Las Animas County Sheriffs Office

The Las Animas County Sheriff's Office (LASO) is the primary county law enforcement agency serving Las Animas County, Colorado, with headquarters in Trinidad. The Sheriff's Office provides countywide patrol, criminal investigations, detention services, courthouse security, civil process, and emergency response. It also works with local police departments, fire agencies, Colorado State Patrol, and other state and federal partners. The Sheriff's Office has a long history in southeastern Colorado, with documented Las Animas County sheriffs and deputies dating back to the 1870s. Sheriff Juan C. Tafoya was killed in the line of duty in Trinidad in 1872, demonstrating the agency's early law-enforcement history.