By order of Sheriff Darren Weekly, Stage 1 Fire Restrictions are in place for unincorporated areas of Douglas County. Ordinance No. O-012-004 restricts open fires, open burning and the use of fireworks in the unincorporated areas of Douglas County.
At a Business Meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 24, following extensive community and business input, the Board of Douglas County Commissioners adopted an ordinance designed to improve reporting, strengthen enforcement and protect local businesses from retail theft.
These low-level offenses are regularly linked to more serious incidents such as violent crimes, auto theft, and drug and firearm related activity. Recognizing that retail theft is a threat to public safety and the local economy, the Board identified a system for encouraging businesses to promptly report theft to law enforcement.
The Ordinance requires businesses to report crime to law enforcement within 96 hours of becoming aware of the theft, allowing investigators to respond more quickly and identify patterns of organized crime. The ordinance also discourages corporate policies that prevent employees from reporting criminal activity.
This adoption followed a second reading of the ordinance and a public input process that included 132 survey responses from residents, as well as feedback from local business owners and the Colorado Retail Council.
Use this educational poster in your business to inform employees about the Ordinance.
Based on feedback from the Council, several key provisions were incorporated to support businesses while strengthening enforcement efforts, including:
The consequences of retail theft extend beyond public safety. Retail theft is increasingly undermining Colorado’s economic health. A recent analysis from the Colorado Common Sense Institute estimates that in 2022 alone, retail crime cost Colorado businesses $1.4 billion and deprived taxpayers of approximately $78 million in lost sales-tax revenue.
The CCSI report also found that retail theft rose by 22.4% between 2023 and 2024, with 27,094 shoplifting incidents reported statewide. That figure becomes even more concerning when paired with national data from the Loss Prevention Research Council, which estimates that nearly 89% of retail theft incidents are never reported.
Read the report: $1.3 Billion Gone: Retail Theft is Draining Colorado’s Economy
