According to an investigation by The Denver Post, "the Denver Sheriff Department has deep-rooted issues within its organizational culture."
That is the understatement of the year.
A review of disciplinary letters issued since January 1, 2013, uncovered a trail of ineptitude that reads like a comedy, but unfortunately, is very real. One deputy lost a gun in a McDonald's bathroom. Another allowed inmates to watch YouTube videos on her computer and take cigarettes from her purse. Two other jail employees got into a fight over a day-old cupcake, chasing each other through the hallways and hurling curses.
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Perhaps most notable, though, is the deputy who mistakenly allowed an inmate to leave the jail while he searched Craigslist for auto parts and munched on corn flakes. When he realized what had happened, the deputy got into his own car and patrolled the area, returning with a person who turned out not to be the on-the-lam inmate. That career criminal was luckily re-captured the following day.
The department recently appointed a new sheriff, Elias Diggins, to turn things around. Check out the Post's full story, and then debate just how futile Diggins' attempts may prove.
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