Estes Park Trail-Gazette: A recent audit of the Estes Park Police Department (EPPD) has revealed significant inconsistencies in the management of Internal Affairs (IA) records. The findings, particularly concerning the actions of former Captain Eric Rose, have raised serious concerns about the department’s practices and the potential intent behind the destruction of crucial files.

The audit, led by retired Police Chief Luke Hecker, disclosed that the EPPD had been following an informal, unwritten practice of destroying substantiated IA records ten years after a complaint was filed. This practice directly conflicted with the formal policy requiring such records to be retained for ten years post-separation of the employee involved. Between 1990 and 2018, 18 substantiated IA files were prematurely destroyed, violating both town and state retention policies.

Captain Eric Rose, who served as the IA records custodian from 2008 until his death in 2021, emerged as a central figure in the audit’s findings. Rose was found to have frequently accessed the evidence room without proper logging, a clear breach of department protocols. During his tenure, he destroyed 16 IA files, often without documenting his entries and exits.

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