Regarding the June 30 article “Commissioners pivot on homeless approach”: I have been very discouraged by attitudes so prevalent in Douglas County … loss of a sense of shared humanity, and an increase in a sense of entitlement and self-absorption.
Commissioner Teal has been a disappointment to me, but at that June 22 meeting, Mr. Teal (and perhaps Mr. Laydon) at last expressed some courage, humility and humanity.
Courage is absent in the Republican Party, except for two women. Maybe they should run for president and vice president.
Is there hope for our county and country?
Mary Coleman
Parker
Daniels Park idea is off-base
I want to take this opportunity to sincerely commend Denver Mayor Michael Hancock and fully support his communication to the Douglas County Commissioners, Abe Laydon and George Teal, that the purchase of Daniels Park by Douglas County is “not up for discussion” (Lora Thomas voted against the measure).
The fact of the matter that the commissioners felt a need to purchase the park just because the Denver City Council wishes to keep citizens safe and not allow guns to be carried in parks reflects very poor decision-making skills of the commissioners, particularly considering all the mass shootings in Buffalo, New York, Uvalde, Texas, and now Highland Park, Illinois.
The poor decision-making is also an egregious display of how the Douglas County commissioners sorely lack money management skills. The money should and must be used for much bigger issues that Douglas County is facing including aiding the homeless.
Mayor Hancock is correct in that ownership of Daniels Park must remain with Denver who can better manage the park while keeping it safe for those of us who frequently visit.
Kevin B. Frey
Castle Rock
Weekly deflects accountability
In his recent half-page campaign ad, Darren Weekly blames Democrats for the increased crime rates in Douglas County. Weekly also offers his plan for more patrol boots on the street by realigning resources.
Douglas County is politically a red county. We have GOP county commissioners and a GOP sheriff. Weekly has been employed by DCSO for many years.
So, those facts raise two straightforward questions.
Firstly, the GOP has been in charge of local DougCo law enforcement and county government, for a long time. Law enforcement against crime is a local jurisdiction responsibility. If party politics is the answer, what’s keeping the current set of elected officials from fixing the crime problem?
Secondly, given his long tenure in the department, why hasn’t Darren Weekly used his formal influence to make the changes he now suggests, particularly putting more boots on the ground? After all, he’s had more than 20 years at DCSO.
Truth be told, effective local law enforcement is not determined by party politics. We either have technically competent leadership in DCSO, or we don’t. We either have a healthy and accountable leadership culture, or we don’t.
Crime is up in DougCo. It’s time to shake things up at DCSO. It’s about the man, not about his party.
Lloyd Guthrie
Roxborough
