible at any given moment. A less-lethal beanbag shotgun is a type of firearm that is designed to fire beanbag rounds as a means of incapacitating a suspect without causing lethal harm. When fired, the beanbag round significantly impacts the suspect, causing pain and disorientation, and can help to subdue the suspect without using deadly force.