The town of Severance is deemed the safest city in Colorado after improving in safety this year, according to SafeWise.
In 2022, SafeWise named Severance fourth in the state for safety but this year the town has moved up to the first spot on the list as the safest city in Colorado.
For the 2023 report, SafeWise looked into crime rate concerns, natural disaster fears and attitudes on gun violence among Coloradans. Severance Police Chief Jim Gerdeman said SafeWise based its findings on the state's crime database — which is where Severance stood out.
In 2020, Severance had a population of 7,683, according to the United States Census Bureau. Gerdeman reported the most common crimes in the town are property crimes — a similar trend across Colorado, which leads the nation in property crimes per capita, the report said.
In recent years, the town's property crime rates have been 2.8 per 1,000 people in 2023, 2022 and 2021, according to the report. Severance was also one of seven municipalities that reported 50 or fewer property crimes in the 2023 reporting year.
Other municipalities had higher property crimes, such as Erie, named the eighth safest city, which reported property crime rates of 9.7 per 1,000 people in 2023, 11.6 in 2022 and 9.0 in 2021.
Additional Weld communities that made the SafeWise top 10 list of safest cities include Milliken at No. 2, Frederick at No. 3, Windsor at No. 4, Eaton at No. 5 and Firestone at No. 9.
Weld County Sheriff Steve Reams said it's become a standard to see Weld municipalities listed as the safest cities in Colorado. When Reams interacts with those new to the community, he hears a lot of them say they moved to Weld County because it's safe and they trust law enforcement here.
"It's refreshing because I think we still have citizens who believe in the rule of law, they believe in looking out for their neighbor and they believe in reporting crime and being witnesses when necessary to help prosecute folks," Reams said.
Reams also tips his hat off to law enforcement and the district attorney's office in Weld County, who all work well together to help prosecute criminals. He said the Weld County Sheriff's Office has great relationships with police departments around the county.
If any Weld resident asks for help, Reams ensured they're going to get it whether it's from a police department, the Colorado State Patrol or the sheriff's office. The tight-knit community of law enforcement throughout the county's goal is to keep people safe, he added.
"All those things add up to a very safe community," Reams said.
As the safest city in Colorado, Severance also doesn't see many violent crimes because most people who come to town, live in the town, Gerdeman said. Severance reported zero violent crimes for the 2023 reporting year, according to SafeWise.
Gerdeman boasted the people of Severance welcome and support the police department — uniting the community together for the safety of all. The town's residents are informative and cooperative with police officers — which is the case with many Weld residents, Reams said.
Severance residents also typically look out for one another or call the police when something doesn't seem right, according to Gerdeman.
"The town is basically a bedroom community," he said. "It's a lot more rooftops and not a lot of commercial. In our small town, we value looking out for one another to keep each other safe and create a friendly, neighborly community.
Gerdeman placed the community in the spotlight for the low crime rates that led to the safest town recognition, rather than giving law enforcement all the credit. He said keeping the town as safe as possible is part of the law enforcement job and it's something the Severance Police Department strives to do all the time.
"It's a community effort," he said. "I really would like to give more toward the community than us doing the public safety part. They're the ones that truly help us get this done."
Increasing visibility, improving operations
A key part of providing safety to the community is law enforcement being visible to residents and visitors, especially since the Severance Police Department is still considered a new service after forming in January 2019.
Severance's first police chief, Misty Siderfin, was placed on unpaid administrative leave in October 2019 because of an ongoing internal investigation. After her departure, Gerdeman said the department has continued to do what it has always done: participate in active community policing that ensures the practice is a respected resource for Severance residents.
Before 2019, the town contracted with the Weld County Sheriff's Office to provide police services to Severance. Reams added he takes pride in Severance being the safest city because of the sheriff's office's previous role as the law enforcement entity. He said the partnership with Severance still continues with the town's new department.
"For the last four years, we've been working together with the town council and town management to build a police department that is strong, community-oriented and visible to the public," Gerdeman said.
Building a new facility is an upcoming improvement to the police department.
The current building occupied by the Severance Police Department, at 209 1st St., which used to serve as a firehouse, will be torn down after August. A new police department at the same location is scheduled for completion by October 2024.
This new space will adhere to the police's needs and create better operations, according to Gerdeman, as the current department doesn't have a holding cell, a place to interview suspects, a main lobby or other necessary features.
Unlike the current building, which is closed to the public due to a lack of security protocols, the new building will have a lobby area, open to the public.
Gerdeman thanked the town's proactive management team and town council for providing services to the police department.
"They make sure that we have the tools that we need, and we try to use those tools wisely to provide the best safety and community support that we can give our citizens," he said.
"Proactive management" is a staff that ensures the goals of an organization are achieved, oftentimes anticipating and preventing problems before they emerge, according to HR Acuity. Through proactive management, the Severance town manager is responsible for overseeing government projects to guarantee efficient and quality services to the community.
Each month, the town of Severance publicizes the police department's calls for service. In May, Severance had 53 total citations and 559 calls. Traffic stops were the highest number of incidents at 115 stops.
To view the full data, go to www.townofseverance.org/police-department.
"I am so proud that Severance has been named the safest town in Colorado," Mayor Matthew Fries said. "This reflects collaboration between quality citizens, a dedicated police department and a proactive management team."
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