Southwest Life - The Durango Herald

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Public land debates recur time and again

Looking back 30 years to the first column I wrote in this space, I was struck by the seemingly unending nature of the threats to our public lands. In January 1996, the so-called Gingrich rev...

Durango/La Plata Senior Center 2424 Main Ave., 382-6445 Monday 9:30 a.m.: Intermediate Tai-Chi 10:30 a.m.: Neo Delphi Meeting, Chair Yoga 12:30 p.m.: Cribbage, Duplicate Bridg...

DATE: Jun 18, 2026 | CATEGORY: Community

Boulder bet $34 million to land Sundance. High lodging prices are raising concerns

Some homes are listed for more than $5,000 a night

DATE: Jun 17, 2026 | CATEGORY: Southwest Life

Bridge scores

Durango Bridge Club online and in-person play. All pairs received 50+ percent June 5 – Open Pairs First: D. Squires/E. Dorminy Second: S. Brown/C. Campbell Third: D. Tavarez...

DATE: Jun 17, 2026 | CATEGORY: Community

Corruption scandals from Denver to Washington dragged down Republicans as the 1876 election began

Convention delegates from the Colorado GOP traveled to Cincinnati to pick a presidential nominee

DATE: Jun 17, 2026 | CATEGORY: Southwest Life

An endangered fish needed saving. The feds, high schoolers and a baseball team stepped in

On a recent warm night, a batter cracked a hit deep into the lush outfield at Grand Junction’s downtown baseball field, and fans of the city’s new team erupted in joy. Their screams welcomed...

DATE: Jun 17, 2026 | CATEGORY: Southwest Life

John Aaland of Durango named to BVU’s Spring 2026 dean’s list

John Aaland was named to Buena Vista University’s Spring 2026 dean’s list. Aaland was among more than 520 students named to the dean’s list this semester. The dean’s list recognizes full-tim...

DATE: Jun 17, 2026 | CATEGORY: Community

County commissioners host ‘On the Road’ meetings this summer

The La Plata County Board of County Commissioners will hold its “On the Road” public meeting series at several locations in La Plata County this summer. The meetings, which are open to all c...

DATE: Jun 17, 2026 | CATEGORY: Community

Durangoan named to UT Tyler honor roll

Durangoan Carter Neiman, a student in the Soules College of Business at the University of Texas at Tyler was named to the spring 2026 President’s Honor Roll. To qualify for the President’s H...

DATE: Jun 17, 2026 | CATEGORY: Community

Kimberly Caldwell graduates from Graceland University

Graceland University has announced the Spring 2026 graduation list. Graduates from around the country and the world have been recognized for earning undergraduate and graduate degrees from G...

DATE: Jun 17, 2026 | CATEGORY: Community

Solymar Cosio earns scholarship

Durango’s Court St. Anthony No. 1248 of the Catholic Daughters of the Americas announces that Solymar Cosio is the recipient of its $1,000 scholarship for 2026. Cosio is a resident of Ignac...

DATE: Jun 17, 2026 | CATEGORY: Community

And the West is History: Horseshoe Club – ca. 1906

DATE: Jun 15, 2026 | CATEGORY: And the West is History

Photos: Battle of the Animas

Photos: Animas River Days

Photos: Iron Horse Bicycle Classic mountain bike racesPlenty of spectators packed Steamworks Brewing Company on Sunday

Plenty of spectators packed Steamworks Brewing Company on Sunday

Photos: Iron Horse Bicycle Classic pro road racesCyclists had beautiful day to ride into Silverton on Saturday

Cyclists had beautiful day to ride into Silverton on Saturday

Photos: Durango High School graduation ceremony

Photos: Durango Big Picture High School graduates receive diplomas

Durango police chief says technology name of game in modern policingAI bodycams, first responder drones and more in store for DPD

Artificial intelligence, drone first responders and body cameras that can translate 50 languages aren’t far-flung concepts of some opaque Hollywood future anymore. Even in Durango, they are becoming staples of modern policing.Durango Police Department is embracing technological advancements in what Police Chief Brice Current described to city councilors earlier this year as a “cautious” yet “progressive” approach.Since at least April, Current has stressed how DPD’s top priority with new technology is reinforcing public safety. Since at least April, Current has attended various community meetings about new technology the police department is adopting, where he’s stressed how DPD’s top priority with new technology is to reinforce public safety. He has also addressed residents’ concerns about how powerful some new technologies, including Flock Safety and other automated license plate reader cameras, have become – an ongoing conversation between DPD, the city and advocates for tighter automated license plate reader regulations in Durango.At a Kiwanis Club of Durango meeting last month, for example, Current addressed Flock cameras and drones, and also the importance of trust and accountability for law enforcement.“It is healthy for the public – if we’re going to be one Durango and we’re going to work together – to question government. I question government,” he said.

Current said accountability for officers and third-party technology services is necessary, and that requires education and transparency.Evoking laughter, Current showed a video clip of a drone launching a net at a person.“It requires no training, no policy, and there’s no way we’re ever going to use this,” he said. “There’s lots of other technology out there that is really cool, but just doesn’t fit in Durango right now.”Grappler systems that cast nets to trap a car’s tires are no longer gadgets used only by Batman in films and comic books. Current said Castle Rock uses just such a system. But they aren’t a good fit for Durango.“Those are great tools, don’t get me wrong, but there’s some – like facial recognition, some other things – that just aren’t going to fit in this community and shouldn’t fit here for a long time,” he said.New technologies at DPDDraft One AI Reporting by Axon is an audio transcription service that can identify multiple people in a body camera recording and produce a police report based on what is captured.Current said he held off on trying a demo of Draft One for a long time, because although DPD has used transcription services for years, he didn’t feel comfortable bringing an AI-generated police report to court.But AI transcription technology has come a long way, he said.“This system can take five different people or more at a time and assign who they are and transcribe what they’re saying in the report,” he said.Another benefit, he said, is it trains officers to speak into their body cameras more regularly to record what they are thinking and observing. That helps the veracity of officers’ testimony in court.“When you’re pulling a vehicle over, you used to say in court, ‘(The suspect is) reaching under the seat. I saw him doing some stuff that made me feel nervous.’ And the jury’s like, ‘Hmm, you’re saying that now because you found 2 pounds of dope in his car. But is that really what you’re thinking?’” Current said.Now, officers speak directly into their body cameras to capture not just what the body camera sees but what they are thinking and how they are processing a situation as it unfolds.“‘I’m feeling pretty nervous right now. He keeps reaching under his car (seat).’ They’re talking to their camera. ‘He’s waited two blocks to turn to pull over. That’s odd,’ ... It’s teaching the officer to talk more about what they’re feeling in the reports,” he said.DPD is using Draft One transcripts in misdemeanor cases, although it hasn’t begun using them in felony cases, Current said. But he is confident it will start using them in felony cases soon.The police department’s body cameras are now able to livestream video to the police station and 911 dispatchers at the Durango Emergency Communications Center, allowing first responder agencies to monitor situations in real time.Current said DPD is looking into getting language translation capabilities in 50 different languages for body cameras, but that feature comes with a higher price tag and the police department is waiting on grant funding to make a move.DPD is also implementing AI software into its internal systems to quickly search statutes to determine what charges might best match a situation, to flag internal affairs reviews if officer misconduct is detected in video footage, and more.

By now, residents may have noticed one or both of the drone first responders DPD deployed this year to survey incidents faster than officers can reasonably be expected to arrive on scene.Police used a drone last month to locate a missing boy near the Animas River. The drone deployed from Durango Fire Protection District Station No. 1 downtown and arrived in the general area the boy was last seen – behind the Durango Mall – in just a few minutes.Police also deployed a drone last week to the scene of a fatal shooting near Durango Skate Park.Within two minutes of the shooting, police launched a drone and got an aerial view of the scene “within seconds” of it being launched, according to a DPD news release.A second drone was launched a minute later.“The Durango Police Department’s Drone as First Responder system arrived above the scene before officers,” the release said. “The drone operator was able to see that there was no further gunfire taking place as officers approached the area. This technology provided officers with real-time information and helped them arrive with a stronger understanding of what was happening on scene.”The two drones operate on about a 2-mile radius with flight times of about 40 minutes.

‘We’ve learned to vet them’DPD and the city began to face harsher scrutiny from residents last year after members of DeFlock Durango performed records requests for Flock audits that revealed vehicle and license plate data was appearing in searches by law enforcement agencies across the country that have 287(g) cooperation agreements with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.Flock Safety has faced pushback from communities around the country for what some opponents of ALPRs call a mass surveillance system of Orwellian proportions. Critics have bashed Flock for providing data to federal law enforcement, for questionable privacy policies when it comes to captured data and for a lack of oversight on how police departments use data.

Current has repeatedly insisted Flock cameras do not constitute “mass surveillance,” although he has acknowledged privacy and abuse of power concerns.He said things are changing for the better with Flock after it faced backlash for working with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.He said DPD has always dealt with third-party technology services, and over time it’s leaned to vet companies it partners with.When legislation required police to start wearing bodycams, police had issues with camera companies not storing data as required by law.“Do we trust these groups? Well, we've learned to vet them,” he said.cburney@durangoherald.com

AI bodycams, first responder drones and more in store for DPD