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The Sheriff's Office has (76) full-time  and 1 part time employees , as well as a number of Reserves and Volunteers which include, Search & Rescue, Sheriff's Posse & Chaplains. Special units consist of two K-9 Units, a SWAT Team, and an SRO. Montezuma County encompasses approximately, 2200 square miles of canyons, national forest, mountains and high altitude desert. The population of the county is about 27,000 people, with the cities of Cortez (7,000), Dolores (1,100), Mancos (1,300) and Towaoc (1200) included in the population total. Towaoc is on the UTE Mountain UTE Indian Reservation which is patrolled by the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Montezuma County also encompasses Mesa Verde National Park as well as areas of Hovenweep National Monument and the Canyons of the Ancients National Monument. Other agencies inside Montezuma County include the Cortez Police Department, Mancos Marshal's Office, Colorado Division of Wildlife, National Park Service, U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land management, and Bureau of Indian Affairs, as well as the Colorado State Patrol.

Citizen Observer Patrol (COP) program

The Citizen Observer Patrol (COP) program will start shortly. This is a program that the Sheriff has been interested in bringing to fruition where eligible citizens who wish to assist the Sheriff’s Office can attend training and volunteer their time to assist deputies in the field or in the office.

The COP volunteers will be provided a very recognizable uniform and will drive a retired patrol vehicle allowing them to assist in the community, whether it is to pick up a stray dog, perform a requested VIN inspection or assist with other pre approved duties.

If there are any citizens who are interested in volunteering in an unarmed role with the COP program to help in the community please call Sheriff’s Admin. Assistant Wanda Martin at 565-8452 ext 321for more information.

There is an application process that interested applicants will have to complete that includes passing a background check as well as completing approximately 40 hours of agency sponsored training.

Once the applicants have completed this training they will be able to volunteer and help the Sheriff’s Office in a number of exciting ways to aid both the agency and the citizens in the community.

Sheriff Wallace said that he is excited about this new program coming to reality which will help solidify his belief that the only successful law enforcement agency is one that seeks to join resources with its citizenry to fight and deter crime.

To Download an Application click here>>COP Application