With goals of working in law enforcement and a love for the scenery and wildlife in Estes Park, Jessi Mogensen, the Town’s code enforcement officer, was eager to hop into a position working as a community service officer for the Estes Park Police Department.
Mogensen moved to Colorado from her hometown in Chicago to attend Colorado State University, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in criminology. After a few trips to Estes with her father and an open job application, Mogensen found her new home in Estes Park.
“I love the scenery, it’s such a gorgeous town,” said Mogensen. “Being able to drive into the Park and see the wildlife, I love the wildlife.”
As a community service officer, her work has dealt mainly with traffic, medical, and animal issues in downtown Estes.
After several close encounters with elk, Mogensen said she has learned that clapping her hands and yelling is a good tactic to protect herself.
“I usually do that if they’re too close or if they’re coming at me,” said Mogensen. “Usually downtown, you just try to keep your distance.”
Elk, however, aren’t the only animals Mogensen finds herself coming into contact with.
“One of my biggest calls, I feel like, is dogs at large, running around, off-leash, stuff like that,” said Mogensen, who carries dog treats and toys in her car. “I’ve even had instances where it was a loose dog running around the road, and I’ll pull over and just open my door and they run and jump right in, so that’s always fun.”
After working as a CSO for four years, Mogensen moved into her current position as a code enforcement officer. Her job involves enforcing the municipal code, conducting vacation home rental inspections, monitoring weeds, addressing parking violations, and rescuing loose dogs.
Mogensen says she also helps with other town departments, such as public works, the Town Clerk’s office, and community development.
“I had at one point assisted parks and wildlife with ‘tranking’ (tranquilizing) an elk and getting a metal chair off her neck,” said Mogensen.
While her work within the town varies, Mogensen finds excitement by staying involved in the community, walking around downtown, driving through neighborhoods where she can greet people, and giving out dog treats she keeps handy to make friends with local canines.
“I have a couple of meetings coming up where I’m going to be with the HOAs of different neighborhoods and present some issues that I see are common,” said Mogensen. “I also did a presentation at one of the Coffee and Tea events with the Estes Park PD.”
Coffee and Tea at the PD is held on the first Thursday of the month in the Town Board Atrium at Town Hall and allows community members to meet with police department members informally.
Mogensen said that a lot of people don’t realize they are violating the Town’s code, so her job often includes just making them aware and monitoring to make sure they come into compliance through information. She also helps with updating the wording of the Town code to make it clearer for residents in the community.
Her biggest concerns are safety around wildlife and dealing with noxious weeds.
“They look like flowers, but they can be pretty harmful,” said Mogensen. “I know, especially cheatgrass, they can easily catch on fire and spread.”
During the Alexander Mountain Fire in July of 2024, Mogensen helped shut down roads and ensure people had evacuated the necessary areas.
Mogensen hopes to become a police officer with the Estes Park PD. She is currently working on her master’s degree in forensic psychology.
When she is not working, you can find her hiking in Rocky Mountain National Park, baking homemade bread, and being a mom to her own dog, 85-pound pitbull Odin.