We’re coming together in the ¶¶Òõ¶ÌÊÓƵ Police Department to support our campus and our community in as many different ways as we can following the mass shooting in Boulder on March 22. It’s important to me as chief that our police department is relied on and turned to during one of our community’s greatest moments of pain and need.
Our officers, as they themselves experience the personal impacts of this tragedy, are helping with the response, the investigation and the support efforts.
We’ve provided security at the scene on Table Mesa Drive, and our detectives are assisting in the investigation. We staffed the ¶¶Òõ¶ÌÊÓƵ Events Center when it became the site for the family members of the victims to gather, speak with victim advocates, and get food and water. We helped open and staff Folsom Field for a private vigil for King Soopers employees to safely gather.Ìý
We have two officers working with the , a nonprofit organization that supports an officer’s family and department after an officer is killed in the line of duty. They worked on the memorial service held Tuesday for Officer Eric Talley. ¶¶Òõ¶ÌÊÓƵPD officers also partnered with the Boulder County Sheriff’s Office to provide police coverage for the city of Boulder for two days to allow Boulder police officers to attend Talley’s funeral and memorial service.
By helping in these efforts, we navigate our way through the grief of losing community members and an officer from our partner agency.
We all experience grief in our own way and on our own timelines. Whenever you feel you need support, there are resources available for you through the university. Students are encouraged to reach out to the Office of Victim Assistance (OVA) or Counseling and Psychiatric Services (CAPS). Faculty and staff can find resources through the (FSAP).
I want to thank you as we continue to heal and support our community. If you ever need any assistance from the ¶¶Òõ¶ÌÊÓƵ Boulder Police Department, please don’t hesitate to contact us.
Doreen Jokerst
¶¶Òõ¶ÌÊÓƵ Boulder Police Chief
