Department History
About the Parker Police Department
The Town of Parker incorporated in 1981 and began work on becoming a full service community. One of the first major goals for the Town was to form its own Police Department to maintain the overall safety of the newly formed Town. The founders of the Town realized early on that public safety was a hallmark of a successful municipality.
The Parker Police Department officially took to the streets in 1983 on a part-time basis led by Chief Larry Myers and one police officer. The new department was headquartered in the old Parker Community Center on Mainstreet, affectionately known as the “Quonset Hut.” |
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The squad car fleet consisted of two Plymouth Fury’s that were purchased used from the Colorado State Patrol and were marked with a decal depicting the 20 Mile House on each front door. The police officers wore a uniform consisting of light brown trousers, a dark brown shirt and a cowboy hat.
As the Town grew so did the Police Department. The year 1985 ushered in a new police chief and several
new officers. The Department was now led by Chief Dick Scherwitz and a staff of eight police officers.
This was also the year in which the Department purchased its first new police cars, two 1985 Chevy
Impalas and one 1985 Chevy K-5 Blazer. These new cars were marked with dark blue stripes that ran the
length of the car with “PARKER POLICE” horizontally marked on the doors. Along with the new cars
came the adoption of the dark blue uniform that is still worn today.
In 1988 the police department moved from the Quonset Hut to a new facility that housed both the
Police Department and Town Hall. This building is the blue building with the clock tower next to the
current Town Hall on Mainstreet in downtown Parker.
1989 brought another new police chief, Mike Chick, who came to Parker after many years serving with
other area police departments. Chief Chick brought many new ideas and improvements to the
Department and implemented the Town’s first computer aided dispatch system in 1990. In 1993, the
patrol cars were upgraded to Ford Crown Victoria’s which sported a new red, white and blue “ZZ Top”
style striping package.
In December 1994, the Police Department moved to the facility on Parker Square Drive. Many
long-time residents of Parker remember the police station being the former Sun Savings. The Police,
Building and Planning Departments all occupied what was then called the “Parker Municipal Annex.”
Leadership of the Police Department changed again in 1995 as Tom Cornelius took the reins. Cornelius
was passionate about community policing concepts, implementing them throughout the organization.
Community policing remains a top priority for the Department’s mission.
Another striping change to the squad cars occurred in 1996, consisting of gold, burgundy and purple
stripes and a contemporary style “Parker Police” lettering on the doors.
The millennium brought with it a major technology shift with the implementation of a suite of highly
advanced computer systems to meet the needs of a rapidly growing community. These systems
consisted of a new computer aided dispatch system, a new records management system and, for the
first time, mobile data computers. Officers now had the ability to check for arrest warrants and stolen
cars right from the patrol car. The officers were now able to complete police reports electronically from
their mobile computer.
A new Police Chief was sworn in during 2007, but this time the Police Department’s new “top cop”
would be one of its own. David King took over as the fifth chief of the Department. Chief King worked
his way up through the ranks over a 21-year period before becoming Chief.
Parker Police Department Goals
One of Chief King’s main goals was to move the Department into a new police facility that is “purpose built” so that the Police Department can continue to provide exceptional service for the long-term. That goal became a reality when the Police Department moved into its new home in December 2010. Chief King also implemented traditional black and white police cars during 2007 and 2008 giving the police officers a very identifiable appearance.
The community policing and a problem solving approach to crime-fighting remain a high priority for the Department, as well as the development of community partnerships. The Department is also working toward accreditation through the Commission on Law Enforcement Accreditation (CALEA) which is a multi-year process.
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