Steamboat Pilot & Today

A few weeks after assembling a new Oak Creek Police Department, department head Linda Koile is happy.

"For the first time, I think we got it right," Koile said.

In early April, Koile hired a full-time police officer and a part-time code enforcement officer. The police force also has two part-time officers.

"I think this is probably one of the best fits of police department's that Oak Creek has ever seen," Koile said.

"We have restructured, rebuilt and reorganized, and we went back to what we know best -- we are locals."

Officer Christopher Tritz loves every second of his job.

Tritz recently graduated from a law enforcement academy and is a certified officer. He has worked in excavation in recent years but always had an interest in law enforcement.

Five years ago, when Tritz had a chance to do some ride-alongs with his brother, who is a police officer in Colorado, he decided to pursue the law enforcement field.

"It doesn't seem like work," Tritz said about being an officer and doing work that he calls fun. He said he enjoys meeting people and working in Oak Creek and has had nothing but positive experiences.

Tritz lived in Aurora for much of his life, and spent time hunting and visiting Northwest Colorado. When he and his wife decided they wanted to find a good area to raise their three children, they knew where to look.

Having the police officer position open up was a great opportunity, Tritz said. He and his wife were living in Stagecoach, but this weekend, they moved to Oak Creek.

Tritz said Oak Creek's force is getting along very well.

"It all comes down to being a team, and if you can't get along, you can't get it done right," he said.

Judy Meyer, the new code enforcement officer, has lived in Routt County more than 20 years, mostly in South Routt.

She was raised in a law enforcement family, works well with people and always has had a love for animals. She thought all of those traits would help her do a good job enforcing Oak Creek's codes.

She, too, loves the work.

Knowing almost everyone in town comes in handy, she said, though she doesn't let that get in the way of doing her job.

"They know I'm committed to my job, too, and will still be their friend," she said. "I don't want to have to give you a ticket, but I will if I have to."

She's had a few run-ins with loose dogs so far. Most of the clean-up work, such as getting appliances out of yards, will begin when the snow is gone.

She, too, had nothing but good things to say about how the force is working together.

"So far, everybody says it looks like a really good fit," Meyer said. "We seem to be working great together."

Richard Wood, formerly a lieutenant with the Routt County Sheriff's Office, has agreed to be a part-time officer and to help with training. He's been working closely with Tritz and Koile.

Wood is making sure that Tritz gets the hands-on experience needed to deal with various situations. He follows a formalized field-training program modeled after those used by most law enforcement agencies.

Wood said he didn't think he had time to devote to the Oak Creek Police Department but thought he had an obligation to the community to help fill a need.

Officer Brian Rogers also has agreed to be a part-time reserve officer when he is in town, Koile said.

Koile has been working or on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week, since former chief Guytano Farnan left April 1.

But, she said last week with a smile, she's not down about all of the hours -- she's happy everything is going well.

"Things are just working so well for us right now," Koile said. "We're on a roll."