What Changed

Commissioners in Costilla County, Colorado, passed a resolution on a Tuesday in late August 2026 declaring an "extraordinary law enforcement staffing shortage," according to The Denver Post's report, which Police1 published on August 25. The declaration is meant to help the county seek financial help from the state.

The county sits in rural southern Colorado on the New Mexico border. Its sheriff's office lost most of its personnel this year. In March, the district attorney indicted the former sheriff and four employees on felony and misdemeanor charges. Those charges are allegations. This article is about what the staffing gap means for readiness, not about that case.

The Numbers

These figures come from The Denver Post's reporting:

  • Three officers, the interim sheriff and two deputies, patrol and answer calls across 1,230 square miles.
  • In June, the office had six officers.
  • The county says it needs at least nine deputies, and the budget authorizes 9.5 positions.
  • The officers are working 80 to 90 hours a week, and at times only one officer is on duty.
  • The state provided money and mutual aid after the indictments, but that funding has run out, and other agencies are no longer sending deputies.

Interim Sheriff Joe Smith said: "These folks, frankly, feel like they're treating us as if we're the volunteer fire department."

Why It Matters Operationally

A single deputy covering more than 1,200 square miles is usually the only responder for a long way. If that deputy is hurt in a crash, a fight, or a shooting, backup may be far away and the nearest trauma center farther still. The deputy's first medical help is often their own hands.

The same deputy is also likely to be the first medical responder for civilians: crash victims, assault victims, a hunter with a gunshot wound. Rural EMS often has long response times, and a deputy on a 90-hour week has had little chance to practice the skills needed to hold a patient until an ambulance arrives.

The military plans for this kind of gap. The Joint Trauma System's Prolonged Casualty Care Guidelines CPG describes the need to provide care "for extended periods of time when evacuation or mission requirements surpass available capabilities." It stresses that "planning, training, equipping, and sustainment strategies must be completed prior to" the event. That is a battlefield document. The planning principle still applies to a rural county where help is an hour away.

ODM's Position

Position: Staffing is part of readiness. When a county can't put a second deputy on the road, every deputy has to be able to treat themselves and others until help arrives. The state and county leaders who control the budget are responsible for making that possible.

Evidence: The numbers speak for themselves. One officer on duty, in a huge area, working hours that leave no time for training. The May 2026 TCCC guidelines tell a wounded casualty to "move to cover and apply self-aid if able." For a lone rural deputy, that's often the only option.

Strongest counterpoint: Small rural counties have small tax bases. Some would argue that rebuilding a full sheriff's office isn't sustainable, and that contracting with a neighboring agency or relying on regional support is a better choice than recruiting from scratch. That's a legitimate option. But whatever the staffing model, someone still has to fund training and equipment for the officers who answer the calls.

What good looks like: State support for rural law enforcement that doesn't expire when the news coverage ends. Training brought to the county instead of taking scarce deputies out of it. Every deputy equipped with a personal bleeding-control kit and trained to use it on themselves. Mutual-aid and EMS plans written down in advance, so a lone deputy knows who is coming and how long it will take.

What Your Agency Should Do Now

  • Know your real backup and EMS times for every part of your area, including nights and weekends.
  • Give every officer a personal bleeding-control kit and practice self-aid with either hand.
  • Bring training to your officers when staffing won't let you send them away, using regional partners or mobile instructors.
  • Write prolonged-care guidance with your medical director for calls where EMS is far away.
  • Plan air medical and ground EMS coordination before you need it, including landing zones in remote areas.
  • Document staffing and training gaps in writing to your county board and state officials. That's how the problem ends up in the budget.

Bottom Line

Costilla County's situation is extreme, but many rural agencies face some version of it: too few officers, long distances, and no time to train. When there's only one deputy on duty, that deputy has to be ready to be their own medic, and funding that readiness is a leadership decision.

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