Every Coloradan deserves to feel safe in their own community. That’s why we agree with Gov. Jared Polis’s goal of making Colorado one of the 10 safest states in the nation in the next five years. As problem solvers, community leaders and members of law enforcement, we are proud to support Polis and the legislature’s detailed plan of action in addressing this challenge head on, because the consequences of inaction are too great.
First and foremost, this plan of action represents a commitment to addressing the most pressing issues and needs in Colorado’s communities to prevent crime from happening. This plan to reduce Colorado’s crime rate is based on data and evidence, and is focused on improving the state’s workforce, enhancing community safety, expanding access to behavioral health treatment and support, and reducing recidivism. Addressing public safety in our state requires a focus on addressing the root causes of crime.
Our communities must be included in this shared effort to address crime, which is why this plan empowers communities to make locally-driven, evidence-based decisions on programs that work through community grants. We also propose growing programs like the successful co-responder program and early intervention teams. We also aim to make critical investments in areas with high crime rates by deterring crime through changes to the built environment like lighting, graffiti removal, and increases in neighborhood watch programs.
Every industry has faced workforce challenges from the COVID-19 pandemic, and law enforcement is no exception. That’s why this plan will support local law enforcement initiatives to recruit, train and retain a high quality law enforcement workforce that reflects the diversity of the communities they serve through strategies such as tuition support, workforce mobility, enhanced curriculum, training, and mental health services.
We’re also looking at new models of addressing public safety that will relieve pressure on law enforcement who are currently being tasked with more than they are specialized to handle. This plan would also give the Colorado Bureau of Investigations the resources and staffing to investigate serious crimes such as hate or bias-motivated offenses, break up crime rings and bring them to justice.
We are on a mission to keep our kids and schools safe so this plan would provide a competitive grant program for school districts to apply for school safety enhancements to expand mental health resources, training for mental health professionals, and physical improvements that are shown to be effective at making schools safer.
This plan of action prioritizes youth violence prevention through a grant program that will serve as a blueprint that provides resources to schools, public safety, public health and other agencies to help prevent involvement in the juvenile justice system.
The COVID-19 pandemic made behavioral health even more important for our communities, and when we invest in behavioral health everyone benefits. The fact-based plan we’ve presented includes intervention before people end up in the criminal justice system and creates a one-stop shop resource center that is similar to diversion, but would occur early, and not necessarily by court order. This would involve providing behavioral health and substance use disorder resources for those who need it through local grant programs, providing services to help address their challenges directly and preventing them from becoming justice-involved..
We can do better on reducing recidivism which is why this plan will improve behavioral health information sharing between the Department of Corrections and Division of Youth Services and jails, facilitating information exchange and continuity of care as jail detainees transfer between criminal justice agencies and the community for uninterrupted care, creating pathways to successful reentry.
We respect and value the voices of victims which is why the plan we propose will provide more funding for organizations related to gender-based violence services, including anti-domestic violence and anti-sexual assault services to mitigate the compounded safety concerns faced by domestic violence survivors during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Together, we are committed to building a safer Colorado for generations to come, solving problems with evidence-based solutions and delivering real results for Coloradans.
District Attorney Brian Mason
District Attorney Michael Dougherty
Sheriff Joe DiSalvo, Pitkin County
Sheriff Tony Spurlock, Douglas County
Sheriff Tyler Brown, Arapahoe County
Erin Shannon, Director of Advocacy and Education Safehouse Alliance
Omar Montgomery, Aurora community leader
Bishop Jerry Demmer, Greater Metro Denver Ministerial Alliance
Denise Maes, Servicios de la Raza
Johnnie Williams, Executive Director GRASP
Sondra Young President, NAACP, Denver
Dean Williams, Exec Director CO Department of Corrections