SOUTH FORK – South Fork Police Department Chief OJ Pierce has been busy over the past year adjusting to his new position and bringing community involvement to the department and South Fork. 

After taking over the position of chief, one of the first things Pierce wanted to do was be open and available to the community he and his team serve. 

“We are busy during the summer months. We had traffic stops, domestic violence disputes and all manner of activity but in the down times, we really focus on being here for the community and being a part of the town. It’s important for us to be a face and a person people can trust,” Pierce said. 

Within the first year of being Chief, Pierce made some significant improvements to his department with the help and support of the Town of South Fork. 

“One of the biggest improvements we made was upgrades to our vehicles. We now have updated trucks; new radios and we were fortunate enough to receive Angel Armor Vests from Shield 616. We have great support from our board of trustees and our community,” he said. 

Pierce also said that now that the department is fully staffed, they will be opening an additional position for road deputy in January. 

“We have the funding to add a new position, and we will be looking to fill it in January of 2025. Anyone interested in applying may do so through the South Fork Police Department,” he said. 

Several community organizations have helped bring new equipment and training opportunities to the department over the years and 2024 was no different. According to Pierce, the South Fork Friends Foundation and Broken Spoken Emporium recently purchased AEDs for each of the new trucks, increasing safety equipment for the department. 

“We were also able to host the Incident Command 600/700 training here in South Fork earlier this year and welcomed law enforcement personnel from across the state. It was great to have everyone here to complete the training program for real-life scenarios. The more we train the better we can prepare,” said Pierce.  

South Fork Police Department Officer Cranfill recently completed a four-day criminal investigation course and will be working his way up to the position of Investigator for the department. 

“We are very fortunate to have the people we do on this team, and everyone is working hard to best serve our community,” said Pierce. 

Pierce is also looking to bring back the neighborhood watch program throughout the town of South Fork and is seeking volunteers for the program. Contact chelseamm@riograndecounty.org for more information or to sign up for the program. 

Now, with the busy season ending, the department will join in on the coming festivities including the Trunk or Treat Halloween Extravaganza and the coming Yule Tide Tree Lighting at the end of November. To stay up to date on all activities with the South Fork Police Department please visit their Facebook page under South Fork CO Police Department.