By Shannon Lukens.
Steamboat Springs Police Chief Mark Beckett is speaking out about challenges in the country, and their effects on our community. He has written a letter (below) to the community about it. He has included his family’s personal experience of losing a transgender child to suicide and how talking about these things as a community can help.
“It’s deeply personal for us; it resonates for us. When our child was struggling with things in Arizona, we really struggled to get support. We were able to connect with some nonprofits there, like 1 in 10, that were great, and they’re here now. But we struggled. What I’ve learned since our child passed was that there are so many people that are struggling with these things and their children are struggling with these same things and when you start putting out to people that you have experienced the same stuff, they come forward, and they want to talk about it. And I think that as we start to talk as a community, we will realize that many more of us are struggling with the same things and we will start to stand up together.”
The Beckett’s teenage son, Jack, died in October of 2021. Their family then moved to Steamboat Springs in July of 2022.
He was appointed interim chief in January 2023, and was officially appointed in September of 2023.
He says leaders need to step up because of the current political dynamics, which is one of the reasons he is speaking out and has asked Steamboat Radio News to share his letter (below).
“We’ve been through some challenging times in the last year and more recently with some of the political dynamics. It’s time for leaders to step up in this county. We hear about it. We talk about it. We’ve heard about some of the concerns in the Hispanic and the Queer community. It’s great to have meetings about these things. It’s great to try to get resources to them. But until the leaders step up and start being vocal about it, I don’t think anything is going to change. It was hard for me to do but it had to be done and I’m happy to have been able to do it.”
Letter from Steamboat Springs Police Chief Mark Beckett; Feb. 10, 2025.
Uncertainty. It’s a root cause of so many issues in our community. Uncertainty about housing. Uncertainty about income. Uncertainty about where somebody’s next meal is coming from. Uncertainty around basic human rights. The recent changes in the federal government’s positions on things like immigration, gender identity, queer rights, education, and income have compounded these uncertainties across the country.
When my family came to this community a little over two years ago, we did so to be part of a community where we could raise our children to be inclusive and open minded. We’ve found this community to be exactly that. So, when I hear the concerns of our Hispanic and Queer communities, it breaks my heart. You see, our oldest child, Jack, was transgender. Jack struggled in life and, although our family did everything we could to support Jack, he took his life in 2021. Although this devastated our family, it also galvanized our resolve to support all vulnerable communities. I bring this resolve to the community in my role as the chief of police for the City of Steamboat Springs.
I’m proud to say that I’ve seen overwhelming support for the vulnerable communities in Steamboat Springs. But we have more work to do. Routt County is in the midst of a mental health crisis. We’ve seen unprecedented numbers of suicide. Immigration status has families afraid to send their children to school and parents afraid to show up for work. People are afraid to call the police for help. Reality can be scary. But we need to support one another.
Our schools are incredibly supportive of our youth. Our local government and public safety support all members of our community. We have some of the best leaders I’ve ever worked with and hands down the best non-profits around. As we move through these uncertain times, we must remember how scary a time it is for some members of our community, and we need to stand together to support them. I encourage everybody in our community to talk, ask questions, challenge ideas, respect one another and to continue making Steamboat Springs the special place it is. To all our vulnerable communities, we are here for you.