Dear Mr. McFetridge,

On behalf of the Boulder Police Department SWAT Team and the Boulder County Regional Bomb Squad, I wish to thank you for all of your help in providing an excellent training opportunity for our officers.

With the closing of Twin Peaks Mall in Longmont, you made the vacant portions of the building available to local law enforcement and fire personnel so that we could train in realistic conditions that are rarely available to us. Having the ability to train in an environment where our SWAT and Bomb Teams can use equipment and techniques that can cause significant damage without having to repair or replace items that we may harm is invaluable.

On May 14, 2014, the Boulder Police Department SWAT Team spent the entire day in vacant portions of the mall and we were able to practice breaching doors and other skills that typically have to be simulated due to the damage that can occur. As well, on May 20 and 21, 2014, the Boulder County Regional Bomb Squad held their monthly training in the mall. Their training consisted of similar activities that typically cannot be practiced in a “real life” environment due to the damage that is typically caused.

I know that there will be more opportunities to train at the Twin Peaks Mall prior to demolition and we look forward to working with you in the coming months to make that a reality. Thank you again for your support of our efforts; we greatly appreciate all that you have done to help us.

Sincerely,
Commander Curt Johnson