Throughout 2020 everybody’s been getting used to many “new normals.” 

Whether it’s wearing a mask at the grocery store or having to order takeout from a favorite local restaurant, there were major changes as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. 

But in Weld County, there was another another major change brewing, as the Colorado State Patrol and the Weld County Sheriff’s Office wanted to lower the number of fatal crashes in the county. 

The result? There were nearly 50% less fatal crashes in Weld County in 2020 compared to the five-year average, said CSP Capt. Ian Whittington.

“For years and years there weren’t as many calls for service in Weld County, but we started to realize that the calls that were coming in were the worst types of calls,” Whittington said. 

Since 2015, CSP has responded to just more than 30 fatal crashes in Weld County each year, Whittington said. 

However, after discussions on how to lower the number began, CSP and sheriff’s officials decided to focus their enforcement efforts on areas with the highest number of fatal crashes such as Highway 85 between Greeley and the Wyoming border. 

This initiative lowered the number of fatal crashes to 18 and law enforcement officials hope this becomes just another 2020 “new normal.”

“2020 was the beginning of an experiment that shows very promising results,” said Whittington. “We’re hoping that this becomes just another new normal.”

To build upon their success, CSP and the sheriff’s office are expanding their enforcement efforts to perform two monthly operations called Team Ops, where sheriff’s deputies and CSP troopers will continue their enforcement. 

But this year, deputies and troopers will continue to focus on reducing fatal crashes, but will add a crime element into their objectives, said Alan Caldwell, a patrol captain for the sheriff’s office. 

“We are very optimistic about Team Ops as we bring together groups of deputies and troopers to work together on a specific problem in the county,” Caldwell said. “Whether it’s a crime centric problem or traffic concern, we’ll have both deputies and troopers working a particular area to reduce the issue.”

Particular crimes law enforcement officials will be focusing on are thefts, burglaries and motor vehicle thefts that happen at a higher number in the southern portion of the county, Caldwell said. 

Since the beginning of 2021, the agencies have performed two Team Ops missions and Brandon Stupka, a sheriff’s deputy, said having a good relationship with CSP will help the department in the long run.

“It’s really important to have (these) connections because if there were something big to happen, we could supplement some of our man power to help them, and the same goes for them helping us,” he said.

Although law enforcement officials have played a major role in reducing crimes and fatal accidents within Weld County over the last year, officials say they still need help from community members.

“This can only be done with the help of the communities and travelers,” said Whittington. “We need their help in taking the time to slow down, buckle up and pay attention to the road to make it a safer place for everyone.”