(EL PASO COUNTY, Colo.) — The El Paso County Sheriff’s Office (EPSO) announced the launch of their Community Service Specialist (CSS) Unit, which aims to bolster services in El Paso County.

The Unit is expected to enhance the level of service provided to approximately 200,000 citizens who reside and work in unincorporated El Paso County, according to EPSO.

The CSS Unit is comprised of uniformed civilian personnel who respond to calls for service that are not in progress and do not involve injuries to involved parties, says EPSO. Types of calls CSS might respond to include Motor Vehicle Theft, Burglary, Trespass Into a Vehicle or Onto Property, Theft, Identity Theft/Fraud, Criminal Mischief, Lost/Found Property, Abandoned Vehicles and Traffic Control for accident scenes and other hazards.

CSS personnel do not have arrest authority but can file criminal investigation reports, collect evidence and support EPSO sworn personnel in a variety of other ways.

Two initial members of CSS began their 140 hours of training in June 2022 by learning Colorado state statutes, EPSO policies and procedures, report writing, interviewing and criminal investigation. They received self-defense training and are certified to carry pepper spray. Furthermore, CSS members became certified in Crisis Intervention after 40 hours of instruction. Additionally, they spent six more weeks of field training being coached by sworn deputies to provide timely responses to emergency situations.

EPSO expects CSS to expand in 2023. The Sheriff’s Office says they are “committed to providing innovative, valued, and quality service to our neighbors here in the Pikes Peak region, and the initiation of our new CSS Unit further exemplifies this commitment.”