Colorado Sheriff Stripped of Spending Authority

Arapahoe County commissioners have raised concerns that the Arapahoe County Sheriff's Office (ACSO) secretly diverted over $300,000 in taxpayer funds over the past two years. This allegation centers around a contract signed in April 2023, which mandated that the Cherry Creek School District contribute $500,000 annually to support school resource officers provided by the ACSO. However, internal emails obtained by CBS News Colorado reveal that ACSO leadership requested the school district to issue two separate checks: one for $310,000 to the county budget and another for $190,000 to a new nonprofit foundation established by the sheriff's office. Commissioner Summey emphasized that the contract clearly stipulated the allocation of funds, asserting that the sheriff's office acted unilaterally without informing the county commission. He expressed confidence that the commission would not have withheld the funds, stating, "We would never do that." Despite this, internal communications suggest a lack of transparency from the sheriff's office regarding the funding for 2024, raising further questions about the management of taxpayer dollars. In response to the allegations, the ACSO declined an interview but issued a statement refuting the commissioners' claims. They characterized the accusations as a distraction from the county's financial mismanagement and highlighted a history of denied funding requests totaling $17 million from 2020 to 2023. The sheriff's office maintains that their request for two checks was justified, occurring before the contract's effective date. As the situation unfolds, Commissioner Summey indicated that discussions about restoring budgetary authority to the sheriff's office have not yet taken place, focusing instead on ensuring proper financial practices moving forward.