READY FOR THE STORM
Office of Emergency Management prepares for monsoon season
Arapahoe County is StormReady! Thanks to the Office of Emergency Management who worked closely with the National Weather Service to re-certify Arapahoe County for the second year in a row as a StormReady community. So what exactly does that mean?
"It's about being fully prepared for extreme weather conditions including water events, such as tornadoes, storms and flooding," says Ashley Cappel, Deputy Emergency Manager.
Cappel says Arapahoe County has had weeks of hot dry weather and the monsoons are likely to start soon. Colorado weather changes quickly and our community leaders and emergency managers need safety measures in place. The StormReady program helps communities with the communication and safety skills needed to save lives and property. To be officially StormReady, a community must:
- Establish a 24-hour warning point and emergency operations center.
- Have more than one way to receive severe weather warnings and forecasts and to alert the public.
- Create a system that monitors weather conditions locally.
- Promote the importance of public readiness through community seminars.
- Develop a formal hazardous weather plan, which includes training severe weather spotters and holding emergency exercises.
FIRE BAN IN EFFECT
On July 7, Sheriff Tyler Brown implemented a Stage 2 fire ban for unincorporated Arapahoe County, Centennial, Foxfield and Deer Trail. In coordination with area fire chiefs, the sheriff approved the upgrade due to extreme fire weather conditions expected to increase and Arapahoe County experiencing several significant fires recently.
A Stage 2 fire ban means no fireworks or outdoor fires such as campfires, fire pits, prescribed burns and more. For a complete list of all the fire restrictions in Arapahoe County click the button below.
SOCIAL DISTANCE YOUR VEHICLE
By Deputy Benjamin Sears
By now we've all heard the phrase “Social Distancing” where people stay 6 feet apart or more. But, did you know your vehicle should also social distance when in traffic?
Most crashes during rush hour are due to people following too closely. Colorado Revised Statute (C.R.S.) 42-4-1008 (1) states:
"The driver of a motor vehicle shall not follow another vehicle more closely than is reasonable and prudent, having due regard for the speed of such vehicles and the traffic upon and the condition of the highway."
Excuses heard often as to why someone rear-ended another vehicle is “I looked down for a second,” or “I saw the light change and I thought everyone was moving.” Rear-end collisions could easily be avoided with these tips:
- When in bumper-to-bumper or heavy traffic, stay far enough away that you can see the rear tires of the vehicle in front of you. This can also be helpful if that vehicle breaks down and you need to get around it.
- At a red light, wait until the vehicle in front of you starts moving before taking your foot off the brake and moving forward.
- When roads are wet, snowy, or icy, keep more distance between you and the vehicle in front of you.
- Try to remain at least a solid 2-second count (one-thousand one, one-thousand two) from the vehicle ahead of you. When the roads are wet, snowy, or icy, increase that time to ensure you can still safely stop.
- If the roads are slick, slow down. If the vehicle in front of you stops suddenly, you want to be far enough away that you won't collide.
In Centennial, a large number of the crashes we handle are due to following too closely, especially on busy roads such as S. Parker Rd. and E. Arapahoe Rd. Most of them are minor with no injuries, but some can be more serious.
So remember, just like social distancing in person, your car should social distance from other cars too. Our goal is to reduce crashes and keep traffic moving safely.
A LIEUTENANT MAKING A DIFFERENCE
Once you step foot on the field at a Special Olympics event, it’s hard to ever become uninvolved again. Those are the words of Lieutenant Kevin Heaton of the Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office who's been active with Special Olympics Colorado athletes for more than 17 years.
“The kids give back to us,” says Heaton. “Even though these athletes wake up every morning facing different challenges in life, intellectual disabilities, physical disabilities, whatever they may be, they wake up positive every day, they treat everybody with kindness. They truly show leadership and compassion towards others that we can all learn from.”
Lt. Heaton, the regional director for Arapahoe County law enforcement, was honored with a trip to Seattle two years ago for the national Special Olympics Games. It’s an experience that stands out and one he says he'll remember forever.
“Probably the most emotional thing was participating in the opening ceremonies. We got to walk in with the athletes from our state into the coliseum at University of Washington. That was the most amazing thing ever, to escort them into the national games,” says Lt. Heaton.
Heaton is also involved in The Law Enforcement Torch Run -- the single largest grassroots fundraising effort for Special Olympics. It started in 1981 in Wichita, Kansas raising $300 dollars. Last year the Torch Run, made up of law enforcement agencies worldwide, raised more than $60 million dollars for Special Olympics.
“Over the last two years we raised over one million dollars in the state of Colorado which is significant for us because we’ve never achieved that before, says Lt. Heaton. “All of the negative you see in law enforcement and this is just such a positive.”
This year, The Ford Motor Company has donated a brand new F-150 truck to be raffled off. Tickets are still being sold. If you would like more information on how to get entered to win, click below.
SHERIFF RELEASES YEAR-END REPORT
The Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office has released its 2019 Annual Report. It’s now available for review.
The report comes a year and a half after Sheriff Tyler Brown took office and highlights some of the accomplishments and goals achieved over the course of last year.
“In 2019, we began several new innovative programs that allow the public to quickly interact with us and we are more responsive about public safety concerns than ever before. I believe it’s this kind of collaboration that helps us solve and prevent crime,” says Sheriff Brown.
The report also breaks down the number of services and overall crime the agency investigated last year. We encourage you to review the report and learn more about all that is happening at the Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office.
CAN YOU HELP SOLVE THIS COLD CASE?
Nancy Begg-Shoupp, 26
At the time of her disappearance on April 28, 1990, Nancy Begg-Shoupp was, by all accounts from family, friends and coworkers, a devoted mother of two with a young son and daughter whom she adored.
Nancy had a reputation for being a trusted, organized planner and a popular employee who enjoyed her career. Nancy had just begun divorce proceedings against her estranged husband, Stephen Shoupp, and relations between the two were strained.
Coworkers confirmed domestic incidents between Stephen and Nancy, including Stephen’s odd penchant for showing up unexpectedly at her workplace to stare at her through the window, and calling her friends repeatedly to check up on her whereabouts. Further investigation revealed Stephen had a history of assaulting women.
However bleak her marital situation was, Nancy seemed determined to move forward with her life. On April 27, 1990, after completing her work day, Nancy left her job to enjoy dinner and an evening in Boulder with a friend. Nancy left Boulder in the early hours of April 28, 1990 to pick up her children from Stephen Shoupp. Stephen said Nancy never arrived, a statement that conflicted with what the children claimed. Nancy Begg-Shoupp was never seen or heard from again.
Unsuccessful attempts were made over the next few days by immediate family members and friends to reach Nancy on her phone. Nancy’s employer confirmed Nancy had not called or shown up to work and her unclaimed paycheck was still on the bosses desk. It was unlikely behavior for the model employee that she was.
Investigators discovered Nancy’s dark green 2-door 1984 Volvo parked at her home on E. Hinsdale Ave. in Littleton. The clothing she wore on her evening out to dinner was also at her residence which was very neat and orderly. They soon determined there were strong indications of foul play.
If you have any information regarding this case, please contact the Arapahoe County Sheriff's Office at 303-795-4711, or email coldcase@arapahoegov.com. To view all of our cold cases, please click the button below.
10 Most Stolen Cars
Is your vehicle one of the most stolen models of 2020? Check out the video we created of the most stolen vehicles in the Denver metro area from April 1 - June 30 as listed by the Colorado Auto Theft Prevention Authority.
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