THE END OF INNOCENCE

SUMMIT COUNTY - Assault suspects sent to prison, pot seized by the
pound, tens of thousands of dollars in tool thefts, gas stations
exploding - it sounds like news headlines from an urban metropolis.
But that was Summit County in 2004.

As the year closes, citizens are beginning to realize what cops and
court workers have known for some time: With growth come the growing
pains that make big cities the hectic, and sometimes dangerous, places
they can be.

And unfortunately, those in the business of crime and punishment don't
see life going back to the way it used to be in the mountains.

In September, the third of three suspects in one of Breckenridge's
most heinous crimes was sent to prison.

Emerging from the shadows, the county's multi-agency drug task force
made headlines with numerous raids, seizures and arrests this year.

Agents and police officers seized cocaine, marijuana, methamphetamines
and other drugs - some from individuals just passing through town,
some from renters growing and manufacturing the drug in homes, some
from local business owners.

The task force's missteps were also quite public: One failed raid in
Frisco caused a couple to leave town and file a demand for $300,000 in
compensation from police.

Property crimes - always a constant in Summit County - rose to new
heights in 2004. No longer is it just skis and snowboards disappearing.

This year, thieves hit construction companies and contractors
especially hard, making off with more than an estimated $100,000 in
tools in numerous instances. The rash of burgling led to a summit
between law enforcement officers and tradespeople in an effort to come
up with strategies for reducing theft and catching the criminals. No
arrests have been made, however, and thefts continue.

The year also saw a changing of the guard in law enforcement. A new
chief arrived in Silverthorne, Kent Donahue, a new sheriff was elected
in the person of John Minor, and, sadly, the passing of a Summit
County law enforcement fixture.

Dillon Police Chief Gary Cline, a three-decade resident and also
veterans affairs administrator for the county, died suddenly in July.
His life was celebrated with a military parade from Breckenridge to
Dillon and a memorial at the Lake Dillon Amphitheatre.

The urbanization of Summit County leads more and more people to lock
their doors, install home security systems and wonder where small-town
life went.

In fact, a rash of false alarms caused the Sheriff's Office and
Breckenridge Police Department to bring alarm companies to the table
for better performance.

In at least one case, alarms systems led to more crime. In March,
David "Buckskin" Walt, a prospecting log cabin-dweller known for his
dress in animal hides, pleaded guilty to possession of explosives.
Walt's prison sentence was handed down for his wiring of his cabin
with bombs after his landlord evicted him.

But while Summit might seem to be racing into the future, at least two
stories harken to times of yore. Breckenridge police used a federal
grant to put officers back on the street beat, patrolling Main Street
on foot every day of the week.

In a similar vein, the Red, White and Blue Fire Protection District
put firefighters on bicycles so that life-saving care could reach
victims while fire trucks were stuck in traffic.

In another firefighting development, the Snake River and Lake Dillon
fire protection districts announced their intention to consolidate to
improve fire safety.