Ensuring Trust, Transparency, and Training

Effective law enforcement relies on the trust of people. It's about working in tandem with the people, addressing crime alongside the community.  That means ensuring that law enforcement does its work in a way that fosters public trust and confidence.

Police accountability, policy and training are issues I’ve worked on throughout my career, and I’m committed to addressing effectively and with energy.   

• I served as Vice Chair of Denver’s Denver’s Public Safety Review Commission – at the time, Denver civilian oversight board for law enforcement and allegations of misconduct.   

• As a lawyer, I have represented cities seeking help and guidance on addressing police use of force and other policies, updating policies and training programs while working with the community.   

• I have conducted investigations of police conduct and processes for cities like Aurora, and have issued highly critical public reports where appropriate.  

• And while I was U.S. Attorney, I worked to beef up the Colorado US Attorney’s Office efforts on civil rights matters, and also worked closely with the US Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division and Community Oriented Policing Service (COPS).

The District Attorney plays a critical role in addressing police accountability issues.  When cases of misconduct, excessive force or other law enforcement issues arise, the DA must have the experience, courage and independence to make hard decisions, and to bring charges where the facts and the law demonstrate that.   To do that, the DA must ensure that the investigation and charging process is truly independent – and to accomplish that, I will designate Deputy DAs and investigators to make investigating, assessing and prosecuting misconduct and other cases their focus, so as to maintain their strict independence.   Transparency to the public is a crucial aspect of this work.

In addition, my experience representing cities on police accountability issues has taught me that the DA’s office can play an important, productive role in working with the Denver Police Department and its leaders, alongside the City Attorney’s Office, to provide ongoing training and policy guidance.  I will work tirelessly to build a healthy, strong relationship with the Police Department, one that elevates the work and accountability of both offices so that we can build the public trust both offices must have to do their jobs effectively.  Over time, we can build and reinforce a culture both within law enforcement within the DA’s office that truly builds trust in the entire community.