MONTE VISTA— Things are calming down a little for the Monte Vista Police Department. During Coffee with a Cop on Saturday, Officers Eugene Ortega and Stephen Pino, said that Stampede went smoothly.
The crowds that the annual event draws to Monte Vista requires officers to work longer hours providing security for the events. They reported that there were a few incidences of rowdy drunken behavior, but they were easily handled. They also had to break up a couple of fights after the dance. The officers said considering the amount of people there and the amount of alcohol, things went pretty smoothly.    
Officers had to work about 15-20 hours extra during Stampede. With things settling down as they head into fall, officers are recouping from the chaos of the last few weeks.  
National Night Out was also a success for law enforcement (see related story on Page 1A). The officers said that they had a good time getting to mingle with members of the community. “That was really enjoyable. It’s always a good time when we can go out there and build relationships with those in our community,” said Pino about the event. Officer Ortega said that Police Chief John Rosecrans put a lot of work into the event contacting different agencies to participate. This year they had more agencies represented than last year.
The MVPD canine golf tournament fundraiser was also a fun time. They had a good turnout the officers said. The funds raised from the event were about $4,400. All of these funds will go into keeping the canine division operating. The officers explained that there are two dogs in the department; both of which help the police department find illegal drugs.
The next event that police are getting ready for is the Potato Festival on Sept 7. They will be keeping an eye on things and trying to help everything run smoothly.
The officers also discussed the recent Big R burglary. On July 28 Big R was burglarized by a man who used an axe to break into the store. Security camera footage captured him breaking into a gun display case. Six Walther and Ruger hand guns were stolen before the suspect left the scene. They arrested Richard White and have recovered two of the guns. They are still working on recovering all of the stolen property. They are working with ATF (Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives) on the case.
Attendance at Saturday’s Coffee with a Cop was low again; the MVPD is hopeful more people will come. It’s a great chance for them to be involved in what the police are doing. Casual meetings like these provide an opportunity to have a say in local law enforcement and hear what’s going on.
For those interested in attending the meetings they happen regularly on the second Saturday of every month from 8 to 10 a.m. To find out the location check out the Monte Vista Police Department’s Facebook page.