Company Profile
Aspen Police Department
Company Overview
Mission Statement:
“Policing committed to community needs”
Vision Statement:
The Aspen Police Department shows its commitment to enhancing the quality of life in our community by: • Taking pride in employing highly skilled, well-educated professionals who use practical, effective, and compassionate policing strategies. • Nurturing effective working relationships with all segments of our community. • In order to instill a sense of confidence and a feeling of safety for our citizens and guests we will partner proactively with our community and businesses to provide a safe and healthy environment.
Company History
The Aspen area was originally discovered by the Ute Indians and called "Shining Mountains". The first silver miners arrived in the Roaring Fork Valley in the summer of 1879 and by that fall a small group of entrepreneurs and speculators had staked claims and set up camp at the foot of Aspen Mountain. First christened Ute City, the town of 300 residents was renamed to Aspen in 1880. In 1881, the Aspen Police Department was officially established with the adoption of “No. 3 - An Ordinance Prescribing the Duties of Mayor”, in which it stated “he shall be the conservator of the peace within the limits of the town, and shall be the head of the Police department”. During the boom years, the Aspen Police Department established a city jail, police magistrate to hear cases in police court, and maintained a detailed police docket of case dispositions. In one such case, the police docket stated that the offender's sentence “was suspended and given fifteen minutes to get out of town”. By 1892, Aspen was a booming silver town with 12,000 people, six newspapers, two railroads, four schools, three banks, electric lights, a modern hospital, two theaters, an opera house, and a very small brothel district. In 1893 however the Sherman Silver Act was repealed which demonetized silver and marked Aspen's decline as a mining town. This marked the begining of the quiet years and early stages of the ski industry.
Through the late 60s and into the early 1970s the Aspen Police Department acted as a traditional police agency, wearing traditional police uniforms and driving traditional police cars. In 1973 personnel changes brought new ideas that changed the face of the Aspen Police Department which can still be seen today. The Aspen Police Department drove the Ford Torino, but above 8,000 feet in the winter conditions, the rear-wheel-drive vehicle was a poor fit for the environment. The department considered Saabs and the Ford Bronco, but Saab cut a better deal. As part of the image change that the Saabs brought about, the department also dropped their appearance of “state patrol uniforms” and went on to blue jeans and cowboy hats.
Today Aspen officers infrequently wear cowboy hats; however the department still prefers dark blue jeans and non-traditional police cars. In 2003 Saab, having been purchased by a large corporation, the department was priced out of the Saab. In response, the Aspen Police implemented a fleet of Volvo XC70 SUVs. And though the vehicle performed well, the Aspen Police Department was interested in taking an even more radical step by in implementing a completely hybrid police vehicle fleet, in accordance to the City of Aspen’s Canary Initiative to reduce greenhouse gas footprint. In 2008, the Aspen Police Department completed their conversion to a fleet of eleven Toyota Highlander Hybrid police vehicles.
The modern Aspen Police Department is dedicated to community policing, employing highly skilled, well-educated professionals who use practical, effective, compassionate policing strategies, and providing a safe and healthy environment.
Notable Accomplishments / Recognition
Community Policing
Fleet of 11 Toyota Highlander Hybrid Police Vehicles
Benefits
2008 REGULAR FULL-TIME EMPLOYEE BENEFIT PACKAGE SUMMARY
The following plan year of 2008 approved benefits shall be awarded to City of Aspen employees, subject to the provisions of the Personnel Policy and Procedures Manual and annual appropriation by the City Council. For detailed information, contact the Human Resources department at 970-920-5241.
HEALTH INSURANCE For 2008, new employees are offered the following coverages: medical, dental, vision, prescription and life insurance. Optional Cancer and Accidental supplemental insurance are provided through AFLAC. Vision is covered in the medical/dental plan and includes a hardware benefit. Mid-Term Disability (MTD), Long-term Disability (LTD) and Accidental Death & Dismemberment (AD&D) are provided at no cost through the City of Aspen. Supplemental Life insurance for over the amount paid by the City (1x the annual salary up to $50,000) for employee, spouse and child coverage is offered on a voluntary payroll-deduction basis along with additional AD&D options. Health, dental and vision coverage begin on the 31st day from the date of hire.
WELLNESS PROGRAM The City also offers a wellness program that includes an on-site wellness nurse practitioner, nutritionist, annual wellness fair and a 24-hour nurse advice line, wellness educational meetings. This wellness program is designed to keep you and anyone on the health plan, the healthiest they can be.
RETIREMENT PLANS The City offers a deferred compensation (457), a Roth IRA, and a 401(a) retirement plan through ICMA-RC. The City contributes 5% of the employee's gross salary to one of the plans. This contribution level increases to 6% at five years and 7% at 10 years. Employee contributions to the 457 plans and to the Roth IRA are optional.
Police officers are required to contribute 9% of their gross monthly salary to a State approved retirement plan typically through ICMA-RC. The City matches this police contribution, which is fully vested after 5 years of employment, in increments of 20%. After five years the City will contribute 10%, and after 10 years, 11%. The City also contributes 2.65% to a 457 deferred compensation plan for police officers employed prior to April 1986, and 2.20% for those employed after that date. FFPA retirement program is also mandatory.
SECTION 125 FLEXIBLE SPENDING ACCOUNT This program increases your take-home pay and lowers your taxes by allowing you to use pre-tax dollars to pay for certain health care expenses not reimbursed by insurance and dependent care expenses. An annual $480.00 Flexible Spending Account is available and funded by the City for employees who decline medical insurance coverage with the City and are covered by another insurance carrier. Employees who do choose coverage may participate and fund their own Flexible Spending Accounts up to $7,500 per year for unreimbursed medical care expenses and $5,000 per year for qualified dependent care expenses.
HOLIDAYS The City provides each employee with nine (9) paid holidays per year.
VACATION LEAVE After six (6) months of employment, the employee is entitled to use accrued vacation leave. Accrual begins on the date of employment and accumulates at a rate of 112 hours per year up to five (5) years and 160 hours per year over five (5) years for regular employees. Police officers working rotating shifts are credited with 72 hours of additional vacation leave in lieu of holidays worked. Additional time off is earned through the service award program.
SICK LEAVE After three (3) months of employment, the employee is eligible for sick leave with pay. Sick leave accrues on the date of employment and accrues at the rate of eight (8) hours per month. There is no maximum on accumulation of leave.
WELLNESS LEAVE After at least six (6) months of employment and a minimum accrued sick balance of 80 hours, an employee is eligible to take a Wellness day with pay. Wellness leave may be used for personal business not identified as sick leave. An employee may use up to 24 hours (3 days) per year after accruing the 80-hour balance.
EMPLOYEE VOLUNTEER/COMMUNITY SERVICE LEAVE After six (6) months of employment, regular full-time employees are eligible to receive up to eight (8) hours of paid leave per calendar year to participate in community service affairs of charitable, educational, fraternal, civic and non-profit organizations in the Roaring Fork Valley.
FITNESS/WELLNESS PROGRAM Each non-introductory full-time and seasonal employee is eligible for an annual allotment of up to $960 towards the cost of participation in an eligible fitness program effective January 1 of each year. After completing the introductory period, new employees would be eligible for the full amount. Any employees in their introductory period will be eligible for a pro-rated benefit (effective from date of hire) payable after completing their introductory period.
ARC-ASPEN RECREATION CENTER FAMILY FUN PASS, SKI PASS and GOLF DISCOUNT Provides employees and their family members’ general daily admission into all Recreation division facilities and a discount when registering for programmed activities. Daily admission includes: ARC swimming pools, climbing tower, Aspen Youth Center, ice-skating on the Lewis Ice Arena and Aspen Ice Garden, shower/locker rooms, adult fitness classes at all facilities (aerobics, yoga, circuit training, etc.) and the climbing wall and playhouse at the Red Brick. The employee will need to sign up for and participate in the “Stewardship Program” to receive this benefit. The “Stewardship Program” entails volunteering at least eight (8) hours of personal time at the ARC or other Recreation facility within one (1) year. In additional, all city employees who work at least 20 hours a week are entitled to discounted golf at the Aspen Golf Club and a discounted Ski Pass.
EMPLOYEE ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (EAP) Each employee and immediate family members are allowed 5 free visits per year to the Aspen Counseling Center under this program. Confidential counseling is provided for job related or personal difficulties, financial/legal problems, or problems caused by alcohol and/or drugs.
BONUS AWARDS Three bonus programs are available for employees: the "Lookin’ Good" reward program, the Over the Top Award, the Outstanding Employee Bonus Award Program, and the Top of Range bonus (a bonus plan for employees at the maximum of their salary range). The City also offers a Goals and Outcome Measures Bonus for employees to achieve department goals.
SERVICE AWARDS Dependent on a Full Time employee’s years of service, annually the employee will receive additional time off and vouchers which are redeemable for cash or to purchase an item at the ARC or police department, or personalized gifts of up to $4,000.
CREDIT UNION The Grand Junction Credit Union is available to all employees. The purpose of the credit union is to promote thrift, allow members to accumulate savings and offer loans at a reasonable interest rate. Cost for joining is $27.00.
COMPUTER LOAN Departments may allow an employee to purchase a computer for home use, in order to facilitate department operations and apply for an interest free computer loan for the purchase of a personal computer. The employee must work for at least six months and have completed their introductory period before applying. The loan must be repaid in biweekly payroll deductions within two years.
RENTAL ADVANCE LOAN An employee may apply for an interest free rental advance loan for one-half of the cost to secure housing including first and last month's rent plus damage deposit. The loan must be repaid in biweekly payroll deductions within one year.
EARNEST MONEY LOAN ASSISTANCE In order to assist employees in purchasing a primary residence, the City offers an earnest money loan assistance program for home purchase in Pitkin, Eagle and Garfield Counties.
TRANSPORTATION Employees who live outside of Aspen receive free bus passes or zone passes to use the bus system as a means of transportation for commuting to and from work. The city of Aspen also provides the “Commuter Cash Program” and the “Emergency Ride Home Program” through the TOP program (Transportation Options Program.)