Best small towns near Denver
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  1. #1
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    Best small towns near Denver

    Hi all,

    I think it's pretty funny that there are more LEOs from Florida posting here than Colorado LEOs. Add me to that list please.

    My husband may be getting a job transfer to Denver from Florida. If so, I'll be taking an early retirement from my job as a LEO.

    We don't want to live in Denver. Can anyone recommend a nearby small town we could look at to live in that's not too long of a commute? I'm thinking Mayberry, RFD kind of town. Quirky is fine. I plan to STAY retired and write.

    Any info is greatly appreciated.

    Take care brothers and sisters.

  2. #2
    Member
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Location
    Loveland, Colorado
    Posts
    34

    Small towns near Denver

    We moved here from Tampa last year (worked as a Deputy for Hillsborough County). and we love it. I'd highly recommend the department that I work for, but the commute to Denver would suck for your hubby (about a 45 minute drive). I'd check into the Littleton or Broomfield Police Departments, both are located close to Denver, and in decent areas. I check this site fairly frequently, but most cops in Colorado don't even know that this site exists. Bare in mind, the creator of this site is a Tampa cop hence the large number of posts from Floridians. I'll check back if you have any other questions. Good Luck!

  3. #3
    Guest
    Thanks for the info. I just found out that the office he'll actually be working out of is in Aurora. We're thinking of renting a place near his office at first until we get to know the area better. Are there any rural areas around Aurora?

  4. #4
    Member
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Location
    Loveland, Colorado
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    34

    Aurora

    Aurora is a suburb of Denver, if you're interested in working for a decent size department I have a friend who works there and likes it. No take home cars, but there pay is decent and they start you out at a higher rate of pay as a lateral. There are plenty of nice areas to live within 30 mins drive of Aurora. My friend lives in Parker and likes it there.

  5. #5
    Guest

    Re: Best small towns near Denver

    HELLO ALL, I'M ALSO LEO IN FLORIDA LOOKING TO HEAD OUT WEST TO COLORADO. I'VE VISITED TWICE AND FELL IN LOVE WITH THE STATE. I'VE SEEN JOB OPENINGS IN ARVADA AND WHEAT RIDGE, ANY COMMENTS ON EITHER OF THEM PLACES.

  6. #6
    Member
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Location
    Loveland, Colorado
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    34

    Re: Best small towns near Denver

    I don't know anybody that's worked for Arvada or Wheatridge. Have you looked into Fort Collins? The city is consistently ranked number one or two in Money Magazine's best places to live listings. They're starting to hire more officers to make up for past shortages. They have take-home cars, and will start you out at a higher rate of pay if you already have experience. They're a great department. Depending on when you're looking at moving, also keep an eye on my department (Loveland) which is also a great place to live and work. Unfortunately, because we only have about 100 sworn officers we don't have much attrition and only hire a few officers each year. Another cool little town is Castle Rock, which is about an hour south of Denver. I don't know anything about the PD, but the down is in a great location and still has that small town feel about it. Hope this helps. I can tell you that as a cop who worked in Florida for almost 15 years before moving to Colorado almost 2 years ago, Colorado is a great place to work, live and raise family.

  7. #7
    Guest

    Re: Best small towns near Denver

    Thanks alot, I'll definitly check it out. I need to take my hubby there on vacation soon so he can check out Colorado. He's never been there, but says he's willing to move there. I'm glad to hear you're happy with your move. It's getting worse and worse here in Florida. I'm sooooo ready to get out! Did it take ya long getting used to the cold and snow? I've never really driven in snow so that will be interesting. LOLLL Thanks again, Be safe out there.

  8. #8
    Member
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Location
    Loveland, Colorado
    Posts
    34

    Re: Best small towns near Denver

    The cold's not too bad, it's actually quite nice to have 4 seasons again. During the summer it reaches the 90's and we have less rain than Florida. Let me know if I can answer anymore questions for you. Be safe.

  9. #9
    Guest

    Re: Best small towns near Denver

    Thanks Britcop for the info. so far. I currenty work for the Punta Gorda PD in Charlotte County, Florida and was thinking about moving to your area (Central or North Central Colorado). I've been out there several times and love it. I am currently trying to understand the differences in pay and benefits from Florida to Colorado. I have a few questions for you.

    1. Does Colorado have an shorter Police Academy for experienced (4 years) out-of-state officers. If so, will the hiring agency put the transfer through?
    2. The Take-Home car is very important to me... are there affordable 2-3 bedroom homes within your agencies 12 mile requirement?
    3. I stongly believe in ongoing training and my current department does an excellent job of sending officers to advanced training... Do you feel your agency does a good job of providing advanced training to motivated officers?
    4. My top 2 choices thus far are Loveland and Broomfield... What do you think is better about your agency?

    Thank you very much for your time!!!

  10. #10
    Member
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Location
    Loveland, Colorado
    Posts
    34

    Re: Best small towns near Denver

    When hired on as a lateral, there's no "formal" academy with most of the agencies in this area. You will usually spend the first 3-4 weeks in class taking care of paperwork, going over your departmental policies and procedures, taking care of necessary certifications (RADAR, Intox., CPR, NCIC / CCIC, Firearms etc.) You'll then spend (depending on your department) 12 plus weeks in the FTO program. As a lateral, most departments will start you out at a higher step than a newbie, you usually get your next pay step after FTO, and another one after probation (1 year). You'll usually top out after 2 years with the department, which, for most departments in this area, is about $70,000. While in FTO you'll be given study materials for the state P.O.S.T. which you'll take sometime during your first 6 months out here. I found that the written test was quite a bit easier than Florida's written test, with a passing score of only 70% vs. a 90% in each of 5 sections when I took my test in Florida (16 years ago!). State Patrol, and most Sheriff's Departments have take homes, many police departments don't. Loveland and Ft Collins have take homes, not sure about Broomfield. Those that don't have take homes seem to pay a few thousand a year more. Housing out here is comparable to Florida, but property taxes and homeowners insurance is WAY cheaper. I pay about $350 a year for my homeowners insurance vs, $1100 a year in Florida for the same size house. Property taxes, $1100 here vs. $4000 in Florida. Electric is about 30% cheaper here (even in the winter when we run the heat), and I don't have to pay $200 a year for termite protection, $60 every 2 months for pest control inside the house and $35 a month for my yard to be sprayed like I did in Florida. With all that said, here are some things that you'll miss and should be aware of. When I worked for Hillsborough County, the Sheriff paid 100% of my medical for me and my family. Here, you'll have to pay a percentage, which can be as much as $300 for you and your family. In Florida, the Sheriff paid 100% into your retirement. Here, most departments pay 11% and you have to pay 7% (you can pay in more if you want). If your department has access to D.A.V.I.D., you're gonna miss it out here! Trying to get a D.L. pic from DMV here is a serious pain in the ass and usually takes days. We're happy we made the move out here. My kids are safer in school than they were in Tampa, morale is high in my department, and this is a great place to live and raise a family. If you think of any other questions let me know, I'll try to give it to you straight so there's no surprises if you decide to move. Another department to look at is Longmont. They don't have take-homes but they pay a little more if you're willing to hot seat a cruiser. Good Luck!

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