Q3 2026 LEA Report

JCSO Drone Unit helps firefighters find remote fire

After a storm moved through the Golden Gate Canyon area on July 8, multiple 911 callers reported seeing intermittent smoke west of Shiloh Farms. The source was initially unclear; the JCSO Drone Unit launched a drone and located smoke coming from a nearby peak, providing firefighters with exact GPS coordinates. Crews hiked to the area and found a smoldering tree and burned grass, believed to have been caused by a lightning strike. What would have taken ground crews several hours to locate, only took minutes with the drone. Additionally, JCSO drones have thermal imaging, which can help firefighters find hot spots that are still smoldering that may not be visible on the ground. Arvada Fire, Golden Gate Fire Protection District, Jeffco Open Space, JCSO deputies, Jeffcom 911 and the JCSO Drone Unit worked together to quickly locate and extinguish the fire before it could spread. The response highlighted the importance of public reporting, interagency coordination and technology during periods of high fire danger. JCSO Deputy Sadie Accashian, a drone operator, was interviewed by a local news station about the importance of this technology. "It's amazing to be part of a team where we can be one step above the game and help out to save the community," said Deputy Accashian. "Because that's our job, right? That's what we're here to do."

JCSO secures nearly $9.7 million for wildfire mitigation

The Jefferson County Sheriff's Office was awarded a nearly $9.7 million Community Wildfire Defense Grant from the U.S. Forest Service to strengthen wildfire mitigation and preparedness across the county. The five-year grant will expand the Sheriff's Office Wildland Fire Management Program. This includes supporting mitigation staff, equipment, roadside vegetation work along priority evacuation routes, homeowner incentives for defensible space and home hardening, wildfire education, training, and the Sustainable Lands and Safer Homes (SLASH) program. The funding will also support partnerships and training with fire districts and other local, state, and federal agencies working to reduce wildfire risk and better protect residents, homes, critical infrastructure, watersheds, and forests.

JCSO employees step up to help with wildfires

Colorado was one of several states that experienced devastating wildfires over the summer. The newly formed JCSO Wildland Fire Program was able to provide firefighters to support many of those incidents. The Emergency Services Section (ESS) also deployed several team members to fires in Colorado. But support from the JCSO extended far beyond the fire and ESS staff. Employees of the Sheriff's Office have the opportunity to volunteer for our Incident Management Team (IMT), regardless of their position within the organization. Members of the IMT are called to duty during major incidents to handle logistics, operations, public information, and whatever else may be needed. From fleet mechanic to building maintenance to GIS analyst to patrol deputy — IMT members stepped out of their normal roles and volunteered more than 3,000 hours to help with 11 fires in seven states. For two weeks, JCSO's Animal Control Unit helped evacuate and care for animals affected by the Aspen Acres Fire in southern Colorado.

Welcome to our new deputies

We are proud to officially welcome nine outstanding deputies from our 26-2 Detentions Academy to the JCSO family. These graduates have shown dedication, resilience, and teamwork throughout their training, and their hard work has paid off. As they step into their new roles, we look forward to seeing them serve our community with integrity and professionalism. Congratulations, deputies! We are proud of all you have accomplished and excited for what comes next. Ever thought about a career in law enforcement? Now is your chance!

National Night Out

On August 4, National Night Out (NNO) brought together neighbors, first responders, and plenty of friendly conversation. The JCSO attended 17 NNO events that happened throughout unincorporated Jefferson County. Spread out amongst the events were Sheriff Reggie Marinelli and members of our Animal Control Unit, Drone Unit, Emergency Management, Wildland Fire Management, Mounted Unit, Hazmat Team, Victim Services, and Patrol. Thank you to everyone who stopped by to visit with us. Strong neighborhoods are built one conversation, handshake, and tail wag at a time.

Shred-A-Thon

Each year, the JCSO partners with Denver Metro Crimestoppers to host a Shred-A-Thon event at our headquarters in Golden. This is a free way for the public to get rid of old paper records for safe disposal. For our event on August 1, we had 1,106 cars come through and people generously donated $11,183 to Crimestoppers.

Staffing the JCSO

As of September 30, the JCSO was 97.3% staffed with sworn personnel and 89.6% staffed with professional personnel (professional and fire staff combined). The annualized attrition rates through the third quarter were 14.5% for professional staff and 8.2% for sworn staff. Generally, an attrition rate between 5–10% is considered low and healthy. The vacancy rate for sworn personnel was 2.7%. The ideal vacancy rate is 5% or less.

Priority One calls

A Priority One call is a "call for service which is critical or in-progress, where immediate intervention is required to avert personal injury, or where prompt arrival is necessary to affect criminal apprehension." Response times can be very different for the three precincts, based on elements like staffing, geography, and weather.

Emergency Services Section

Emergency Management continues to advance key initiatives while strengthening operational readiness, community partnerships, and response and recovery capabilities. This includes the following, which took place in the third quarter:

• The Emergency Services Section (ESS) has been helping to prepare for November's general election, working with the Clerk & Recorder's Office to identify potential challenges and keep election operations running smoothly.
• ESS also joined the Sheriff and our local fire partners in a meeting with U.S. Senator John Hickenlooper (pictured) to explore how local, state and federal agencies can strengthen collaboration, share resources, and improve wildfire preparedness by building a more resilient community. All of this, amid rising costs, shrinking budgets, and growing demands.
• The Sheriff's Emergency Management Unit is now rewriting the county's emergency plan to make it clearer and easier to use when it matters most. Working with county departments and partner agencies, the team is developing an Emergency Operations Plan that spells out who does what and how agencies coordinate during a crisis. The goal is to complete the base plan by Dec. 31, 2026, with more detailed supporting plans to follow.

Crime prevention & education

Community Resource Deputy Mark Bybee addresses citizen concerns and shares vital information with the public through on-site visits, public presentations, tours, special events, Nextdoor.com notifications, and other opportunities. Deputy Bybee visited the preschoolers and toddlers at Kids Garden for Community Helper Week to share what it's like to be a deputy and chat about being safe. Highlights from the third quarter:

• Presented at 5 HOA/community meetings.
• Attended 12 events including the Rocky Mtn. Car Show, National Night Out, Jeffco Back to School Bash, Leawood Parade, Highland Rescue and Genesee Fire open houses, West Metro Fire Muster, and more.
• Managed 68 citizen inquiries.

School Resource Officers

School Resource Officers (SRO) are embedded within schools in Jefferson County for the duration of each school year to provide extra security, safety, resources, and guidance to students and staff. During school breaks, the SROs cover patrol duties throughout the county. The first day of school was August 19. Each of our schools held a welcome-back event, with SROs participating in activities to welcome students, staff, and parents back for the new school year. These events provided an opportunity for SROs to reconnect with the school communities they serve and help establish a positive and safe start to the school year. The table below reflects activities during the third quarter, which includes part of summer break.

Detention Facility

The Detentions Division provides housing, security, and physical and mental health services for inmates, as well as programs to reduce recidivism and set individuals up for success upon release. The jail houses offenders awaiting court appearances, being transported to another detention facility, or sentenced to serve their time at the county jail. Here are the jail statistics from the third quarter:

• Transgender — People who self-identify as other than their biological sex during the intake process.
• ADA — We provide accommodations for all disabilities: hearing, vision, movement, etc.
• Narcan incidents — Inmates who were unresponsive and given at least one dose of Narcan. Narcan has no negative side effects and does not cause any further harm to someone suffering from an unrelated medical emergency.

Traffic operations

In the third quarter, in addition to regular JCSO traffic enforcement operations, the Traffic Unit participated in a DUI checkpoint on Wadsworth Boulevard with Arvada Police; Colorado State Patrol's (CSP) eluding operation on C-470 using drones; CSP's DUI checkpoint on Evergreen Parkway; and speed saturation on the four major highways resulting in 106 summonses. The Traffic Unit participated in six community events, including the Red White and You July 4th event, National Night Out, West Metro Fire Muster, Red Rocks Elementary Raccoon Run, and the MC-1 Foundation Honor Run. They also participated in three funeral processions and helped to escort the military helicopter that crashed in Gilpin County.

MC-1 Foundation Honor Run

The 13th annual MC-1 Foundation Honor Run honors the legacy of JCSO Sgt. Dave Baldwin, a member of the Traffic Unit, who was killed in the line of duty. Led by JCSO Deputy Mark Miller (pictured), the fundraiser raises money for Colorado first responders who have been injured while on duty.

Speed mitigation grant

A federal speed mitigation grant allows for additional hours of enforcement along Hwy 93 and Hwy 285. The table illustrates third-quarter results for the grant activity.

DUI arrests

The JCSO receives federal grant funding for DUI enforcement to increase traffic safety. Efforts of regular patrol operations, along with specific DUI enforcement, resulted in 39 DUI arrests in the third quarter.

Crash data

The top three common causal factors for fatal and injury crashes in the third quarter remain speed, inattentive driving, and DUI.

Traffic summonses

Summonses include those issued by the Traffic Unit and Patrol for Model Traffic Code violations or state violations. Third-quarter summonses rose 31.1% from 2025 to 2026.

Focus crimes

In Jefferson County, property crimes such as residential and commercial burglaries, motor vehicle trespasses, and motor vehicle theft are crimes we categorize as "focus crimes." Often, we find that the same person(s) commits more than one of these crimes, and when these crimes are studied, we learn patterns of behavior. Therefore, we expend considerable effort reviewing focus crimes that are of great concern and impact to the community. The Patrol and Criminal Investigations Divisions research occurrences of focus crimes to determine if there are similarities that would indicate a spree or a crime series involving the same suspect or suspects. Studying these trends helps us to better anticipate and prepare for responses with the intent to apprehend suspects who may be responsible for multiple offenses.