Morrison Police chief placed on administrative leave

MORRISON, Colorado — Morrison’s police chief is on leave amid an investigation, according to a release from the town manager.

The release obtained Tuesday by 9NEWS says Chief Bill Vinelli was placed on administrative leave on Nov. 4. It does not say why he was placed on leave and indicates that the town will not comment further while an investigation takes place.

According to his bio on the town’s website, Vinelli has more than three decades of law enforcement experience.

Last month, 9NEWS was the first to report that Vinelli hired Morrison Officer Richard Norton despite the fact that he was recommended for termination from his prior department for violating policies.

Norton had previously served as a Broomfield Police officer but resigned in 2022 after an internal investigation found that he had violated five department policies. The investigation found that he “sent inappropriate and unwanted messages of a sexual nature to four of your female co-workers” and that his “actions created an intimidating, hostile, and offensive working environment.”

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The chief of Broomfield Police notified Norton that he would be terminated. Norton resigned before that happened.

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Those circumstances required Vinelli to justify hiring him to the Colorado Peace Officers Standards and Training Board, which certifies law officers in the state.

“The Morrison Police Department feels that the information we have gathered does not preclude him from being a good fit as an officer for our department,” Vinelli wrote.

When asked, the town manager said the investigation into Vinelli was unrelated to his decision to hire Norton.