Department History

1981

The Town of Parker incorporated in 1981 and began work on becoming a full service community. One of the first major goals for the Town was to form its own Police Department to maintain the overall safety of the newly-formed Town. The founders of the Town realized early on that public safety was a hallmark of a successful municipality.

1983

The Parker Police Department officially took to the streets in 1983 on a part-time basis led by Chief Larry Myers and one police officer. The new department was headquartered in the old Parker Community Center on Mainstreet, affectionately known as the "Quonset Hut." The squad car fleet consisted of two used Plymouth Fury's that were purchased from the Colorado State Patrol and were marked with a decal depicting the 20 Mile House on each front door. The police officers wore a uniform consisting of light brown trousers, a dark brown shirt, and a cowboy hat.

1985

As the Town grew, so did the Police Department. The year 1985 ushered in a new police chief and several new officers. The department was now led by Chief Dick Scherwitz and a staff of 8 police officers. This was also the year in which the department purchased its first new police cars, two 1985 Chevy Impalas and a 1985 Chevy K-5 Blazer. These new cars were marked with dark blue stripes that ran the length of the car with "PARKER POLICE" horizontally marked on the doors. Along with the new cars came the adoption of the dark blue uniform that is still worn today.

1988

In 1988, the police department moved from the Quonset Hut to a new facility that housed both the Police Department and Town Hall. This building is the blue building with the clock tower next to the current Town Hall on Mainstreet in downtown Parker.

1989

1989 brought another new police chief, Mike Chick, who came to Parker after many years serving with other area police departments. Chief Chick brought many new ideas and improvements to the department and implemented the Town's first computer-aided dispatch system in 1990. In 1993, the patrol cars were upgraded to Ford Crown Victoria's which sported a new red, white, and blue "ZZ Top" style striping package.

1994

In December 1994, the Police Department moved to the facility on Parker Square Drive. Many long-time residents of Parker remember the police station being the former Sun Savings. The Police, Building, and Planning departments all occupied what was then called the "Parker Municipal Annex." Leadership of the Police Department changed again in 1995 as Tom Cornelius took the reins. Cornelius was passionate about community policing concepts, implementing them throughout the organization. Community policing remains a top priority for the department's mission.

1996

Another striping change to the squad cars occurred in 1996, consisting of gold, burgundy, and purple stripes and a contemporary style "Parker Police" lettering on the doors.

2000

The millennium brought with it a major technology shift with the implementation of a suite of highly advanced computer systems to meet the needs of a rapidly growing community. These systems consisted of a new computer-aided dispatch system, a new records management system, and, for the first time, mobile data computers. Officers now had the ability to check for arrest warrants and stolen cars right from the patrol car. The officers were now able to complete police reports electronically from their mobile computer.

2007

A new Police Chief was sworn in during 2007, but this time the Police Department's new "top cop" would be one of its own. David King took over as the 5th chief of the department. Chief King worked his way up through the ranks over a 21-year period before becoming Chief.

2010

In December 2010, the Police Department moved into its new home. The new station allows the department to provide services to the community in a more efficient manner. The 53,000-square-foot facility accommodates all police functions under one roof.

2013

2013 brought another major milestone for the Police Department: state and national accreditation. The Parker Police Department is one out of 6 law enforcement agencies in Colorado to be accredited through the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. (CALEA) and the Colorado Association of Chiefs of Police.

2020

A new decade, a new Chief. Deputy Chief Jim Tsurapas was named the Chief of Police for the Parker Police Department on June 9, 2020. He began his career with the Parker Police Department in 1993 as a volunteer reserve officer and was hired on as a full-time officer in 1995. He promoted through the ranks as a Sergeant, Lieutenant, Captain, and in 2016, he was named Deputy Chief.