Church & State

NEDERLAND

A photo of Deputy Barney Fife from The Andy Griffith Show hangs on the wall of Sergeant Larry Johns’ office in Nederland. And though it’s amusing—even endearing—I come to learn that it’s also representative of so much in this two-by-two mile mountain town.

Before my ride along starts, Johns has things he has to tend to first. He spends time returning phone calls to feuding neighbors; he watches the office handyman boast a fresh coat of paint on the walls; and he helps a local towing company owner pick out signs to hang around town. It would be easy to label Nederland as a close community, but that doesn’t quite do it justice. It’s a place that feels pulled from the past with its simplicity and easiness—an amiability that wraps around you.

In his 12 years at the department, Sergeant Johns has seen Nederland fill up and grow up. There’s no available housing left now, the tax base has come back, and the city has forged a better relationship with the Boulder County Sheriff (who uses the town’s police headquarters as a substation). But what really stands out about this community isn’t its statistics, it’s the authentic, quirky charm. All over, you’ll find every type of house—from small and eclectic to new and spacious—interspersed with even more diverse businesses as proof of Johns’ remark that “there’s truly every kind of demographic up here.”

Aside from structures, the people themselves are loveable characters. Some commute to Boulder for work, some get things done from home, and most are under the age of 50—drawn here for the proximity to outdoor pursuits, like fishing in Barker Reservoir. Collectively, they’re an eco-conscious group of people. “They all believe in sustainability and preserving the ecosystem. For instance, people are very into composting here—the whole zero waste thing is big,” Johns explains. And in addition to knowing the Sergeant on a first name basis—“I’ve been looking for you all over, Larry!”—they present Johns with problems that require the help of a school mediator more than they do the law, but, he’s happy to help just the same. “Crime is pretty mild here. Fortunately,” he confirms.

We meet up with a grizzly looking man whom Johns takes the time to talk with about his day because he knows the man gets lonely. At one point the Sergeant is called out to jumpstart a car. And we go to a retirement home to check on a woman for her daughter. Through it all, Johns’ incredibly patient and warmhearted nature—along with a very much intact sense of humor—speaks volumes for how much he loves this place and its people, whose stories he knows all of. He’s a necessary blend of both Deputy Fife and Sheriff Taylor for what is a Coloradan version of Mayberry