The goal of the department's Community Partnership Unit is to assist the public in establishing and maintaining a safe, orderly social environment in which to live, work, and play. While apprehending criminals is one important goal of policing, it is not necessarily the most important goal. The Community Partnership Unit is dedicated to solving crimes and resolving citizens' concerns by working with and gaining support from the community. The most effective solutions include coordinating relationships between the police, local government, citizens, and local businesses to address the problems affecting the community.

The Community Partnership Unit addresses community issues and works in several programs including the Crime Free Multi-Housing program and Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) program. Both proactive programs assist in reducing crimes within our community. Our CPU officers utilize problem-solving methods to address a variety of community issues: homeowners associations, downtown parking, community events, graffiti and school-related concerns. This unit also operates their Bike Unit from May through August of each year and patrols our trails, parks, schools, neighborhoods, retail centers and many Town events.

The Castle Rock Police Department expects all officers to embrace and apply this philosophy in their daily work. Our department engages the community in a variety of ways including polls or surveys, town meetings, interest group meetings, and programs such as the Citizens' Police Academy, National Night Out, Coffee with a Cop and Crime-Free Multi-Housing, to name a few. We fully understand that the community's trust and respect are earned in drops and can be lost in buckets.

The Douglas County Mental Health Initiative unites 40 community partners to address unmet mental health needs, connect people to mental health services and prevent those in need from falling through the cracks of the mental health system.

In May 2017, the Castle Rock Police Department (CRPD) put together a team as part of the initiative. CRT consists of a specially-trained police officer and a mental health clinician who are available for calls for service involving mental health issues, either acute or chronic. Each team member fills a unique role to ensure safety, conduct medical clearances and assess mental health needs.

Let's Talk

If you or someone you know feels isolated or is struggling with the daily stresses of life, you are not alone. Our goal is to make sure no one feels all hope is lost. We understand and want to help. Get contact information, so let's talk.

• Community Response Team: 303-663-6100
• National Suicide Hotline: 1844-493-TALK (8255) or text: 38255
• Chat online: Chat Online

For more information, refer to the CRT Brochure (PDF) or the two videos:

Meet the Team

Officer Tom O'Donnell

Officer O'Donnell has served in law enforcement for more than 18 years. During his tenure with the Castle Rock Police Department, he has worked in patrol, K9 Unit, and serves on SWAT. He is certified as a Crisis Intervention Technician which assists him in deescalating situations and rendering help to community members. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice from Bemidji (MN) State University. 

Kalie Bryant - Clinician

Kalie Bryant earned a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Georgia Southwestern State University and a Master of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Columbus State University. Kalie is licensed as a professional counselor in the state of Colorado and has spent the last two years working with the Douglas County Sheriff's office as the Youth Community Response Team clinician. Kalie has previous experience in crisis work in Eagle County, Colorado and has worked in an outpatient counseling setting with all ages.

Kristen Sleeper - Case Manager

Kristen Sleeper received her Master of Arts in Psychology, Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice and Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. She has experience working with children, adolescents and adults in various outpatient settings including trauma, addiction and everyday life stress. She is here to help connect you to the resources you may need.

School Resource Officers (SRO)

Mission: Creating Safer, More Secure Schools

The department, in partnership with Douglas County School District, provides five full-time school resource officers (SROs) dedicated to Castle View High School, Castle Rock Middle School, Mesa Middle School, and assigned to our elementary schools. By proactively placing police officers in educational environments, students and police build an atmosphere of trust and respect, resulting in long-term crime prevention. The growing national popularity of school resource programs results from an increased emphasis on community policing as a means to create safer, more secure schools.

Additionally, two SROs are partnered with trained therapy dogs.

Support

SROs are not licensed counselors, but they do provide information on available support services in the school and community. The officers are not kindergarten cops, security guards, hall monitors or school saviors, but they provide a valuable presence, which helps encourage a positive learning environment in schools.

Increased Safety Measures in Response to the Sandy Hook Tragedy

The Douglas County School District leadership team met with local law enforcement partners to discuss the Sandy Hook Elementary incident. This meeting included the Castle Rock Police Department, Douglas County Sheriff's Department, Lone Tree Police Department, and Parker Police Department. Plans were developed to strengthen school safety through our partnerships with law enforcement and are posted on the district's website.

Safety Committee

The Safety Committee continues to meet regularly, keeping student safety on the top of everyone's mind.

Youth Education & Safety (YESS)

YESS stands for Youth Education and Safety in Schools. The program is designed to educate students in grades six, seven, and eight within the Douglas County school system about the wrongfulness of bullying, the need for cyber/Internet safety, and the dangers of alcohol, tobacco, marijuana, and other drugs. It is a multi-media experience for the students that allows for classroom interaction on these topics.

Learn more about the YESS school program.

The Town holds special events throughout the year. The Special Operations Division works with other personnel and is responsible for staffing the appropriate police personnel for all events - Town sponsored as well as outside vendors.

Castle Rock promotes traffic safety by requiring a number of specifically trained officers to be dedicated in collision investigation, enforcement of state and municipal traffic laws, speed enforcement, and drunken driving recognition.

The Traffic Unit operates under the Data-Driven Approaches to Crime and Traffic Safety (DDACTS) model, which integrates location-based crime and traffic data to establish effective methods for deploying law enforcement and other resources. Using geo-mapping to identify areas having high incidences of crime and crashes, DDACTS directs traffic enforcement strategies that play a dual role in fighting crime and reducing crashes and traffic violations.

The Community Safety Volunteer (CSV) program is one way the department utilizes volunteers from our community. In its most basic form, the CSV program is community policing. It is a structured way for residents to participate in helping provide for the safety and security of their own community. Volunteers support the major activities of the Police Department, such as patrol, traffic, community policing, and administrative duties where their unique expertise and/or life experience is of benefit.

The program has three broad goals:

• Community relations
• Neighborhood patrol
• Officer support and assistance

Find out more about the CSV program. Or, contact us at 303-663-6138 or email the Police Department.