Interview With the Public Informant from the Weld County Sheriffs Office
Since the start of COVID-19, life has become very challenging for everybody. Everyone knows that students at all levels of education have had to become acquainted with online school, restaurants and bars have had to close or change their hours of operation, and many individuals are facing severe financial challenges due to a lack of employment. That being said, many individuals have turned to theft in attempts to pay rent and keep food on their families tables. But what does this pandemic mean for law enforcement? According to the Weld County Sheriff’s public informant, Joe Moylan, a lot has changed
“In an effort to maintain certain social distancing guidelines in the Weld County Jail in accordance with CDC recommendations, the sheriff’s office has implemented some temporary changes to our operations. Before the pandemic, we had about 850–875 inmates incarcerated at the jail. We are now running a daily average of about 450 to provide opportunities for inmates to social distance,” said Moylan.
Moylan goes on to explain how this reduction is only possible due to the county amending their arrest standards. The Weld County Sheriff’s Office has asked its law enforcement officers not to bring suspects to jail unless a period of incarceration is mandated by the state statue. What this means is that Weld county law enforcement is not booking suspects of petty offences, misdemeanors or non-violent felonies.
With some individuals turning to crime, the crime rate in Greeley has begun to rise since the start of COVID-19. According to the Greeley police department, this year 294 vehicles have been stolen and many just for their tires. Thankfully, 235 of those vehicles have been returned, and it’s not just cars being stolen. The Weld county sheriff’s office has also noticed an uptick in auto thefts regarding trailers and power tools from construction sites.
“Trailers are particularly popular with thieves because they tend to contain lots of items, such as tools, that are easily resold on consumer marketplace websites like Craigslist. Also, most tools — hand tools all the way up to small power tools such as drills and saws — do not feature an individual serial number, which makes them almost impossible to track and recover,” said Moylan.
The Weld County Sheriff’s Office doesn’t believe there is one singular reason for the increase in crime, but individuals suffering from a lack of income has contributed to many individuals resorting to petty crimes to make ends meet. The sheriff’s office also acknowledges career criminals and though it wasn’t publicized, word still gets around that PD isn’t booking individuals for petty crimes if they are caught. Moylan goes on to talk about how even when these petty criminals are caught, they walk away with a court summons and are free to continue their endeavors.
“There’s a lot more incentive to break the law right now than there are measures in place to prevent it,” said Moylan.
So how can University of Northern Colorado students and Greeley residents keep themselves and their valuables safe from these petty thieves? Tune in for tomorrow’s piece about some simple and effective ways you can keep yourself and others safe.
For more information about The Neighborhood Watch of Greeley, go to:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/450545431815920
For more information about the Greeley Police Department, go to:
For more information about the Weld county Sheriff’s office, go to:
