TODAY: DEA National Prescription Drug Take Back Day Clean out the medicine cabinet and bring your unused or expired medications to the Durango Police Department for safe, anonymous disposal. 🕙 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. 📍 Durango Police Headquarters — 990 E. 2nd Ave 📍 Durango Police Sub-Station — 545 Wilson Gulch Dr We’re also collecting canned goods and hygiene products for Manna Durango. One stop. Two ways to help your community. #TakeBackDay #DEATakeBack #durangopd #mannadurango #CommunitySafety – at Colorado, USA

PUBLIC SAFETY ALERT: ANIMAS RIVER CLOSURE Friday, October 23, 2026 The Durango Police Department is announcing a temporary closure of the Animas River to recreational boating and floating within the city limits due to ongoing flooding and hazardous river conditions. Effective at 10:00 AM, the restriction applies to the Animas River from Oxbow Park to Dallabetta Park. Heavy rainfall and flooding have created dangerous conditions, including powerful currents, rapidly changing water levels, and the potential for debris and other hazards. These conditions pose a serious threat to public safety. This restriction prohibits recreational boating and floating within the designated area, including rafting, kayaking, canoeing, paddleboarding, and tubing. This restriction is being issued pursuant to the Colorado Revised Statute. These provisions authorize law enforcement officers to restrict recreational watercraft operations when documented emergency conditions create a hazard to human life or safety. Violating a lawfully issued river-use restriction may result in a civil citation. What We Need From the Public • Do not enter the river for recreational boating or floating. • Stay away from flooded riverbanks and restricted access points. • Keep children and pets away from the water. • Do not attempt to cross flooded trails, roads, or low-water crossings. • Follow posted closure signs and instructions from emergency personnel. The restriction will remain in effect through October 24, 2026, at 3:00 AM or when the water level drops below 7 feet or 7200 CFS, subject to reassessment. The Durango Police Department and emergency management partners will continue monitoring conditions and provide updates as information becomes available. We understand the Animas River is an important part of life in Durango. However, current conditions present serious risks, even to experienced river users. No recreational activity is worth risking your life or the lives of the first responders who may be called to rescue you. Thank you for helping us keep our community safe. Durango Police Department Protect • Serve • Care

THIS SATURDAY: DEA National Prescription Drug Take Back Day Clean out the medicine cabinet and bring your unused or expired medications to the Durango Police Department for safe, anonymous disposal. 📅 Saturday, Oct. 24 🕙 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. 📍 Durango Police Headquarters, 990 E. 2nd Ave 📍 Durango Police Sub-Station, 545 Wilson Gulch Dr We’re also collecting donations for Manna Durango, including non-perishable canned goods and hygiene products. One stop. Two ways to help your community. Learn more about Drug Take Back Day at DEATakeBack.com #TakeBackDay #DEATakeBack #DurangoPD #CommunitySafety #MannaDurango

SOMEONE CALL AN ORNITHOLOGIST. WE FOUND A RARE SPECIES. Ranger Mango thought he heard an interesting bird call. After a little investigating, he discovered something much more unusual. A Ranger Tosh. In its natural habitat. Hiding in the bushes. Apparently, Tosh has been practicing his bird calls and is ready to share some real bird knowledge with the rest of us! Bird Behavior & Identification with Ranger Tosh -Thursday, October 22 -5:30 to 7:00 p.m. -Durango Recreation Center Learn about bird behavior, how to identify different species, and who's making all that noise in the trees. Whether you're an experienced birdwatcher or just curious about our feathered neighbors, come join us! No binoculars required. But you might want to keep an eye on the bushes. #DurangoPD #DurangoRangers #BirdWatching #ProtectServeCare #DurangoColorado – at Colorado, USA

🚨 LAST CALL, DURANGO! 🚂 The Durango Pullice Department is pulling a TRAIN this Saturday for Special Olympics Colorado! 💪 10 People. 15 Feet. One Huge Impact. 🎯 Help us reach our $1,500 goal! Donate NOW! 👇 2026 Durango Train Pull - Durango Pullice Department

Indigenous Peoples’ Day | Honoring the Past, Respecting the Present, Building the Future Today, the Durango Police Department joins our community in recognizing Indigenous Peoples’ Day. Durango sits on the ancestral homelands of the Ute people. We recognize and honor the Southern Ute Indian Tribe, the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe, and the many Indigenous people whose histories, cultures, and contributions continue to shape our region. This day is an opportunity to listen, learn, and reflect on the history of Indigenous communities, including the hardships they have endured, while celebrating their resilience, traditions, and lasting contributions. As a police department, we recognize that trust is built through actions, not just words. We remain committed to treating every person with dignity, strengthening relationships, and serving our community with fairness, compassion, and respect. Honoring Indigenous Peoples’ Day means more than acknowledging history. It means recognizing the people, cultures, and communities who are very much part of our present and future. #IndigenousPeoplesDay #DurangoPolice #OneDurango #ProtectServeCare – at Colorado, USA

🌲 Your hiking buddy hopes you never need these skills. They’ll be glad you learned them. Ranger Tosh’s Wilderness First Aid class is a two-parter! Join us for two evenings focused on what to do when an emergency happens outdoors and help may be a hike away. • Thursday, October 8: CPR and heart-related emergencies in the outdoors • Thursday, October 15: Trauma and bleeding 📍 Durango Recreation Center ⏰ 5:30–7 p.m. both nights 💲 Both classes are FREE Whether you’re a weekend hiker, a regular camper, or the person everyone counts on to be prepared, there’s always more to learn. Bring your questions. Bring your adventure buddy. You can never have too much wilderness first aid knowledge. And if Mango starts dancing, you’ll understand when you watch the video. 🕺

NATIONAL PREPAREDNESS MONTH MAY BE ENDING. YOUR PLAN SHOULDN’T. We rely on our phones for just about everything. Contacts. Maps. Weather. Medical information. Directions. But what happens when the battery dies, service disappears, or the network is overloaded? Before September wraps up, take a few minutes to build a backup plan: • Keep a charged power bank and charging cables handy • Write down important phone numbers • Choose a family meeting location • Pick an out-of-area contact everyone knows • Talk about where you’ll go if you need to evacuate • Make sure children know who to call, where to go, and who they can trust • Keep important information somewhere other than your phone Technology is incredibly useful. A plan that only works when technology works isn’t much of a plan. National Preparedness Month ends this week, but preparedness is a year-round job. Build the plan. Talk about it. Then make sure everyone in your household knows it. #NationalPreparednessMonth #DurangoCO #EmergencyPreparedness #ProtectServeCare – at Colorado, USA

WOULD WE BE ABLE TO REACH YOU? Wildfire. Flooding. Severe weather. Other emergencies. When something is happening in your area, getting accurate information quickly matters. LPC Alerts is La Plata County's emergency notification system. It can send alerts by text, phone, and email, and notifications can be targeted to specific affected areas. If you were previously registered for CodeRED, you were automatically enrolled when LPC Alerts replaced it earlier this year. If you aren’t registered, take a couple of minutes and sign up: LPCGov.org/LPCAlerts Then help someone else do the same. Emergency notifications only work if we can reach you. #NationalPreparednessMonth #LPCAlerts #DurangoCO #EmergencyPreparedness – at Colorado, USA

🌿 “Can I eat that?” is a question best answered BEFORE you take a bite. Join Ranger Tosh this Thursday, September 24, for Edible Plants & Wildlife, the next class in his Outdoor Class series. Bring your curiosity and your questions! 📍 Durango Recreation Center ⏰5:30–7 p.m. 💲FREE Keep learning with us! All remaining classes meet Thursdays at the same time and location: • Oct. 1: Wilderness Skills • Oct. 8: Wilderness First Aid, CPR & Heart-Related Emergencies • Oct. 15: Wilderness First Aid Continued: Trauma & Bleeding • Oct. 22: Outdoor Etiquette • Oct. 29: Backpacking Equipment & Skills • Nov. 5: Colorado Bird Behavior & Identification • Nov. 12: Wildlife Behavior & Tracking Save the schedule and share it with your outdoor adventure buddy. See you Thursday! – at Colorado, USA

🎨 ROAD CLOSURE NOTICE | DURANGO AUTUMN ARTS FESTIVAL Heading downtown for the Durango Autumn Arts Festival? Here’s what drivers need to know about closures along E. 2nd Avenue beginning tonight, Friday, Sept. 18. 🚧 Closures begin at 5:30 p.m. in the 900 block of E. 2nd Avenue and will continue south one block at a time each hour, eventually reaching 7th Street. 🚗 8th and 9th Streets will remain open for eastbound and westbound traffic until 10 p.m. Friday. Please plan ahead, watch for barricades and traffic control, and give yourself a little extra time if you’re traveling through downtown. And if the detour happens to lead you toward some local art, food, and music… there are worse problems to have. 🎨 #durangocolorado #durangoautumnartsfestival #RoadClosure #downtowndurango #durangopd

National Co-Responder Week Some calls don’t need handcuffs. They need time, compassion, resources, and someone who knows how to help. This week, we’re proud to recognize Michaela and Sam, our co-responders, along with Molly, their supervisor, for their invaluable work in our community. Michaela and Sam work alongside our officers to help people experiencing mental health, behavioral health, and other complex crises. They bring specialized knowledge to situations that often don’t have a simple solution. They help de-escalate difficult moments, connect people with appropriate services and resources, and provide follow-up that can make a lasting difference long after the initial call is over. Molly helps guide and support that work, making sure our co-responder team has the coordination, resources, and support needed to serve people effectively. Their work gives our officers another option when the underlying problem isn’t necessarily criminal in nature. Sometimes the best outcome isn’t an arrest. It’s getting someone connected to the help they actually need. During National Co-Responder Week, we want to thank Michaela, Sam, and Molly for the compassion, professionalism, and commitment they bring to this work every day. Your work matters, and Durango is better because you’re here. – at Colorado, USA

🚨 A message from Chief Brice Current on road rage 🚨 We've all felt that flash of frustration behind the wheel - but a five-second delay isn't worth a lifetime of consequences. From tailgating to brandished weapons, road rage in our community is turning ordinary drives into dangerous situations. Chief Current's ask is simple: be considerate. You never know what the person next to you is going through. That car is two tons of steel - not a way to settle a dispute. If you are experiencing aggressive or threatening behavior on the road, do not engage. Create distance when you can and call 911. We all have somewhere to be. Let’s make sure everyone gets there safely. 🚗💙 #RoadSafety #durangopd #DriveWithCompassion #RoadRageAwareness #onedurango – at Colorado, USA

🌲 Your next outdoor adventure could use a little Ranger Tosh. Ranger Tosh’s Outdoor Class series kicks off September 17! Join us for free classes covering wildlife encounters, wilderness skills, outdoor first aid, and more. Practical knowledge to help you feel more prepared when you head outside. 📍 Durango Recreation Center 🗓️Thursdays, September 17 through November 12 ⏰5:30–7 p.m. 💲All classes are free. Here’s the fall lineup: • Sept. 17: Animal Encounters: What to Do! • Sept. 24: Edible Plants and Wildlife • Oct. 1: Wilderness Skills • Oct. 8: Wilderness First Aid, CPR and Heart-Related Emergencies • Oct. 15: Wilderness First Aid Continued: Trauma and Bleeding • Oct. 22: Outdoor Etiquette • Oct. 29: Backpacking Equipment and Skills • Nov. 5: Colorado Bird Behavior and Identification • Nov. 12: Wildlife Behavior and Tracking Watch Ranger Tosh’s introduction, save the schedule, and share it with your adventure buddy. We’ll see you Thursday! – at Colorado, USA

Today is National Police Woman Day. More than a century ago, women had to fight simply for the opportunity to wear the badge. Today, women serve throughout law enforcement as patrol officers, investigators, supervisors, instructors, leaders, and much more. Here at the Durango Police Department, the women who wear our badge answer the same calls, carry the same responsibilities, and make the same commitment to this community every day. Today, we're proud to recognize the women of DPD and the professionalism, leadership, experience, and dedication they bring to this department and to the community we serve. To the women of DPD, thank you for showing up and doing the work every single day. One Department. One Community. One Durango.

HAPPY LABOR DAY, DURANGO! 🇺🇸 Today, we recognize the hard work and contributions of workers who help keep our community moving every day. In observance of Labor Day, the Durango Police Department lobby is closed today and will reopen tomorrow during regular business hours. Our officers remain on duty 24/7. For emergencies, call 911. For non-emergency police assistance, call 970-385-2900. Have a safe and enjoyable Labor Day!

SEPTEMBER: NATIONAL PREPAREDNESS MONTH If you had 10 minutes to leave your house, would you be ready? An emergency kit doesn't need to look like you're preparing for the apocalypse. It needs to get you and your household through the first hours or days when normal services may not be available. For Durango, start with: • Water and nonperishable food • Flashlights and extra batteries • First-aid supplies • Prescription medications • Phone chargers and backup power • A battery-powered or hand-crank radio • Copies of important documents • Some cash • Extra clothing and sturdy shoes • Supplies for kids, older adults, or anyone with additional needs • Food, water, medications, and supplies for your pets And don't forget your vehicle. A smaller emergency kit in your car can be just as important as the one at home. You don't have to build everything today. Start with a bag. Add a few things this week. Then keep building. Preparedness isn't about expecting the worst. It's about making sure you're ready when something doesn't go according to plan. durangoco.gov/789/Emergency-… #NationalPreparednessMonth #DurangoCO #EmergencyPreparedness #ProtectServeCare #DurangoPD #OneDurango – at Colorado, USA

🏍️ Durango is about to get a little louder. The 33rd Four Corners Motorcycle Rally rolls into town Sept. 3–6, followed immediately by Labor Day. That means a lot more motorcycles, vehicles, and people sharing our roads this weekend. So, instead of another generic safety lecture, here's the Rally Weekend Road Guide: 🏍️ Look twice for motorcycles. Check mirrors and blind spots before turning or changing lanes. 🚗 Give riders some room. Motorcycles are smaller, harder to see, and much less forgiving when something goes wrong. ↔️ Know the difference between lane filtering and lane splitting. Colorado allows motorcycles to filter through completely stopped traffic at no more than 15 mph when it can be done safely. Passing between moving vehicles is still illegal. 🪖 Riders, gear up.A helmet and protective gear give you a fighting chance when somebody else makes a mistake. 🍺 Plan the ride home before the first drink. If you're drinking, park the bike and find another way home. Most importantly, bring a little patience with you this weekend. More bikes. More traffic. Same roads. Let's share them. #DurangoPD #FourCornersMotorcycleRally #ShareTheRoad #RideSober #DurangoColorado – at Colorado, USA

At tonight’s City Council meeting, Chief Brice Current announced that DPD will not renew its Flock Safety contract in 2027 and will transition its automated license plate reader program to Axon. ALPR will remain an important investigative tool. What is changing is the provider, along with stronger limits on how long information may be accessed and retained. DPD’s safeguards include: • Same as before, every search must be connected to a specific case or investigation and serve an authorized, legitimate law-enforcement purpose. • Effective immediately, routine access is limited to information collected during the preceding seven days. • Searches involving information more than seven days old require reasonable suspicion, supervisor approval, and documentation. • Routine ALPR information will not be retained for more than 21 days unless it must be lawfully preserved. “The easy choice is to choose public safety or privacy. The harder, and more responsible, choice is to insist on both.” Read the full statement: durangoco.gov/m/NewsFlash/ho…