EASTERN PLAINS CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

November chamber meeting highlights

By Lauren Tam

At the November meeting of the Eastern Plains Chamber of Commerce, attendees heard from two community leaders: Ryan Bailey, principal of Patriot Applied Learning Campus, and El Paso County Sheriff Joseph Roybal.

Patriot Campus: A real-world approach to education

Principal Ryan Bailey shared how Patriot Applied Learning Campus is expanding its hands-on, career-connected education model. Now serving grades 8-12, the school requires that every class have real-world application. “Learning has to be tied to something students can use,” Bailey said. “It’s not just about what happens in the classroom; it’s about preparing them for life.”

The applied learning model includes Friday Pathway Design Courses, three-to four-hour immersive sessions in areas such as culinary arts, construction, graphic design and internships in local businesses and schools. Bailey encouraged chamber members to get involved as mentors, hosts or collaborators: “We want students learning by doing, and doing that in the community.”

Sheriff Joseph Roybal on the sheriff’s office

Regional partnerships

Sheriff Joe Roybal entered into a cross-jurisdictional agreement with Teller County, commissioning their deputies as El Paso County peace officers. This allows for improved coverage in remote areas like Rampart Reservoir, where staffing gaps previously caused delayed response times.“Now, if someone is breaking the law in that zone, it won’t take my deputies two hours to respond,” Roybal said. “We’re thinking differently, and it’s working.”

Physical fitness standards

Starting in 2026, El Paso County will implement Colorado’s only regional law enforcement physical fitness standard. Roybal emphasized the need for deputies to be physically prepared to serve the public and cited military-style models as the framework for the program.

Staffing turnaround

Upon taking office, Roybal faced a major staffing shortage: down 44 deputies, short 14 dispatchers with only three wildland fire volunteers. Today, his office is fully staffed, including 22 wildland fire volunteers and a surplus of deputy hires.

“It’s about culture,” he said. “My team knows I expect the best from them, and they rise to the occasion.”

Mounted patrol and community engagement

Roybal is restoring El Paso County’s Western heritage with a growing mounted patrol. From traffic control on Meridian Road to community parades and safety outreach, the unit has grown to four full-time horses and a trained support team.

Roybal also highlighted Cripple Creek-style community outreach efforts, which include the following: 

A Christmas program supporting mothers and children through Catholic Charities

participation in Cripple Creek’s Cripple Lights

Youth mentorship through public school outreach

Training Academy expansion

The El Paso County Sheriff’s Academy is now open to agencies across the state, free of charge. “You already paid for it with your tax dollars,” Roybal noted. “I’m not going to charge you again.” Departments from Colorado Springs to Fairplay have sent recruits, and the program has become a statewide standard.

Crime and traffic safety

Traffic fatalities in El Paso County dropped for the first time in six years, with speed enforcement now led by a four-deputy traffic unit. Seatbelt usage is up, and the county has moved from No.1 to No. 2 in traffic fatalities in Colorado.

Roybal closed with remarks about firearm legislation, local gun safety compliance and his ongoing fight for what he described as “convenient rights access” for law-abiding citizens. “You may not agree with everything, but you’ll never doubt where I stand, or who I serve,” he said. 

A community in action

From students learning forklift controls and culinary skills to law enforcement officers patrolling on horseback, the message of the November meeting was clear: education, safety and service are strongest when rooted in the community.