KUSA – In the midst of a high-profile murder investigation and federal lawsuit involving the death of an officer, the sheriff of Park County, Colorado has been living in Florida.
Sheriff Fred Wegener didn’t seek reelection in 2018 to keep the position he’s held for nearly 20 years. In late July 2018, Wegener sold his home in Grant, Colo. and announced the next month he was retiring on his own schedule.
But Sheriff Wegener didn’t retire. He withdrew his resignation and kept his salary. County commissioners say he rented a place in Park County and took vacation, intending to remain the active sheriff until the end of his term.
On Dec. 6, Wegener responded to an email from 9NEWS questioning his absence from Park County.
“I came down to Florida in August on vacation, as you can imagine I have quite a little bit. I am back and forth, handling the day to day issues by e-mail. Thank you for you (sic) interest.”
Wegener did not say how often he returns to Park County. Park County Undersheriff Dave Wholers told 9NEWS he believes Wegener spends about a week each month in the county before returning to Florida.
There are currently 16 deputies patrolling the county and ten job openings. Wholers said 11 deputies left Park County in 2018.
Post from Fred Wegener's Facebook Page
My Mountain Town Community Calendar
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Through the years, our members have had many discussions of their concerns about the Sheriff and actions taken by the department. They are all gathered in our Park County Political Discussion - SubForum
in The Ring which is viewable by members only due to the content contained within that Forum. To read and contribute to any of the topics within, simply login. This is one such topic: Park County Sheriff's Office - The Ring
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Posts begin 05 July 2010 and end 12 Jun 2016
"Now, more than ever, the illusions of division threaten our very existence. We all know the truth: more connects us than separates us. But in times of crisis the wise build bridges, while the foolish build barriers. We must find a way to look after one another as if we were one single tribe.” -King T'Challa, Black Panther
The truth is incontrovertible. Malice may attack it. ignorance may deride it, but in the end, there it is. ~Winston Churchill
Thanks for the recap for the NEW members SC.......the whole sad saga is part of the reason I
defined Parkco as having a reputation as the wild wild west.....lack of funding,oversight,and
following required procedures. jmo
How often Park County's sheriff is actually working in Colorado
- VIDEO He took a vacation in August and has been handling day-to-day duties through email. Records show how just often Park County Sheriff Fred Wegener visits the Sheriff's Office buildings.
Author: Noel Brennan, 9News
Published: 7:56 PM MST December 27, 2018
The Colorado sheriff who told 9NEWS he took a vacation in August and was handling the job from Florida through email, entered Sheriff’s Office buildings eight times in nearly five months, according to records obtained by 9NEWS.
Records requested by 9NEWS shed light on how often Wegener may be working in the state that elected him. The records show the date and time Wegener entered a sheriff’s office building using a keypad system between Jan. 1 and Dec. 14, 2018.
Park County Undersheriff Dave Wholers told 9NEWS the entry records don’t account for the times staff buzzed Sheriff Wegener through the front door of the Sheriff’s Office headquarters in Fairplay.
Records show Wegener used the keypad entry system more frequently in the months before he claimed to take a vacation. In July, he entered a Sheriff's Office building on 14 different days. Records from August show four entries.
Park County Sheriff Fred Wegener has drawn the ire of taxpayers and negative media attention by opting to spend the final five months of his 20-year-tenure as sheriff on paid leave in Florida.
Wegener sold his home in Park County sometime in the last five months and relocated to Florida, while continuing to accept pay for serving as Sheriff.
In Wegener’s absence, the volume of complaints from Park County residents has predictably increased. Questions posed by residents have also been predictable.
Why did Wegener change his mind about retiring early? Who authorized Wegener to serve his last five months, with pay, in Florida? What are the county commissioners saying about this? And perhaps most importantly, if Wegener is in Florida, who is handling day-to-day affairs on the ground for the PCSO?
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