Former Commerce City Police Department Commander Charlie Schoepflin will serve as interim police chief for the city of Monte Vista, beginning the week of Jan. 5. Former chief of police Tyler Harford resigned in November after being charged with third degree assault and disorderly conduct.
Schoepflin worked with the Commerce City Police Department for nearly 25 years before joining the 2nd Judicial District Attorney’s Office in Denver.
“With extensive experience, among other things, in community policing, criminal investigations, crime prevention strategies and team building and leadership he brings a fresh look to our law enforcement team,” Monte Vista City Manager Gigi Dennis said in a release.
A public meeting will be held at the Ski Hi Events Center in Monte Vista on Monday. Jan. 12, at 5 p.m. to meet and greet Schoepflin.
During his time with the Commerce City PD, Schoepflin supervised the department’s K-9 Unit, was a member of SWAT, worked on the North Metro Drug Task Force and supervised the investigation’s unit. He ended his time there as the commander of the Support Operations Bureau.
In a Facebook post announcing his retirement, the Commerce City PD said, “He’s mentored countless young officers and supervisors, and we are proud to recognize his service.”
Before leaving Commerce City, Schoepflin was named as one of five finalists for the Aspen chief of police.
Before he was brought in to serve as interim chief, MVPD Sgt. Robert Pino acted as Monte Vista’s chief.
Harford, who was hired as chief in April 2025 after a nationwide search, was on the job for less than a year before he was alleged to have assaulted someone at a park in Saguache in October. He was arraigned in early December and will appear in court again on Jan. 22.
According to the Colorado Police Officer Standards and Training database, Harford resigned on Nov. 28 while still under investigation.
The Salida Police Department was conducting the outside investigation into Harford’s conduct. A voicemail was left with Salida PD asking for confirmation on whether the investigation is still ongoing, but a response was not received before publication.
Before Harford, Sean McDonagh served as Monte Vista’s chief for less than a year, but due to internal strife with city administration he resigned after months of closed-door negotiations. He was hired in July 2024.
Current Alamosa Chief of Police George Dingfelder held the MVPD chief position before McDonagh.