County hires criminal justice coordinator

Larimer County will try to make its criminal justice system more efficient by having a person looking at how all of the pieces work together.

The county has selected Angela Erker of Fort Collins from 82 applicants to be its first criminal justice coordinator at a salary of $73,000. Erker has 14 years of experience working in the field of criminal justice.

She will be responsible for identifying issues, developing strategies, monitoring data, tracking legislation and coordinating matters involving the criminal justice system.

"I believe Larimer County's criminal justice agencies are progressive and groundbreaking in regards to their collaborative efforts and innovative work," Erker said, adding that she is excited about helping the system "operate in a smooth, synchronized fashion, while saving crucial county resources."

Continuing a movement under way for two years in Larimer County, Erker will champion a collaborative relationship among the county's criminal justice agencies such as law enforcement, corrections and the courts.

"With limited resources at all levels of government, at the same time as demand is increasing, it is more important than ever that we have coordination between all the facets of the criminal justice system," said county manager Frank Lancaster.

Lancaster said although this position is a relatively new concept, it has been adopted in communities from Florida to Texas to Wisconsin.

For the past seven years, Erker has worked in Fort Collins as a probation officer and community resource coordinator for the 8th Judicial District. Erker also spent three years in Denver as a probation program review analyst and has worked as a planning and grants officer for the division of criminal justice in Denver. She also worked with the Adams County Corrections Program.

Erker holds a bachelor of science degree in psychology with a dual minor in sociology and criminal justice from Colorado State University. She will work out of the county commissioners' office on the second floor of the Larimer County Courthouse Offices Building in Fort Collins, 200 W. Oak St.