Our New Police Chief, Joe Ribeiro

This evening, we had an informal meeting with Joe Ribeiro, who will begin as Manitou Springs' new Chief of Police in two weeks. He was very low-key and easygoing. In fact, he met us at Soda Springs Park and he just chilled for a couple of hours, without looking for a problem or acting like anything other than a dude who wanted to hang out at the park.

I really liked a lot of what he had to say, including that he will be working to train the police force not to profile. Mr. Ribeiro said that it would be ideal if a police officer could be basically blind when it comes to who they enforce. If a yuppie is doing something against the law, the law will be enforced. If a dirty hippie isn't doing anything wrong, the police officer will say hello and keep walking.

I have to say that if he is true to his word, this is a major improvement in the Manitou Springs Police Department. I spoke with a woman today who is in her 60s and she told me that for as long as she can remember, Manitou Springs has been a laughingstock, as far as police departments go, of the entire county. Police harassment has been rampant for many years and Manitou has been famous for it. If Joe Ribeiro can break that pattern, all of the inhabitants of the town will be much happier and relaxed. No more threats of being tazed if someone says they refuse to be unlawfully searched!

Let's all keep our eyes out and our minds open to a cool Police Chief and report what we find, good or bad. Until he starts his new job, I hope he enjoys his vacation he's planning on taking.

Letter From Our New Chief of Police

I have come across, by an anonymous source, a letter from the new Chief of Police. Comment with your opinions, dear readers....

"I believe it is important to establish a good precedent with this project.  The ordinances can be two edged swords and we should approach carefully and with an open mind.

 

In one respect, it establishes the community's rules and boundaries for acceptable behavior along with the ability to communicate that to residents and visitors in many ways, signs, flyers, personal conversation, etc.

We need to be clear about what the community expects of the PD.  We are already working to overcome the perception of being heavy handed "enforcers" and do not want to be tasked with "strict enforcement" of extremely minor violations which would further damage our image.

 

If we view the ordinances as an opportunity to engage people in conversations and help them learn about our community standards, we have an "in" for positive public relations if done right.  The PD can also use the ordinances as a way of legitimately contacting potential troublemakers, drug dealers, and the like since smoking seems to parallel.  Again this must be done with tact and respect for the individual and community.  Onlookers should see an officer (initially) contacting a potential drug dealer with the same tone and respect as he would an unknowing tourist.

 

Ultimately, this is a quality of life issue for the community and makes sense that there are no smoking rules and reasonable hours for use of our parks.  I support the group bringing the ordinance discussion to the Council forum and having further community input.  I am interested in other's views on the matter.

 

On the whole, we also need to view our approach to these issues as a means to completely resolve the issue and not just move it to another part of the City." -Joe Ribeiro, Manitou Springs Chief of Police

Proposed Ordinance #3

Nice sentiment, but does it cut back crime or piss locals off?

Manitou Springs City Council has proposed three(3) ordinances to the Soda Springs Park Safety Task Force. These ordinances are supposed to make the park safer for everyone, cut down on crime, etc. If the Task Force accepts any of the ordinances, it will then go to Council and they will vote during the next City Council Meeting. Here is the third ordinance that was proposed by Matt Carpenter (Mayor Pro-Tem, City Council Ward 3):




COUNCIL BILL NO. ____

ORDINANCE NO. ____

ORDINANCE

AN ORDINANCE ESTABLISHING HOURS OF USE FOR THE CITY’S PUBLIC
PARKS
______________

WHEREAS, the City Council understands the need to limit the hours of use of the City’s
public parks; and

WHEREAS, limiting the hours of use of the City’s public parks is beneficial to the safety and
welfare of the citizens of the City of Manitou Springs; and

WHEREAS, the City Council desires to revise the hours of use of the City’s public parks.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE
CITY OF MANITOU SPRINGS, COLORADO, THAT:

Section 1:
[Existing Code:
12.24.010 – Use of facilities—Hours prohibited.
Use of playground equipment and other facilities in city parks is prohibited between the
hours of eleven p.m. and six a.m.

Strategy 1:
Dusk to Dawn. (Dusk to Dawn has legal meaning and has been used for other
ordinances.)

Strategy 2:
Summer Hours/Winter Hours.]

Section 12.24.010 of the Manitou Springs Municipal Code is hereby repealed and re-
enacted as follows:

12.24.010 – Use of facilities—Hours prohibited.

Use of playground equipment and other facilities in city parks is prohibited between
XXX and XXX [***from XXX to XXX and between XXX and XXX from XXX
to XXX***].

Section 2:

Section 3:

If any article, section, paragraph, sentence, clause or phrase of the ordinance is
held to be unconstitutional or invalid for any reason, such decision shall not affect
the validity or constitutionality of the remaining portion of this ordinance. The
City Council hereby declares that it would have passed this ordinance and each
part or parts hereof irrespective of the fact that any one part or parts be declared
unconstitutional or invalid.

The repeal or modification of any provision of Manitou Springs Municipal Code
by this ordinance shall not release, extinguish, alter, modify or change in whole or

Section 4:

in part any penalty, forfeiture or liability, either civil or criminal, which shall have
been incurred under such provision. Each provision shall be treated and held as
still remaining in force for the purpose of sustaining any and all proper actions,
suits, proceedings and prosecutions for enforcement of the penalty, forfeiture or
liability, as well as for the purpose of sustaining any judgment, decree or order
which can or may be rendered, entered or made in such actions, suits, proceedings
or prosecutions.

This ordinance shall take effect five (5) days after final approval and adoption on
second reading.

Passed on First Reading and Ordered Published this XXX day of XXX, 2012.

/s/ Donna Kast
City Clerk

A Public Hearing on this ordinance will be held at the XXX XXX, 2012 City Council meeting.
The Council Meeting will be held at 7:00 P.M. at City Hall, 606 Manitou Avenue, Manitou
Springs, Colorado.

Ordinance Published: XXX, 2012 (in full).
City’s Official Website and at City Hall

_________________________________________


I'm sorry, but I don't know what smoking cigarettes has to do with cutting back crime and vandalism in Soda Springs Park. This is another law-enforcement nightmare. If locals get cited for smoking in the pavilion or park, those locals will immediately call the police whenever a tourist or rich person lights up a cigarette there. Our police force is needed elsewhere in Manitou Springs - they really don't want to be driving down to Soda Springs Park every 5 minutes for a smoking violation.

Proposed Ordinance #2

Sorry, Charlie.

Manitou Springs City Council has proposed three(3) ordinances to the Soda Springs Park Safety Task Force. These ordinances are supposed to make the park safer for everyone, cut down on crime, etc. If the Task Force accepts any of the ordinances, it will then go to Council and they will vote during the next City Council Meeting. Here is the second ordinance that was proposed by Matt Carpenter (Mayor Pro-Tem, City Council Ward 3):





COUNCIL BILL NO. ____

ORDINANCE NO. ____

ORDINANCE

AN ORDINANCE ESTABLISHING THE MEANS FOR USE OF THE [***PAVILIONS
IN SODA SPRINGS PARK AND MANSIONS PARK ***] or [***STAGE IN SODA
SPRINGS PARK***]
______________

WHEREAS, the City Council is concerned about the ongoing vandalism taking place in the
City Parks; and

WHEREAS, the City Council desires to require a permit to use the [***Pavilions in Soda
Springs Park and Mansion Park***] or [***stage in Soda Springs park***].

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE
CITY OF MANITOU SPRINGS, COLORADO, THAT:

Section 1:
[Existing Code:
None

Strategy 1:
Limit the use of the pavilions in Soda Springs Park and Mansions Park. This is what is
done at America the Beautiful park in Colorado Springs.

Strategy 2:
Limit the use of the stage in Soda Springs Park. This is what is done at Bancroft Park in
Old Colorado City.

Section 12.24.005 of the Manitou Springs Municipal Code is hereby added as
follows:

12.24.005 – Use of facilities—Permit required.
A permit is required in order to use the [***pavilions in Soda Springs Park and Mansions
Park***] or [***stage area in Soda Springs Park***].

Notes: In the case of the pavilions something that states that passing through a pavilion
does not constitute a use or go with time limits like 30 minutes or an hour.

Section 2:

Section 3:

If any article, section, paragraph, sentence, clause or phrase of the ordinance is
held to be unconstitutional or invalid for any reason, such decision shall not affect
the validity or constitutionality of the remaining portion of this ordinance. The
City Council hereby declares that it would have passed this ordinance and each
part or parts hereof irrespective of the fact that any one part or parts be declared
unconstitutional or invalid.

The repeal or modification of any provision of Manitou Springs Municipal Code
by this ordinance shall not release, extinguish, alter, modify or change in whole or

Section 4:

in part any penalty, forfeiture or liability, either civil or criminal, which shall have
been incurred under such provision. Each provision shall be treated and held as
still remaining in force for the purpose of sustaining any and all proper actions,
suits, proceedings and prosecutions for enforcement of the penalty, forfeiture or
liability, as well as for the purpose of sustaining any judgment, decree or order
which can or may be rendered, entered or made in such actions, suits, proceedings
or prosecutions.

This ordinance shall take effect five (5) days after final approval and adoption on
second reading.

Passed on First Reading and Ordered Published this XXX day of XXX, 2012.

/s/ Donna Kast
City Clerk

A Public Hearing on this ordinance will be held at the XXX XXX, 2012 City Council meeting.
The Council Meeting will be held at 7:00 P.M. at City Hall, 606 Manitou Avenue, Manitou
Springs, Colorado.

Ordinance Published: XXX, 2012 (in full).
City’s Official Website and at City Hall


_________________________________________________


My opinion on this one is that if they fence it off, it will make tourists even more uncomfortable - fenced-off areas in a city signal crime. Kids may well just jump the fence and continue to use the facilities or they will just move to somewhere else in town and the task force name will change to go with it. If the city doesn't fence it off, if they just post signs, they will have a "law-enforcement nightmare" as Jack Benson put it on Wednesday night. So I don't think that this ordinance will work for anything - I feel like it will cause more problems, instead.

What is YOUR opinion on this one? Leave a comment and let us know!

Proposed Ordinance #1

Silly ordinance, it was agreed.

Manitou Springs City Council has proposed three(3) ordinances to the Soda Springs Park Safety Task Force. These ordinances are supposed to make the park safer for everyone, cut down on crime, etc. If the Task Force accepts any of the ordinances, it will then go to Council and they will vote during the next City Council Meeting. Here is the first ordinance that was proposed by Matt Carpenter (Mayor Pro-Tem, City Council Ward 3):






COUNCIL BILL NO. ____

ORDINANCE NO. ____

ORDINANCE AN ORDINANCE ESTABLISHING HOURS OF USE FOR THE CITY’S PUBLIC PARKS ______________

WHEREAS, the City Council understands the need to limit the hours of use of the City’s public parks; and

WHEREAS, limiting the hours of use of the City’s public parks is beneficial to the safety and welfare of the citizens of the City of Manitou Springs; and

WHEREAS, the City Council desires to revise the hours of use of the City’s public parks. NOW,

THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF MANITOU SPRINGS, COLORADO, THAT: Section 1: [Existing Code: 12.24.010 – Use of facilities—Hours prohibited. Use of playground equipment and other facilities in city parks is prohibited between the hours of eleven p.m. and six a.m. Strategy 1: Dusk to Dawn. (Dusk to Dawn has legal meaning and has been used for other ordinances.) Strategy 2: Summer Hours/Winter Hours.] Section 12.24.010 of the Manitou Springs Municipal Code is hereby repealed and re- enacted as follows: 12.24.010 – Use of facilities—Hours prohibited. Use of playground equipment and other facilities in city parks is prohibited between XXX and XXX [***from XXX to XXX and between XXX and XXX from XXX to XXX***]. Section 2: Section 3: If any article, section, paragraph, sentence, clause or phrase of the ordinance is held to be unconstitutional or invalid for any reason, such decision shall not affect the validity or constitutionality of the remaining portion of this ordinance. The City Council hereby declares that it would have passed this ordinance and each part or parts hereof irrespective of the fact that any one part or parts be declared unconstitutional or invalid. The repeal or modification of any provision of Manitou Springs Municipal Code by this ordinance shall not release, extinguish, alter, modify or change in whole or Section 4: in part any penalty, forfeiture or liability, either civil or criminal, which shall have been incurred under such provision. Each provision shall be treated and held as still remaining in force for the purpose of sustaining any and all proper actions, suits, proceedings and prosecutions for enforcement of the penalty, forfeiture or liability, as well as for the purpose of sustaining any judgment, decree or order which can or may be rendered, entered or made in such actions, suits, proceedings or prosecutions. This ordinance shall take effect five (5) days after final approval and adoption on second reading. Passed on First Reading and Ordered Published this XXX day of XXX, 2012. /s/ Donna Kast City Clerk A Public Hearing on this ordinance will be held at the XXX XXX, 2012 City Council meeting. The Council Meeting will be held at 7:00 P.M. at City Hall, 606 Manitou Avenue, Manitou Springs, Colorado. Ordinance Published: XXX, 2012 (in full). City’s Official Website and at City Hall
_________________________________________

All those X's, as well as the "Solutions" are because this is a rough draft. I know what you're probably thinking: "What will changing park hours do? People don't commit crime during certain hours, they will commit crime either during park hours or after park hours, so what will this fix?

We brought that up at the Soda Springs Park Safety Task Force Meeting on Wednesday and the ordinance was thrown out, after a lot of hemming and hawing.

So the park hours will remain as they are.