Officials representing Colorado’s first new judicial district in 60 years issued a stark warning to criminals in a public address on Wednesday.

“If you come down here with the intent to victimize us or to steal from us, your expectation should be incarceration. And that is the approach that this district attorney’s office is going to take to crime,” 23rd Judicial District Attorney George Brauchler said at a news conference.

Colorado’s 23rd Judicial District will launch on Jan. 14 in Douglas, Elbert and Lincoln counties and allow them to transition from the 18th Judicial District. Arapahoe County becomes the sole entity of the 18th Judicial District, which once consisted of all four large counties.

Each Colorado judicial district enforces laws in the counties or area it serves. The district works with different types of courts that operate within the district, providing criminal justice and offering services to convicted criminals.

“This is just a different community with different resources and a different focus,” Brauchler said of the need for the 23rd Judicial District. “I think it became necessary to really provide each of these different communities an opportunity to have the district attorney they wanted to represent them.”

Brauchler said JD23’s approach relies on holding criminals accountable, while prioritizing catching them in the act early and often.

“The extent of what you’ll see us doing is trying to get to sooner, more predictable consequences, and those consequences more often than not, when it comes to things like motor vehicle theft and burglary and theft in general, are going to include incarceration,” Brauchler said.

“When it gets to be January the 14th,” Brauchler added of implementing the district, “there isn’t going to be a time where the court’s going to say it’s OK, take a month to figure things out. We are starting right away as soon as the morning happens.”

JD23 headquarters, located at the Douglas County Justice Center in Castle Rock, is where 85% of district services will be offered – from pre-trial to probationary services.

A separate office for juvenile diversion counselors will open at Lansing Point, 11045 Lansing Circle, when the district becomes active in January. It is located in the large Meridian business park, a commercially-zoned space east of Interstate 25 and south of E-470.

Elbert County Sheriff Tim Norton said issues in his county are drug and theft focused.

“Elbert County has a high rise in fentanyl deals right now and thefts come along with that, and so does other crime,” Norton said. “So with the incarceration theory that the 23rd district is having right now and their plan to go ahead, we are looking forward to working hard to make sure we get the word out to the criminals.”

In Lincoln County, Sheriff’s Office Capt. Michael Yowell, on behalf of absent commissioners, said he “applauds the message to seek incarceration for those who wrong our communities,” adding it sends “a strong message to the criminal population amongst us.”

“We found that this approach to law enforcement is absolutely what the people of Douglas County want,” said Douglas County Commissioner George Teal.

Kevin Van Winkle, the newly appointed Douglas County commissioner who played a role in the state legislature during JD23’s inception, said “it was just a dream come true to be here today, because it was an effort in the legislature that we tried, actually, for several years.”

“A tremendous amount of effort has gotten in place by hundreds of people to create this and make it happen,” Van Winkle said.

Brauchler, quoting from the 17th century English philosopher John Locke, said “where is no law, there is no freedom, because for liberty, liberty means to be free from restraint and violence from others.”

Douglas County Sheriff Darren Weekly doubled down on a warning.

“If you are a criminal or somebody who has bad intentions, do not come to the 23rd Judicial District, because the people you see behind me, we will go out of our way to track you down and to hold you accountable.”