Private security force to enforce mask-wearing among ski town spring breakers in Colorado

Droves of spring breakers will soon be headed to Colorado from around the country and the incoming wave of tourists has some mountain town residents concerned with how this might impact the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. With mask rules and other COVID-19-related policies varied between states, one Colorado mountain town is taking extra measures to ensure compliance with local policies amid a flood of visitors.

According to the Breckenridge Town Council, the town will be hiring private security personnel to patrol parts of the town with the goal of enforcing public health orders and local ordinances. This includes enforcing mask wearing in the town's mandatory mask zone, which spans the most trafficked downtown area.

Town council members expressed fear of non-compliance:

"I don't necessarily want to try to stereotype who it is and how it is, but there's a fear that the attitude [...] and the problems that are being given to frontline workers [...] are only going to be worse during the peak two-week period of mid-March," said Rick Holman.

Holman continued, referencing those coming from colleges in the southern states where the same level of COVID rules aren't in place.

"As those people come here, we're having issues," said Holman.

Holman then referenced a previous unsuccessful attempt at increasing rule compliance through a program that involved 'ambassadors,' which reportedly lacked the training and the skill set to manage confrontations with those not wearing masks. The suggestion of hiring a private in-uniform security force followed, with the goal of focusing on the downtown area at the cost of $300 per day per person.

Starting on the 13th of March, occupancy is set to be higher in Breckenridge than 2020 numbers for a stretch of multiple days.

"People are starting to drop their guard and it will become more difficult for frontline workers throughout the month to deal with this," said Eric Mamula in support of the effort.

Expected costs will be $6,000 to $10,000 with one to two security personnel patrolling each day. Security personnel will consist of the same personnel hired in the Breckenridge Municipal Court.

It is unclear how rules will be enforced by the security personnel and whether or not law enforcement will be directly involved.

View the discussion on this topic below. Discussion of hiring a security force starts at approximately one hour and 35 minutes into the February 26 town council meeting.

Breckenridge, part of Summit County, is currently under 'Level Yellow' restrictions, which include the recommendation to stay at home. Gatherings in the area are currently limited to no more than 10, representing no more than two households. Under 'Level Yellow' restrictions, most activities, restaurants, and events are limited to 50 percent capacity. Read more about the current restriction level on the state's 'COVID-19 Dial Dashboard' page.