City Funding for Police May Be at Risk
City Council and Mayor Johnston are currently in budget discussions. The final budget must be approved on November 13th. At the most recent City Council meeting, an advocacy group had a significant presence insisting that money allocated to the Denver Police Department be reduced or eliminated.
The following opinion piece was written by, and is reprinted by permission from, Rob Squire and Lisa Pope of the Upper Downtown Neighborhood Association (UpDoNA). For more about UpDoNA, check out our article here, or the UpDoNA website here.
City Council and Mayor Johnston are currently in budget discussions. The final budget must be approved on November 13th. A very important budget item is increased funding for the Denver Police Department. At the most recent City Council meeting, an advocacy group had a significant presence insisting that money allocated to the Denver Police Department be reduced or eliminated.
Over a period of several years, the DPD has fallen farther and farther behind in its authorized strength and in its fulfillment of existing positions. A robust police department is critical to any large city such as Denver. As Denver has grown, the size of its police force has stagnated, and the DPD staffing is far below historical levels, especially when viewed in terms of officers per thousand residents. Citizens wait extended periods for officers to respond to calls, and that is because there aren’t enough officers. We don’t have to tell you that Upper Downtown has experienced an increase in crime, and UpDoNA’s Safety and Quality of Life Committee feels that a stronger police presence is key to reducing the incidence of crime in our neighborhood and keeping residents and visitors safe.
What you can do
Councilmen Hinds and Watson have recommended that our UpDoNA members send emails to all city council members and to the mayor’s office requesting that City Council approve Mayor Johnston’s proposed budget of $8.2 million dollars to DPD so that 167 more police officers can be hired.
City Council needs to hear from those who support our police department. We must make our voices heard. Please consider sending an email to the following email addresses. You should be able to simply copy these and paste them directly into the “To” area of your email.
Email Addresses
Amanda Sandoval (district1@denvergov.org); Amanda Sawyer (DenverCouncil5@denvergov.org); Chris Hinds (Chris.hinds@denvergov.org); Darrell Watson (Darrell.Watson@denvergov.org); Diana Romero Campbell (district4@denvergov.org); Flor Alvidrez (district7@denvergov.org); Jaime Torres (District3@denvergov.org); Kevin Flynn (kevin.flynn@denvergov.org); Paul Kashmann (paul.kashmann@denvergov.org); Sarah Parady (sarah@sarah4denver.com); Serena Gonzales-Gutierrez (G-Gutierrez.atlarge@denvergov.org); Shontel Lewis (district8@denvergov.org); Stacie Gilmore (stacie.gilmore@denvergov.org); Mike Johnston (mayorsoffice@denvergov.org)
Form Email
You may choose to write an email in your own words. Or, for your convenience, we are including a form email that you might send:
As a concerned resident of Upper Downtown and a member of the Upper Downtown Neighborhood Association (UpDoNA), I want to express my concern about the narrative of some groups which is demanding that City Council and the Mayor reduce or eliminate funding to the Denver Police Department.
A robust police department is critical to any large city such as Denver. As Denver has grown, the size of its police force has stagnated, and the DPD staffing is far below historical levels, especially when viewed in terms of officers per thousand residents. Citizens wait extended periods for officers to respond to calls, and that is because there aren’t enough officers. As a citizen of Upper Downtown, there are times when I don’t feel safe in my own neighborhood. I believe that a significantly expanded police presence is needed to increase citizens’ safety.
I strongly request that you avoid any cuts in DPD funding, and I am requesting that you approve Mayor Johnston’s allocation of $8.2 million to expand the police force by 167 officers.
The Upper Downtown Neighborhood Association (UpDoNA) represents residents and businesses to improve life in Upper Downtown. Please consider joining us by going to https://updona.org/become-a-member/
