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So long as I am Mayor, we will not abolish the Denver Police Department. We will not erode the capacity of our law enforcement and first responders to keep our communities, neighborhoods, schools and homes in Denver, safe. (Thread)
We WILL continue to innovate and implement equitable, unbiased and racially-informed reforms that strengthen, rather than weaken, the bonds of trust between communities of color and our police – many of whom are people of color.
@CityofDenver is a national leader when it comes to innovations and reforms in law enforcement. Here's what we've done:
Mandated the use of body-cams – for both on and off-duty police officers, for SWAT officers during tactical operations, and now sheriff deputies this year
Mandated the use of body-cams – for both on and off-duty police officers, for SWAT officers during tactical operations, and now sheriff deputies this year
Implemented mandatory implicit bias training for policeBegun strategic recruitment of police officers with an emphasis on diversity and different life experiences
Created internal system to identify officers who may not be violating policy but whose performance and interactions with the public warrant concernRequired reporting of demographic information for all police stopsEliminated some jail fees and cash bail
Decriminalized marijuana public-consumption tickets and launched the 'Turn Over a New Leaf' programAdopted sentencing reforms to limit fines and jail time for low-level quality-of-life crimes
Launched and supported multiple specialty courts, including Homeless, Sobriety and Drug courtsBanned choke- and strangle-holds and shooting into moving vehicles, among many other use of force changesIncreased authority for the Office of Independent Monitor
Increased authority for the Office of Independent Monitor;Required retention of body-camera video recorded in Denver’s jailsImproved police disciplinary processDenver police have a duty to intervene
Mandatory de-escalation tactics – because we recognized several years ago that this training was critical to reducing instances of excessive forceNew de-escalation training for firefighters and paramedicsSignificantly increased community policing
Launched the new Support Team Assisted Response (STAR) pilot to team up unarmed medics, mental-health professionals and navigators to help those in need of helpStarted and expanded our co-responder program
Established a Case Manager Hub in every police district to better connect people in crisis with medical, mental health and other services Begun preparing for the upcoming opening of the Solutions Center crisis-stabilization center
Added after-hours and weekend navigators to help released inmates connect to housing, transportation and mental-health and other supportsCreated a progressive, community-shaped Use of Force policy for both the police and sheriff department
Required all police officers to file detailed use-of-force reports whenever they draw their weaponsInitiated police-conduct investigations even without a formal complaint being filed
Public Safety in Denver is guided by our Opportunity Index, so we can get to the root causes of crime and address them, not just respond to the outcomes of it.And we are not done.
