Download a decade of achievement denver police department 2000–2010

DENVER POLICE DEPARTMENT 2000–2010
A DECADE OF ACHIEVEMENT
TABLE OF
CONTENTS
Letter from the Chief
ONE: DPD in the New Millennium
TWO: The Whitman Legacy
THREE: Model Policies
FOUR: Major Events
FIVE: Community Initiatives
SIX: Leadership
SEVEN: Collaboration
EIGHT: Statistically Speaking
NINE: Best Practices
TEN: Technology
ELEVEN: Major Program Enhancement
TWELVE: Officer Training, Safety & Wellness
THIRTEEN: Innovation
FOURTEEN: Awards & Recognition
FIFTEEN: The 21st Century
02
03
06
09
17
22
29
32
38
44
56
65
74
80
92
95
MISSION
To deliver high quality public safety services so all people may share a safe and
healthy environment.
VISION
The Department, in partnership with the community, will endeavor to achieve
our mission by:
• Fostering community participation
• Investing in the development of its personnel
• Implementing technologies that enhance policing operations
• Improving the productivity of
its support functions
STRATEGIES
• Strengthen proactive patrols by both Patrol Division and Special Operation
Division Officers
• Enhance investigations to solve more crime and remove career criminals and
violent offenders from the community
• Engage communities to increase their understanding of safety and their
satisfaction with police
TEN YEAR ANNUAL REPORT
01
MESSAGE FROM THE CHIEF
It has been a great honor and privilege to serve as your
Chief of Police over the past eleven years. Being the Chief
of a large metropolitan police department comes with
great responsibility as well as a tremendous amount of
opportunity. I have never taken the responsibilities of this
assignment lightly and I always strive to do what’s best for
our Department and the people we serve.
After more than 29 years of service to the citizens of Denver,
I continue to be inspired by the daily sacrifices made by
the men and women of the Denver Police Department. I
frequently respond to incidents throughout the city and I
am always in awe of the professionalism, teamwork and
restraint demonstrated by courageous officers throughout
our organization. Resourceful officers from every assignment
in the department have successfully resolved thousands
of incidents that were often not covered by the media and
as such are not generally known or understood by the
public we serve. Contrary to Hollywood’s usual depiction of
emergencies involving the police, patience, sound judgment
and proper tactics are the norm in Denver.
Our department is filled with dedicated professionals who
make us one of the finest law enforcement agencies in
the world. The public we serve rarely has the opportunity
to learn anything about the depth of our individual and
collective commitment to our mission. We handle difficult
and dangerous tasks so well that it is easy for most people
to underestimate the complexity of modern policing. The
imminent threats to our safety, security and our way of life
in this country has become so complex that only the best
equipped, trained and supported law enforcement agency
can adequately protect its citizens.
02
DENVER POLICE DEPARTMENT
Over the past decade, the Denver Police Department has
proven that we are up to any challenge. Much of our success
can be attributed to the direct support that we have earned
from the citizens of Denver and their elected officials who
have supported our efforts to professionalize and modernize
their police department. They have been generous and
active partners through their direct participation and
tremendous financial support while holding us accountable
to meet their expectations.
As a Denver resident, and the most public representative of
the Denver Police Department, it has been my privilege to
interact with my fellow citizens during the best and worst
of times. I continue to be overwhelmed by the frequent
accolades from our community for the work performed by
the men and women of our Department. I always make it
very clear that I appreciate their support of the Department
and that I will pass their gratitude along to the troops who
do all the great work. This public support and confidence
is an affirmation for the Denver Police Department and a
source of well-deserved pride for our men and women who
routinely put themselves in demanding and sometimes life
threatening situations.
I extend my sincere appreciation to the citizens of Denver,
our elected officials and the members of the Denver Police
Department for allowing me to serve as your Chief of Police.
“A Decade of Achievement” is dedicated to the men and
women of the Denver Police Department. Thank you for your
dedicated service, support and hard work!
Gerald R. Whitman
Chief of Police
ONE
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DPD in the New
Millennium
On December 31, 1999, governments of all sizes across the globe sat
anxiously poised while world leaders kept a nervous eye on the television,
an attentive ear tuned to both broadcast and emergency radios and a
hand or two mindfully close to a computer humming on a desktop or
nearby work area. A large number of the world’s population, particularly
those in urban areas, was also pensively contemplative, wondering
whether they had stockpiled enough provisions….enough food and water.
TEN YEAR ANNUAL REPORT
03
A DECADE OF ACHIEVEMENT
All eyes then focused on the first of the world’s major cities
to enter the new millennium—Sydney, Australia. Following
Sydney’s entry into the new millennium without apparent
incident or disaster, the media cameras continued westward
across each country and major city, with all still waiting and
watching, looking for any signs that doomsday had actually
arrived or planted its destructive seed of forthcoming
anarchy and disaster.
On December 31, 1999, almost 6,000 miles away from
Sydney and 21 hours behind in the time zone, seated in a
Command Center and surrounded by other Department
command staff and members of the City’s Office of
Emergency Management, the Denver Police Department’s
Division Chief of Patrol, Gerald R. Whitman, kept a watchful
eye on the arrival of the new millennium. He pondered the
countless hours of planning, preparation and training that
he had implemented and overseen throughout the past year
in anticipation of the unpredictable swath of technological
infrastructure devastation that had been forecast in the
wake of Y2K. His continual question: Was the Department
prepared? The answer: The men and women of the Denver
Police Department stood ready and confident, unsure of what
to expect but prepared for any possible outcome with tireless
resolve, unparalleled dedication and unequalled commitment.
Unbeknownst to then-Division Chief Whitman as he prepared
for the global unknown and its potential impact on the
citizens of the City and County of Denver was that he would
soon be asking that same question, “Is the Department
prepared?” more times in a single decade than had ever been
asked in the history of the Denver Police Department. And,
time and again, as that same question was asked from both
within and outside the Department, the resounding response
was answered in the same manner as it was on the very eve
of the new millennium: The men and women of the Denver
Police Department stood ready and confident, unsure of what
to expect but prepared for any possible outcome with tireless
resolve, unparalleled dedication and unequalled commitment.
04
DENVER POLICE DEPARTMENT
Almost with a sense of poetic irony, not only was the world
facing the dawn of the new millennium at 11:59 p.m. on
December 31, 1999, a new century born of unprecedented
technological and social advancements was on the horizon.
This century would usher in changes in global leadership,
political shifts in personnel and philosophy, unprecedented
economic development, previously unseen medical and
military advancements, and significantly greater expectations
of justice and accountability from the growing worldwide
populous. The Denver Police Department stood poised to
turn the millennium corner and find itself faced with the
significant challenges of addressing the needs of a 21st
century law enforcement agency within a progressive City—a
city that, within the decade, experienced an estimated 10.2%
growth in resident population.
During this same ten-year span, the Denver Police
Department only increased its authorized strength of sworn
officers by just less than 1% and the Criminal Investigations
Division saw a reduction in staffing by 5%. While its resident
population is of interest to any city, municipality or law
enforcement jurisdiction, one of the continual and unique
challenges to the Denver Police Department also involves
the daily commuter and visitor “swell.” As Denver is the
business and visitor center of the surrounding nine county
metro area that supports a population of approximately 2
million residents, the actual resident population within the
City and County of Denver accounts for only a percentage
of the Denver Police Department’s responsibility for service
and protection. At any given time it is estimated that
hundreds of thousands of non-Denver residents may be in
the City and County of Denver, commuting to and from work,
attending an event at any number of the major sports and
entertainment facilities within the City or just visiting Denver
(over 600 million people have arrived or departed from
Denver International Airport since it opened in early 1995).
This “swell” increases the actual population in the City by an
estimated 48% each day.
D P D I N T H E N E W M I L L E N N I U M
Mayor Wellington E. Webb
Mayor John W. Hickenlooper
Mayor Guillermo (Bill) V. ViDal
1991-2003
2003-2011
2011-PRESENT
As the dust of the non-events of Y2K quickly settled in
Denver, police operations returned to normal and the City’s
top administration began looking forward to the challenges
and expectations of the new century. One of the first orders
of business for Mayor Wellington E. Webb was to appoint a
new Police Chief in the Denver Police Department.
His choice? A well respected, progressive and experienced
law enforcement professional that, through the nineties, had
pushed the Denver Police Department towards new levels
of excellence through enhancements and improved services
as well as developing a new community-partnership focus
throughout the City. In February 2000, Gerald R. Whitman
was sworn in as the Denver Police Department’s 67th
Chief of Police since Wilson E. “Bill” Sisty was appointed as
Denver’s first formal law enforcement Marshall in 1859.
Gerald Whitman first served as a police officer in 1976 in
Ames, Iowa. From 1978-1982, he served as a Police Agent
for the City of Lakewood. In 1982 he became a Denver Police
Officer, moving with a record-setting pace up the ranks from
Patrol Officer, Field Training Officer, Sergeant and Lieutenant.
In January 1995, he was named Captain of District Six (a new
Patrol District that he created, planned and implemented).
In 1998, Whitman was named Division Chief of Patrol and
oversaw all uniformed patrol operations.
As this century dawned with the appointment of a new Chief
of Police, the sun has now set on its first decade under Chief
Whitman’s leadership with the conclusion of the Denver
Police Department’s celebration of its sesquicentennial–150
years of ever-evolving, adaptive and progressive services,
polices, procedures and practices that, through dedication
and an ongoing effort to raise the bar of excellence, have
propelled the Denver Police Department to its current
position as one of the nation’s most widely recognized and
premier law enforcement agencies in the United States.
Chief Gerald R. Whitman
To date Chief Whitman holds the unique distinction
and honor of being the longest serving Police Chief in
Denver’s history and the only Chief to be appointed by
four different Mayors.
TEN YEAR ANNUAL REPORT
05
A DECADE OF ACHIEVEMENT
TWO
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The whitman
legacy
Chief of Police Gerald R. Whitman has always been an advocate of best
practices and research-based solutions. It is never sufficient to continue a
policy simply based upon the notion “That is how we have always done it.”
Under Chief Whitman, the Department constantly reviews its policies and
procedures and researches what is being done elsewhere, continually looking
for promising initiatives to enhance the safety and security of the citizens of
Denver and to create the most professional and efficient agency.
T h e w h i t m a n l e g ac y
The Department continually looks for emerging trends in
case law, technology, training and criminology. This process is
expressed in the following report designed to provide a summary of the innovations, enhancements and improvements
that have been accomplished over the past 11 years.
Due to the Department’s constant efforts, the Denver Police
Department is recognized as a national leader in Use of Force
Policy, Taser Use Policy, Crowd Management, and Victim Services, among others. Recently the Denver Police Department
has been in the national spotlight as host of the International
Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) annual conference
(2009), and was on the world stage for the Democratic
National Convention (2008). In both instances, the planning and execution of major events by the City and County of
Denver and the Denver Police Department has been widely
recognized as leading the way in law enforcement.
During his tenure, Chief Whitman has been deeply involved
with community and professional organizations. The following list highlights a number of the boards and commissions on
which he has served:
Community Involvement
• Opened Neighborhood Police Storefronts in Baker/La
Alma, Cole, Highlands, Capitol Hill, Park Hill and Curtis
Park/Five Points neighborhoods
• Founding Member of the Denver Police Department
Front Rangers Cycling Club, a non-profit youth cycling
club for children at risk since 1993.
• Member of the Hampden Heights Civic Association
since 1987.
• Board member of the Homeless Commission
• Commissioner for the Commission for People with
Disabilities, Human Rights and Community Relations
since 1997.
• Board member of the Open Door Youth Gang Alternatives
since 2000
• Board member of the Police Activities League (PAL)
since 1998
• Board chair of the Denver Police Officers Foundation
since 2000
• Board member P.O.S.T. (Police Officers Standard and
Training) since 2000
• Member for Invest in Kids, Fight Crime
• Member of the Mile High Optimist Club of Monaco
South since 1989
• Board member of the D.V.S.C. (Denver Victims
Service Center)
• Member of the Board of Directors for A.M.E.N.D.,
a non-profit domestic violence counseling agency
• Member of the Community Advisory Board of the
Colorado Anti Violence Project
TEN YEAR ANNUAL REPORT
07
A DECADE OF ACHIEVEMENT
Professional Organization
Involvement
PARC REPORT
• Member of the M.G.T.F. (Metro Gang Task Force)
• Member of the Rocky Mountain HIDTA
Executive Board
• Board chair of the Front Range Task Force
• Board chair of the Front Range Task Force,
Fugitive Location and Apprehension Group (F.L.A.G.)
• Member of the Major Cities Chiefs Association
• Member of the Executive Board of the Major Cities
Chiefs Association
• Member of the P.E.R.F. (Police Executive Research
Forum)
• Member of the I.A.C.P. (International Association of
Chiefs of Police)
• Member of the C.A.C.P. ( Colorado Association of
Chiefs of Police)
• Member of the M.A.C.P. (Metro Area Chiefs of Police)
• Member of the I.A.C.P. Victim Services Committee
SELF-EVALUATION AND RESEARCH
The heart of any commitment to “Best Practices” is continual
evaluation of your policies and procedures and comparison
with national trends and results from other agencies. Over
the last decade, the Denver Police Department has had
independent experts evaluate the department and make
suggestions on how to improve operations and outcomes.
We have also participated with city-wide surveys of citizen perceptions of our operations and compared them to
nationwide survey results. In addition, we have used several
academic partnerships to receive fresh, independent evaluations of aspects of our operations. We continue to develop
new academic partnerships. We foster interest in being an
academic partner by offering undergraduate and graduate
intern positions.
ANNUAL CITY SURVEY BY NATIONAL
RESEARCH CENTER, INC
The Denver Police Department conducted the City’s first
survey of citizens through the National Research Center, Inc.
in 2002. He has continued this effort every year since. This
survey is an opportunity to ask citizens about their perspectives on the community and their experiences with various
community services.
Public Safety Survey
09
Safe in Day
Safe at Night
Safe Downtown Day
Safe Downtown Night Safe From Violent Crime
08
07
(Police Assessment Resource Center)
In 2008, the Office of the Independent Monitor (OIM) requested that the Police Assessment Resource Center (PARC)
conduct a review of the Department’s Use of Force policies,
practices and training. In addition, PARC reviewed twentyfive police shootings to assess the thoroughness of those
investigations. They wrote:
“We conclude that the DPD today meets and even
exceeds national standards in many areas, making the
DPD one of a handful of American police departments
becoming a national leader.
During the course of our investigation, we observed
that the Chief of Police, the Mayor, the Manager of
Safety, the District Attorney’s Office, the COB, and the
Independent Monitor appear to have common goals
and expectations and work together well. We commend
Chief Whitman for his goals and aspirations for the DPD
and his willingness to work together with others, inside
and outside the police department, to bring them to fruition and improve the DPD.”
The full text of the report can be found at:
http://www.parc.info/client_files/Denver/6-4%20The%20
Denver%20Report%20final.pdf
ORGANIZATIONAL ASSESSMENT:
“POLICING DENVER”
In 2002, the Denver Police Department commissioned
an outside consulting firm, PSComm, LLC, to complete a
thorough organizational assessment of the agency. Areas
reviewed included:
• Commitment to Community Policing
• Management and supervision
• Investigative operations
• Handling of citizen complaints
• Financial systems
• Use of modern technology
National
06
05
04
03
02 Average Comparison
93%90% 88%88%88%88% 89% 88%
66%59% 58%59%59%60%64%62%
82% 84%
80% 80%
77%
78%
82%
80%
38%
43%
36%
38% 40%
38%
41%
42%
50%
47%
39%
31%
34%
33%
39%
36%
89%
61%
80%
40%
39%
City Pop
300,000+
Similar
Below
Below
Below
Below
Above
Above
Above
Similar
Similar
The data shows that in 2009 the police department had improvements over the average of all years in every category, except for feeling safe downtown at night. These
figures were similar to or below national averages, but were above or similar to those of cities with populations greater than 300,000. Denver’s 2009 population was
estimated at 610,000.
08
DENVER POLICE DEPARTMENT
THREE
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Model
Policies
To slightly paraphrase the Nobel Peace Prize winning Secretary of State
Henry Kissinger, “No policy, no matter how ingenious, has any chance
of success if it is born in the minds of a few and carried in the hearts of
none.” Over the past decade, the Denver Police Department has been
committed to an ongoing review and analysis of every policy. Cooperation
and buy-in have been achieved through the inclusion of top-down as well
as bottom-up analysis and input. Additionally, community partnership and
collaboration have given the public a significant voice in the revision and
effective implementation of a significant number of Department policies.
A DECADE OF ACHIEVEMENT
VEHICULAR CHASE POLICY
The Department adopted a new policy regarding vehicle pursuits that was designed to protect officers and citizens during
this high-risk activity. The most significant change with this
policy is the standard that must be met before officers may
pursue. The criterion for the initiation of vehicular pursuits
was modified to balance the need to apprehend criminals and
the public’s expectation of safety.
In order to pursue a vehicle, an officer must presently know
that the suspect has committed a crime of violence, such as
a homicide, aggravated assault or robbery. Property crimes
such as burglary and auto theft are not sufficient reason to
risk a pursuit. In addition, the officer must consider the road,
traffic, and weather conditions and their impact on safety
during a pursuit. The officer must also look at the time of
day, direction of travel and type of neighborhood to assess
the risk to the public. If the risk to the public outweighs the
importance of the pursuit, then the pursuit should not start.
If a pursuit is initiated, circumstances should be constantly reevaluated, and an officer can and should terminate a pursuit
when there is increased risk to the public. A supervisor is also
required to manage each pursuit and independently assess
the risk to the public. The supervisor may terminate the
pursuit at any time. If for some reason a supervisor cannot be
found, a dispatcher can terminate a pursuit.
The Denver Police Department has also authorized other
means to end a pursuit. Officers may utilize the helicopter to
track down a suspect vehicle, without using pursuing police
cars. Often, when police cars break off and allow the helicop-
10
DENVER POLICE DEPARTMENT
ter to monitor the vehicle surreptitiously, the suspect driver
slows down and tries to blend in with traffic, reducing the risk
to the public. The Department may also use a stop-stick to
puncture the tires of a fleeing vehicle, although this procedure must be done with a supervisor’s permission.
Denver Police Officers have also been trained with the
Pursuit Intervention Technique, or PIT maneuver. The PIT
maneuver involves a pursuing police car matching the speed
and making gentle contact with the vehicle being pursued,
attempting to spin it out, often triggering the fuel interruption device. The PIT maneuver must also be approved by a
supervisor. Due to the drastic crimes necessary to initiate a
pursuit, use of extreme measures can usually be authorized
early in a pursuit.
So, what about situations where the crime is not sufficient
to pursue or the vehicle gets away? If we have a good vehicle
plate number and/or know the driver’s identity, an officer
may use the “Eluding no Pursuit” procedure. The officer calls
in the procedure and describes the vehicle. He or she then
fills out an Eluding No Pursuit form. Traffic Investigations
Bureau detectives then investigate. Often they are able to
identify and charge the driver, or seize and hold the vehicle as
evidence. The vehicle may also be subject to public nuisance
filing and taken from the traffic offender. Sound criteria for
initiating and terminating a pursuit, combined with tools to
end a pursuit quickly, plus effective ways to deal with people
who elude, but are not pursued, gives Denver a model Pursuit
Policy. The average pursuit in Denver lasts under one minute.
M O D E L P O L I C I E S
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE POLICY
USE OF FORCE POLICY
The Denver Police Department, long considered a national
leader in the investigation and response to domestic violence,
adopted one of the strongest domestic violence response
policies of its kind. This policy has become a model for other
agencies desiring to improve their response to domestic violence victims and cases. Founded in the concept of
evidence-based prosecution, the policy sets strict guidelines
for officer and victim assistance response, and takes a major
step toward preventing dual arrest.
A two year project culminated in October 2002 with the
adoption of a completely overhauled Use of Force policy,
written by a committee that included representatives from
patrol, investigations, internal affairs, administration, the
district and city attorney’s offices, civil liability, and the training bureau. Nationally recognized experts also advised the
committee on use of force and applicable laws. As a result,
officers have a much clearer set of guidelines to help them
decide when force is appropriate and in what degree.
Beginning in 2005, several members of the Denver Police
Department’s Domestic Violence Investigations Unit (DVIU),
Victim Assistance Unit (VAU), Denver City Attorney’s Office
and Denver District Attorney’s Office began exploring the
creation of a multi-disciplinary domestic violence case
review process and project. In 2006, through a sizeable
grant from the Office for Violence Against Women, this
exploratory idea became reality and branched out to include
community-based victim service providers and other criminal
justice professionals. Beginning in 2006, members of the
DVIU, VAU, City Attorney’s Office, District Attorney’s Office,
Project Safeguard, SafeHouse Denver, the Denver Domestic
Violence Coordinating Committee and AMEND began
meeting every day (Monday – Friday) to review every case
of domestic violence charges (city- and state-level) to assess
risk and safety concerns and to provide enhanced, more
collaborative and timely outreach and services to the victims
in these cases. Since its inception, the DV Triage Project has
continued to evolve and expand and has been held out as a
national model of effective collaboration resulting in positive
impacts on victims involved in incidents of domestic violence.
In November 2002, training began on the new Use of Force
policy and less lethal options. By 2003, the entire Patrol
Division had been trained and 191 Tasers were deployed. By
July 2003, all operational personnel were trained and the
policies were officially published in the Department Operations Manual. In the same year, the Department began
certification of its officers in Krav Maga, an Israeli martial arts
system designed to teach officers self-defense tactics. This
technique is an enhancement to the Arrest Control Tactics
(ACT) system.
In 2004, the Department deployed other less lethal options
including beanbag shotguns and pepper-ball air guns. These
options complement other tools such as expandable batons
and OC Spray.
The Denver Police Department has been taking a proactive
approach to reduce the number of officer-involved shootings
by giving officers more lifelike training and more less lethal
options. Training given to each member of the Denver Police
Department stresses that the least amount of force necessary to control the situation is deemed the most appropriate.
TEN YEAR ANNUAL REPORT
11
A DECADE OF ACHIEVEMENT
USE OF FORCE REVIEW BOARD
(formerly the Firearms Discharge Review Board)
As of November 2001, a tactical firearms training officer assigned to the training bureau is now part of the Use of Force
review process. This officer serves in an advisory capacity
with regards to tactics, officer safety and training issues.
When needed or requested by the board, this officer will
provide additional training to correct or enhance officers’ response to or performance regarding deadly force encounters.
TACTICS REVIEW BOARD
In 2006, in accordance with a recommendation from a consultant’s comprehensive organizational review, the Department created the Tactics Review Board. The Board’s mission
is to review tactical situations or critical incidents in order
to determine: compliance with existing policy, procedure, or
training; the need for revisions to policy, procedure, or training; and proper management of the situation by supervision
and command. Additionally, the Tactics Review Board is
charged with the responsibility to review and make recommendations on tactics under consideration by the Department for adoption as a tactical option.
The Board is composed of members of various ranks and
from various types of assignments throughout the Department. In keeping with the Department’s goal of transparency,
the Board members also include two officers from outside
agencies in the Denver metro area. This allows for validation
of Denver’s tactics and safety measures, and gives insight
as to how other agencies might handle similar situations,
assisting the Department in its ongoing efforts to identify and
adopt best practices in all areas of the profession.
DISCIPLINE AND INDIVIDUAL
OFFICER ACCOUNTABILITY
The Denver Police Department developed managerial
accountability (through C.O.R.E) to hold commanders
accountable, but a fair and workable system was needed to
hold individual officers accountable for their actions. The
Department created a board to review the discipline process,
looking for weaknesses and areas that needed improvement.
As a result, the entire disciplinary process was revamped and
a discipline matrix was created to guide the penalties meted
out to assure fairness and consistency.
The disciplinary record-keeping database was upgraded
and an early warning system implemented to address officer
behavior before it became a serious problem. Also, a Professional Standards Unit was created to monitor professional
standards within the developing legal, social and technological
environment. To hold officers accountable for their actions, the
department must convey its expectations for each rank so that
they know what their duties and responsibilities are.
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DENVER POLICE DEPARTMENT
DISCIPLINARY SYSTEM
In an effort to improve police accountability to the public, the
City and County of Denver established the Office of the Independent Monitor (OIM) in August 2005, as an independent,
unbiased office within the City government.
The OIM is responsible for monitoring all community
complaints regarding allegations of misconduct involving
members of the Denver Police and Sheriff Departments,
monitoring Internal Affairs Bureau (IAB) investigations of
complaints against Denver law enforcement officers and making disciplinary recommendations to the Manager of Safety.
Additionally, the OIM is responsible for recommending policy
changes to the Mayor, Manager of Safety, Police Chief,
Undersheriff, Fire Chief and City Council.
The other key feature of the 2006 overhaul was the introduction of mediation. Often, a complaint can be resolved by
having the complainant and the officer sit down and “talk it
out,” in the hopes that when each understands the other’s
position everyone will realize that the issue may not have
been disciplinary in nature in the first place. Professional
mediators oversee the meeting, and at the conclusion of the
meeting the formal Internal Affairs investigation is “Declined.”
Complainants and officers alike report a high degree of satisfaction with the mediation process.
DISCIPLINARY MATRIX
In October 2008, the Denver Police Department instituted
a new approach to discipline designed to ensure an equitable, consistent, and timely discipline process that gave
officers fair notice of the standards expected of them and the
consequences for not meeting those standards. The Matrix,
as it is known, organizes and categorizes the various rules
and regulations of the Department into graduated tables,
each with a presumptive penalty range that can be increased
or decreased based upon articulated aggravating or mitigating circumstances. The Matrix also dictates strict timelines
for the completion of an internal investigation, ensuring that
discipline is received in a timely fashion so as to connect the
behavior to the consequence.
The Matrix was the result of a three-and-one-half year effort
that brought together more than 100 committee and subcommittee members who undertook a thorough evaluation
of the current discipline system and recommended changes
where needed. To ensure impartiality, the members were
drawn from a wide cross-section of Denver stakeholders, including the Denver Police and Sheriff Departments, the Denver Police Protective Association, the Mayor’s Office, City
Council, the City Attorney’s Office, the Office of the Independent Monitor, the Citizens’ Oversight Board, the Civil Service
Commission, Denver Health Medical Center, the University of
M O D E L P O L I C I E S
Colorado at Denver, the Colorado Attorney General’s Office,
Denver County Courts, and several individual Denver citizens
as well as community and faith organizations. Additionally,
the Washington D.C.-based Police Executive Research Forum
(PERF) was employed to assist in the process.
base which allowed capture and tracking of much more data
than the previous system. This enhancement also enabled
better reporting, which in turn allowed for better decisionmaking, both for individual officer’s disciplinary cases as well
as for the entire disciplinary system.
The group’s mission was to create a fair, rational, efficient,
consistent discipline system which reflects the goals, values,
and priorities of the Denver Police Department and promotes
respect and trust within the Police Department and with the
community it serves. To this end, the committee performed an
extensive review of disciplinary practices from police agencies across the nation. Corporate and educational disciplinary models were also reviewed. This compilation of research
provided a foundation for the revisions, which the committee
reviewed and discussed. Additionally, the committee reviewed some of the department’s past disciplinary decisions,
as well as decisions of the Denver Civil Service Commission,
to help understand the strengths and weaknesses of former
policies and prior systems. The challenge was to create a
system that was specific to the needs of the City of Denver
and the Denver Police Department.
EARLY IDENTIFICATION AND
INTERVENTION SYSTEM (EIIS)
CUFFS DATABASE
PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS UNIT /
PERSONNEL ASSESSMENT SYSTEM
In support of the changes to the disciplinary system, the
database that tracks Internal Affairs complaints, known as
the Complaint Use of Force Filing System (CUFFS), was
upgraded. The system was rebuilt around a more robust data-
This system gathers information on each individual officer
during the performance of duty. Some of the areas where
information is gathered include: officer assignment and assignment history, leave and overtime, off-duty work information, work- related injuries, awards and commendations,
training records, Internal Affairs complaints, use of force,
arrests made, citations written, police pursuits, field contact
cards, and officer-involved shootings. This data also includes
suspect information relating to race, age, gender, as well as
location, dates and times. The information can be used for
early detection of a particular officer(s) that are far outside
the average. Once the officer is identified, an effort is made
to look at and identify the cause and intervene with positive
training and/or behavior modification techniques.
In 2002, as part of a reorganization pursuant to an organizational assessment, the Denver Police Department created
the Professional Standards Unit (PSU) as an adjunct to
Internal Affairs. The unit would eventually administer the
TEN YEAR ANNUAL REPORT
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A DECADE OF ACHIEVEMENT
department’s early warning system, known as the Early
Identification and Intervention System, or EIIS. The goal of
EIIS and PSU was to identify officers who were experiencing
performance issues and provide early interventions in order
to get the officer back on track, before the issues became
disciplinary in nature. PSU achieved this by scanning various Department databases and comparing data in order to
identify changes in officers’ performance. PSU was created
with funding from the United States Department of Justice,
which was used to develop a custom computer application
for data extraction and analysis. The application was made
available to Department supervisors and managers in order
to give them the information they needed to effectively lead
their officers.
In 2007, EIIS underwent an evolutionary shift and the process changed from a top-down approach driven by Internal
Affairs, to a bottom-up approach that involved the officers’
chain of command more than ever before. With the new approach came a new name – the Personnel Assessment System, or PAS – and a diverse board of officers, supervisors,
and managers that drove decision-making about the level of
intervention necessary for a given officer. PAS is considered
a best practice in the law enforcement profession, and PSU
has assisted many departments nationwide in their efforts at
building a similar system.
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES FOR EVERY RANK
Beginning in 2006, the Department initiated a thorough
review of its Operations Manual sections that outline and
identify the written duties and responsibilities of police
employees. The resulting revisions to this section of the Operations Manual produced detailed and comprehensive guidelines
and directions for every rank and appointed position within the
Denver Police Department, thus increasing employee accountability and responsibility to their assigned duties.
CROWD MANAGEMENT
Denver is the seat of state government, and an active sport
and convention destination. The City has been the venue for
many events of national and international importance. As
such, Denver attracts protestors of every possible topic on
every possible side of each issue. Crowd management is an
important element of DPD’s peace-keeping duties. Denver
Police use effective crowd management techniques while
preserving the constitutional rights of citizens.
Chief Whitman led a nationwide search for best practices and
was personally involved in writing a new crowd management
policy and a Rules of Engagement Matrix to guide officers’
actions and commanders’ decisions. The Department also adopted best practices in field force formations and tactics and
adopted a limited set of less lethal tools for crowd management applications. This technology, policy, training and field
application were tested by several large and small events
during the last decade.
14
DENVER POLICE DEPARTMENT
CROWD MANAGEMENT POLICY
Prior to the DNC, the Denver Police Department possessed
extensive experience in the handling of large crowds, planned
demonstrations and unplanned civil disturbances. Despite
this experience, in preparation for the DNC, Chief Whitman
directed a complete review of the Department’s training,
tactics and management practices to ensure that they were
current with the most effective methods to deal with these
types of events.
The Patrol Division updated the Department’s Crowd
Management Manual. This detailed document discussed the
Department’s philosophy, training and newly-revised tactics.
It was the first time there was an incorporation of not only the
Rules of Engagement, but also expectations of the officers
under the new Rules of Conduct. These rules were augmented by the new Crowd Management Matrix, which described
in detail how officers should respond to increasing levels of
behavior. The Denver Police Department required that all
officers who were assigned to a crowd management post,
regardless of the agency from which they came, comply not
only with the Crowd Management Manual, but the Department’s Use of Force policy as well.
Based on this review, a number of modifications were made
to the DPD’s operating methodologies:
Rapid Deployment
Research of protestor tactics led planners to build a plan
based on small units and mobility of movement. One of the
methods by which this was accomplished was the acquisition
of nine Rapid Deployment Vehicles (RDVs). These were Ford
Expeditions fitted with outriggers and handrails that permitted eight officers to stand on the outside. This one vehicle
was used to move 10 officers and all of their equipment
quickly to problem areas.
Based on extensive review, the Department opted for a wide
range of less lethal tools for the crowd management teams.
Individual officer equipment
To ensure that officers were fully protected, and as comfortable as possible, they were equipped with new, individually
issued protective gear.
The Department also directed planners to aggressively reach
out to every organization or group that was likely to express
their views during the convention. This included groups that
applied for permits for their activities and those that didn’t.
Officers met with the group’s leadership to discuss their
wishes and the City’s expectations as to their activities.
Pamphlets were provided to organizers for distribution to
their members entitled Your Rights to Demonstrate and
Protest. The officers were often present with the group and
M O D E L P O L I C I E S
marched with them during the events. The relationships
established were critical on a number of occasions and prevented unnecessary conflict and violence. This liaison effort
was a major factor in the overall positive experience Denver
had with all of the groups who expressed themselves.
DRUG DETECTOR K-9 MANUAL
In 2006, the Denver Police Department moved the Drug
Detector Dog Program to the Vice Drug Control Bureau from
the METRO/SWAT Canine Unit. The METRO/SWAT Canine
Unit utilizes patrol dogs for the search and apprehension of
criminals. There are a number of “drives” and “character
traits” that must be taken into consideration during the
selection test for police canines. Patrol dogs must be able
to physically apprehend a criminal suspect on command.
Drug dogs use a “play response” in drug detection training
and thus train very differently. Drug dogs are also taught
generally to have a passive indication so that they do not
tear up people’s private property. A passive response also
may go unnoticed by a suspect.
Drug Detector Dogs also need controlled substance training aids (CSTAs) to train. The Drug Detector Dog Program
needed to have rules and procedures for making, renewing,
checking out and tracking CSTAs. To avoid any appearance
of impropriety, the Drug Detector Dog Program must assure
tight compliance with CSTA storage, monitoring, check-out
and check-in activity and timely renewal, so that the dogs
train using fresh scent of the five drug types used in training.
The Drug Detector Dog Manual was revised in 2010. The
METRO/SWAT K-9 Unit currently has the option to train in
dual-purpose disciplines. Patrol is the primary discipline, and
explosives or drug detection capabilities the secondary discipline. This change made a common review and agreement of
procedures, training and certifications necessary.
U-VISA POLICY
In 2000, Congress passed the “Victims of Trafficking and
Violence Protection Act of 2000,” in part to assist immigrant crime victims who cooperate with law enforcement
investigations and to help create a positive relationship
between law enforcement and immigrant victims who may
be hesitant to notify or work with law enforcement agencies due to immigration status. Following the passage of
this legislation, there was significant confusion among law
enforcement agencies, prosecutors and other criminal justice agencies regarding the governing regulations and use
of the U-Visa. The Department directed that all necessary
information to establish a responsive policy that supported
the population of immigrant crime victims in Denver that
may qualify for this Federal benefit be pursued.
TEN YEAR ANNUAL REPORT
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A DECADE OF ACHIEVEMENT
Members of the Department regularly consulted with one of
the original bill’s authors. They developed a training bulletin and internal policies and procedures that were clearly
in support of the federal regulations. The Department also
reached out to a number of metro-Denver based immigration
attorneys and developed one of the most responsive U-Visa
policies and procedures in the State.
The Department staffs a Public Information Office that is
available 24 hours a day to regularly address media inquiries,
publish crime alerts and maintain open lines of communication with all of the Denver-area media outlets, and also work
routinely with the Records Coordinator in the Manager of
Safety’s Office to assure that timely and accurate information
is made available to a media source or the public.
SECONDARY EMPLOYMENT
POLICY REVISION
The DPD directed a thorough review and re-write of the
department’s Media Relations policy contained in the Department’s Operations Manual that is also publicly available and
posted on the Department’s website.
The Denver Police Department directed a drastic overhaul
of the department’s Secondary Employment policy. This was
necessary to accommodate large changes in the way TeleStaff software had changed how secondary employment was
approved and monitored. In addition, the change required
that all personnel conducting plainclothes secondary employment assignments take a plainclothes class from the Vice
Drug Control Bureau. This was to address some situations
where plainclothes officers working secondary employment
had used unsafe tactics.
MEDIA POLICY
Continual connection with the public is of paramount importance to the Department in its effort to maintain public safety
through crime prevention and crime reduction strategies. A key
tool for this connection is the Department’s relationship with
the media. To this end the Department has revised its policies
related to the media over the past several years to provide
for an effective and transparent process to keep the public informed of important issues or concerns related to public safety.
16
DENVER POLICE DEPARTMENT
RECORDS COORDINATOR
The Manager of Safety is the official custodian of all records
kept or maintained by the Denver Police Department. In
2006, the Manager created the position of Department of
Safety Records Coordinator, who was delegated the authority to release records. The Records Coordinator receives,
analyzes and evaluates records requests made by the media,
businesses and private citizens pursuant to the Colorado
Open Records Act and the Colorado Criminal Justice Records
Act and compiles and releases appropriate information. In
this information age, the Records Coordinator provides a vital
link between the Denver Police Department and the community it serves.
FOUR
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MAJOR
EVENTS
Over the past decade, DPD has successfully managed a number of sporting
and entertainment events and parades throughout the year. Notable events
include the Stock Show Parade, Martin Luther King Jr. Marade, Saint
Patrick Day Runnin’ of the Green and related festivities, Colorado Rockies
Opening Day events, Fourth of July fireworks shows, Columbus Day Parade,
Octoberfest, and the Veteran’s Day Parade. The annual holiday Parade of
Lights and New Year’s Eve celebration on the 16th Street Mall draws tens of
thousands of visitors. The Denver Police Department works closely with event
organizers in providing traffic control and security for these events.
A DECADE OF ACHIEVEMENT
Downtown Denver is the civic center of the State of
Colorado and houses many state and local government
offices. The Denver City and County Building, the Denver
Detention Center and Lindsay Flanagan Courthouse, the
Colorado State Capitol, U.S. Mint, Federal Reserve Bank,
U.S. District Court and Federal Building are all within the
boundaries of District Six. The Denver Police Department
enjoys close relationships with law enforcement counterparts
at these facilities. Many of these
sites are targets for protest
activity and a consultative relationship allows for successful
response to such events. The
most notable event of the past
decade was the Democratic
National Convention. The
Denver Police Department’s
network of alliances with local,
state, and federal law enforcement proved critical to the
success of this event.
It is through the successful
partnerships that have developed over the course of the past decade that DPD is able to
provide the service that it does.
18
DENVER POLICE DEPARTMENT
MAJOR EVENTS
Originally founded as a mining town in 1858 on the banks
of the South Platte River during the Pikes Peak Gold Rush,
Denver City, a part of the Western Kansas Territory, was
named after the Kansas Territorial Governor, James W. Denver, by a land speculator named General William Larimer. Denver City was a staked claim that overlooked the confluence of
the South Platte River and Cherry Creek, directly across from
the mining settlement of Auraria. Today, this original mining
claim and adjoining settlements are the site of Confluence
Park in downtown Denver, the ‘Mile High’ City and ‘Queen
City’ of the West.
Although the geographical size of the City and County of
Denver is significantly smaller than its surrounding, neighboring counties (except for Broomfield), Denver is the most
populous city in a 500 square mile radius and is the 24th
most populous U.S. city in the nation. As the business and
visitor center of a 12-county metro area of more than 3 million
residents and holding the distinction of having the 10th largest
central business district in the United States, Denver is a regular host to many major events requiring significant organizational and tactical planning by the Denver Police Department.
As a regular course of business, the Denver Police Department maintains plans for sizeable events such as Broncos
games, Rockies games, Nuggets games, concerts and other
events at the Pepsi Center, Denver Performing Arts Complex
as well as the numbers of parades and events that occur
throughout the city on a regular or annual basis.
M A J O R E V E N T S
Aside from the regularly scheduled events, Denver has
hosted some significant major events in the past eleven years
involving unprecedented departmental organizational planning and preparation.
HOST OF THE 2009 INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION
OF CHIEFS OF POLICE CONFERENCE
In 2009, over 15,000 law enforcement professionals and
their family members (from more than 72 countries) gathered
in Denver for the 116th annual International Association of
Chiefs of Police Conference hosted by the Denver Police
Department.
Since its formation in 1893,
the International Association of Chiefs of Police
has met annually to share
insight, learn about promising practices, and discuss
up-and-coming technology.
Each year thousands of law enforcement executives come
together to continue this tradition by attending training
sessions, networking with peers, and exploring the state-of
-the-art Expo Hall.
Over 150 education sessions are offered to attendees. Law
enforcement executives make presentations on current issues and trends while sharing lessons learned. Topics from
past conferences include, but are not limited to, strategies
for leading change in police culture, how to survive a vote of
no-confidence, online learning and operational support, public
law enforcement and private security collaboration, violent
crime, use of force issues, training, and case studies.
IACP assembles the newest products and the latest technologies at the largest exposition designed specifically for
law enforcement. More than 800 companies showcase their
products and services geared towards law enforcement. The
following six pavilions showcase all department needs: communication/IT; vehicles/accessories; weapons and tactical/
protective equipment; administration and training; forensic/investigation; personal equipment (includes uniforms,
badges, footwear, etc).
HOST OF THE 2008 DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL CONVENTION
The Denver Police Department was the lead law enforcement agency for the 2008 Democratic National Convention.
Because of the size and scope of the event, the preparation,
planning, and training occurred over several years.
When the actual event arrived, the Denver Police Department was ready, and it was a nearly flawless response. Similar
events in other cities (including that of the GOP in Minneapolis a week later) are often marred with mass arrests and
violent protests.
The 45th Democratic National Convention (DNC) was held
in Denver, Colorado from August 25 to August 28, 2008.
The United States Secret Service (USSS) served as the lead
federal agency for planning and implementation, the FBI for
crisis management, and FEMA was the lead for consequence
management. The USSS and DPD established 18 planning
committees comprised of federal, state and local agencies
that developed and implemented a comprehensive DNC
Safety and Security Plan.
The DNC required the collaborative participation of 107 local,
state and federal agencies, which required over 3,200 local,
county and state law enforcement officers dedicated just to
this event. There were 21 dignitaries who were provided special security details, 31 governors and their wives, as well as
500 dignitaries from the National Democratic Institute. The
event drew approximately 5,200 media inquiries.
Volunteers were an essential part of the program. There
were 646 volunteers from 32 different churches that helped.
They contributed over 14,000 hours, averaging 22 hours per
volunteer during the 4-day convention while they served over
50,000 meals.
The DNC brought unprecedented worldwide attention to the
City of Denver. An estimated 35,000 participants attended
the convention including 15,000 national and international
media representatives. The DNC provided the stage from
which thousands of individuals voiced their political views
through mass gatherings, parades and protests.
TEN YEAR ANNUAL REPORT
19
A DECADE OF ACHIEVEMENT
Over 600 additional special events in conjunction with the
Convention were held at venues throughout the downtown
area and neighboring cities. The DNC and the associated
events presented the City of Denver with the highest levels of
security challenges to ensure the safety of visitors and citizens, and the protection of public infrastructures and private
business properties.
Funding for DNC safety and
security was provided through a
$50 million Department of Justice
grant. To insure fiscal stewardship,
the City of Denver imposed a process upon which local and
state agency requests for personnel, equipment and material
costs had to be justified and prioritized. This process enabled
the City to ensure that operational costs did not exceed the
security budget. In the end, the City returned approximately
$7.5 million dollars to the federal government.
Eight weeks prior to the DNC it was announced by the Obama
Campaign that the nominee’s acceptance speech would be
moved to INVESCO Field at Mile High on the last day of the
convention. This created another complex layer to the overall
operations with little time to plan. However, all sub-committees did a tremendous job of quickly adapting to the change
of venue for the last day. Over 80,000 people attended the
acceptance speech that night, making it a truly historic event.
In preparation for the event, there were 102 unique training
classes offered over 373 different sessions. Officers often
attended multiple training sessions and a number of topics;
in total, there were 141,783 student contact hours of training
accomplished prior to the convention. In addition, the Department trained 267 citizens.
20
DENVER POLICE DEPARTMENT
For the most part the week of the convention was very
peaceful. The first night of the DNC an attempt by a group of
individuals to cause trouble in the downtown area was quickly
and peacefully contained. It resulted in a little over 100 arrests. On the third day of the convention, following a Rage
Against the Machine concert, several thousand protestors
marched about four miles to the
venue. While there were threats
of significant disruption to the
DNC that afternoon, there were
no problems or arrests.
In the end, there were only 154 misdemeanor arrests during
the convention period. The City saw an estimated $154
million dollars in positive economic benefit and an additional
$112 million to the Region.
The success of the 2008 DNC was directly attributable to the
ability of the City of Denver to facilitate local, state and federal
agency collaboration and cooperation in development of a
safety and security plan. This planning process resulted in a
seamless, comprehensive operation that ensured the security
of the DNC and preservation of public safety. This exceptional
effort resulted in the effective preparation, communication and
response during the DNC that permitted lawful protest, and
protected First Amendment rights while sustaining the protection and safety of all citizens and property.
UNPRECEDENTED VICTIM SERVICE
PLANNING FOR THE DNC
In anticipation of the hundreds of thousands of individuals
that would descend on Denver during the DNC, the DPD
Victim Assistance Unit (VAU) initiated an unprecedented
partnership with law enforcement-based victim service agencies from across the state as well as the Colorado Organization for Victim Assistance (COVA), the Colorado Department
M A J O R E V E N T S
of Mental Health, the Denver Center for Crime Victims, the
Polaris Project, the Colorado Department of Public Safety
– Office for Victims Programs and the Denver District
Attorney’s Office, resulting in more than 120 victim service
professionals from more than 25 agencies committing to a
24-hour-a-day response plan in the event that any type of
large-scale victim service deployment became necessary.
Through the year preceding the DNC, the VAU initiated a
series of trainings for all participating victim service professionals and, in conjunction with the Appriss Corporation,
developed, tested and implemented the first-of-its-kind electronic Alert Express notification system to provide immediate
text, e-mail and voice messaging notification, communication
and information to all victim service professionals in order
to efficiently coordinate any type or scale of response that
might be necessary.
Additionally, through a partnership with the Denver Sheriff’s
Office, a primary staging area was made available 24-hoursa-day for any necessary victim services response during the
DNC. Fortunately, there was no large-scale victim service
response necessary, but through the DNC planning and
preparation the VAU was able to initiate the most collaborative victim service response plan in its history, laying the
groundwork for any future large-scale victim service coordination in Denver.
2007 INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF
WOMEN POLICE CONFERENCE
From September 23rd – 27th, 2007, the Denver Police
Department hosted the 45th International Association of
Women Police Conference.
The IAWP was first organized as the International Policewomen’s Association in 1915. Their charter was adopted in
1916 in Washington, D.C. The IPA became a “Depression
casualty” in 1932, before the programs and ideals set into
motion by the organization had been fully implemented.
Women have been involved with police work in the United
States since 1845, when they were assigned duty as matrons
in New York City. In 1893, Mrs. Marie Owens, the widow of
a policeman, was appointed to the force of Chicago Police
Department by the mayor. She was the first woman given the
rank of “policeman” with power of arrest.
In 1910, Mrs. Alice Stebbins Wells of Los Angeles,
California, became the first woman classified as a
“policewoman.”
The IAWP, through its Constitution
and its activities, promoted the idea of
separate women’s bureaus because many
women felt this was their only opportunity for
advancement. Before 1969, women officers
were never assigned patrol duty and many
did not even own uniforms. Their duties
were still restricted to those performed by Mrs. Wells.
In more recent years, as the membership has grown, the
IAWP Annual Training Conferences have become forums for
research conducted by universities and professional organizations. The seminars have also attracted experts in diverse
fields of criminal justice who share their views and disseminate important information to the members.
Meeting for five days, women and men assemble from all
over the world to broaden their knowledge through workshops and through lectures in a formal classroom setting. The
friendships made and the informal exchanges of ideas and
information are as enlightening as the formal sessions.
Although the IAWP was established primarily to benefit
women, it was recognized that a healthy criminal justice
system requires that cohesiveness, professionalism and communication exist between men and women. Since 1976, male
officers have been IAWP members.
2008 NLPOA National Conference
In October 2008, the Colorado Chapters of the National
Latino Peace Officers Association (NLPOA), along with the
Denver Police Department, were proud to host the NLPOA
annual national conference and training academy. The event
was attended by several hundred law enforcement officers
and federal agents from across the nation. Officers from
many parts of the country, along with military heroes from the
Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts, were honored for meritorious
and valiant actions taken during the preceding year. Many
participants reported that they had never before visited
Denver, and would definitely return to visit again.
TEN YEAR ANNUAL REPORT
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COMMUNITY
INITIATIVES
Over the past decade, the Denver Police Department has moved
to become a strong and collaborative partner and ally within the
communities in the City and County of Denver. The following
are examples of several community initiatives that have been
implemented by the Department.
CO M M U N I T Y I N I T I AT I V E S
DOWNTOWN DENVER PARTNERSHIP /
BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT
The Denver Police Department has a strong relationship with
the many City agencies, downtown business and residential
organizations, and civic groups that work in partnership to
ensure that Central Denver is, and remains, an attractive
place for people to live and work and for visitors to our city
to enjoy. For the past decade, the Denver Police Department
has been a vital partner in the revitalization efforts of the
downtown area and its outlying neighborhoods.
The Downtown Denver Partnership (DDP) is a non-profit
business organization that oversees the management and
development of Downtown Denver. The Downtown Denver
Business Improvement District (BID) is a public organization
whose responsibilities include the maintenance of the 16th
Street Mall and promoting safety initiatives that ensure a
clean, safe, and vibrant downtown environment. The Denver
Police Department and these two organizations work together in promoting a safe urban core.
One of the most visible examples of this partnership is the
Downtown Motorcycle Unit (DMU). The DMU patrols the
16th Street Mall and surrounding areas addressing crime and
safety concerns. Two Neighborhood Police Officers (NPOs)
serve as liaisons to the DDP and BID. They represent the Department at monthly board meetings and serve on the Safety
Committee. The DMU develops policing strategies to address
crime and safety concerns in Central Denver.
The Commander of District Six works closely with the leaders
of these organizations to ensure their concerns are being
heard and their needs met. The Mounted Patrol Unit (MPU)
is another visible example of the partnership with Downtown
Denver. The Mounted Patrol regularly patrols the 16th Street
Mall and outlying downtown area parks. They are a popular
attraction for visitors to the Mall and serve as great ambassadors for the City and County of Denver.
The DPD’s responsiveness to the needs of Downtown
Denver has led to the implementation of many programs
and involvement in many committees whose purpose is to
address safety downtown. The following are examples of
these programs:
The Downtown Public and Private Partnership is a
group that includes a representative from the Office of the
Chief of Police, who chairs the Downtown Public and Private
Partnership (commonly referred to as DP3), a coalition of
business and hotel property managers and security directors.
The Hotel Security Committee, an off-shoot of DP3, was
formed to address safety concerns specific to the hotel industry. Both groups allow for the timely dissemination of crimerelated information to group members, and meetings often
include speakers on safety topics, such as workplace violence.
The Mounted Patrol Unit has been maintained in spite of
massive budget cuts, and in partnership with Public Works
and the Business Improvement District, drafted new ordi-
TEN YEAR ANNUAL REPORT
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A DECADE OF ACHIEVEMENT
nances governing the operation of horse-drawn carriages on
the 16th Street Mall. The MPU conducts testing and inspections of carriage operators.
COP SHOPS
The mission of the Denver COP Shops is to create and
maintain a partnership between community residents and
law enforcement officials to help prevent crime, improve
safety and solve community problems. A COP Shop assists
in building confidence between the community and law
enforcement. COP Shops are staffed and operated by citizen volunteers in partnership with the Police Department.
Under Chief Whitman’s administration, seven COP Shops
have been opened across the city in an effort to provide
a convenient place for citizens and local businesses to be
able to file police reports such as non-injury auto accidents,
thefts, drug activity, graffiti and gang activities. COP Shops
also assist the public with other city related matters such as
zoning issues, neighborhood cleanup and traffic problems.
The COP Shop also serves as a facility where Denver Police
officers can complete their reports, meet with the citizens
and perform other police activities.
24
DENVER POLICE DEPARTMENT
The Downtown Denver
Partnership (DDP)
The Downtown Denver Partnership has launched several
redevelopment projects in the past decade: the overall
Downtown Area Plan, the 14th Street Initiative, the 16th
Street Plan, the renovation of Skyline Park and Denver Union
Station are a sampling. The Denver Police Department’s
partnership with DDP provided valuable insight to crime and
safety concerns during the planning stages for these projects.
Denver Police Department representatives also served on
the Civic Center Conservancy committee and provided input
into redevelopment plans for the park.
The revitalization of Downtown Denver over the past ten
years has included the development of numerous residential
properties in the urban core and the redevelopment of neighborhoods to the north of downtown. Downtown residency is
now prized and several neighborhood organizations provide
an active voice in directing the future of Downtown Denver.
CO M M U N I T Y I N I T I AT I V E S
SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICERS (SRO)
DENVER POLICE ACTIVITIES LEAGUE
Despite massive budget cuts, the Denver Police Department
has maintained full staffing of SROs in Denver Public High
Schools providing critically needed safety and security.
The Denver Police Activities League (PAL) is a non-profit
charitable organization established in 1969 to provide athletic and other endeavors to Denver youth during high-risk
hours and to be a positive interface between the Denver
Police Department and the community. Since 2000, in addition to working with thousands of young people in athletic
activities, the PAL initiated several new projects to protect
the health and safety of children including:
• “Can’t Fool Me” - an anti-abduction and abuse program
• “Go Girl Go”- a health risk educational program for
young girls
• Tobacco education / baseball skills clinic
The concept of SROs is to have one or more officers assigned
to a high school keeping roughly the same hours and time
off as the students. Currently there are 15 officers assigned
as SROs. There is one officer at North, South, West, Lincoln, JFK, Thomas Jefferson and George Washington High
Schools; two each at East and Montbello; two at the Contemporary Learning Academy and Career Enhancement Center;
one officer that splits his time between Lake and Skinner
Middle School; and an officer assigned to Bruce Randolph /
Manual High School.
The officers work in myriad ways. Much of their time is spent
de-escalating situations, establishing positive relationships
with students, faculty and parents, providing positive role
models, and when the need arises, enforcing the law, citing
or arresting offenders and keeping the school area and surrounding neighborhoods safe.
In spite of massive budget cuts over the past decade, the
Denver Police Department has maintained staffing at PAL by
two full-time police officers funded by the city, and a civilian
staff member funded by PAL.
TEN YEAR ANNUAL REPORT
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A DECADE OF ACHIEVEMENT
NEIGHBORHOOD TRAFFIC
ENFORCEMENT INITIATIVE
The Neighborhood Enforcement Team (NET Unit) was
formed in 1999 based on the Neighborhood Police Officer
concept. This valuable traffic safety program has been one of
the Denver Police Department’s staffing priorities during a
decade of tight budget times.
The goal of the NET is to respond quickly to complaints of
traffic problems from citizens, neighborhood groups, city
council offices, businesses and schools. They provide a quick
and efficient response and make contact with the complainant, often in person. They also work on education and prevention programs, and have helped design safer “Kiss and Go”
zones at schools for student drop-off and pick-up.
The NET officers work closely with Traffic Engineering on
problem locations. They provide a high level of service that
ensures the safest environment for neighborhoods and areas
that are not main thoroughfares, which in the past did not
receive as high a level of enforcement effort.
HALLOWEEN PARTIES
It has become an annual tradition throughout many of the
Department’s district stations and the Training Academy to
provide a safe and fun location for children and families to
enjoy Halloween. Approximately 3,000 children and parents
attend this annual event.
26
DENVER POLICE DEPARTMENT
ONLINE CRIME REPORTING
In the past decade, in an effort to meet the increasingly
technological needs and expectations of the community and
to allow for a more timely and efficient process for reporting
less-serious criminal acts, the Department initiated an online
police reporting process. Through the availability of online
reporting citizens can report a number of crimes without having to take time off from work or otherwise rearrange their
schedules to travel to the Police Administration Building or
Police District Station to file a report.
Additionally, the online reporting process is typically much
more time-efficient for detectives as well. The following types
of crimes can be directly reported through the Department’s
website:
• Theft (not by force or break-in)
• Car Break-in (not auto theft)
• Vandalism to Property
• Vandalism to Vehicle (not car accident)
• Lost or Stolen Property
• Gas - No-pay/Drive-Off
CO M M U N I T Y I N I T I AT I V E S
CITIZENS’ POLICE ACADEMIES
The Citizens’ Police Academy (CPA) has existed with few
changes for much of the decade. Approximately 60 citizens
attend the Citizens’ Police Academy each year. Courses
are designed to explain the function of various units within
the police department, including patrol, investigations, air
support, SWAT, canine, Crime Lab, narcotics, traffic unit, and
gang unit. Classes also explain Use of Force issues and decision making. CPA also serves as a fertile recruiting ground for
the Volunteers in Policing Program.
The Volunteers in Policing Unit developed a brand-new
Youth Police Academy in 2009. This academy was similar in
purpose to the Citizens’ Police Academy, but focused on the
interests of teenagers. Accordingly, it included more task-oriented courses with hands-on role playing to simulate police
work. The Youth Academy was offered in 2009 and 2010,
providing service to approximately 60 young people over the
two year period. This academy also served as a fertile recruiting ground for the Police Explorer Program.
The Citizens’ Police Academy Alumni Association is an extension of the CPA that serves to keep alumni in contact with the
police department. Alumni are valued ambassadors for the
department and serve as a pool of potential volunteers.
RETIRED OFFICER RECOGNITION
AND APPRECIATION
Beginning in 2008, the Denver Police Department recognized the importance of providing more formal recognition
and appreciation for the men and women who committed
their entire professional careers to the Denver Police Department and serving the public safety interests of the citizens of
the City and County of Denver. In May 2008, coinciding with
the annual Denver Police Memorial Event, the first annual
retiree recognition and appreciation luncheon was initiated
and all attending retirees were recognized during the memorial event. A catered lunch was provided to them through the
contributions of the Denver Police Foundation and Denver
Police Protective Association.
CRAIG HOSPITAL/DANIELS FUND
INITIATIVE FOR INJURED OFFICERS
Craig hospital is a private, non-profit hospital that focuses
exclusively on spinal cord and traumatic brain injury. Craig
has been rated in the Top Ten Rehabilitation Hospitals by US
News and World Report since the ratings began twenty-one
years ago.
In the benevolent and entrepreneurial spirit of its founder, Bill
Daniels, the Daniels Fund partners with individuals, organizations, and communities to recognize inherent value, develop
abilities, and provide opportunities in order to fulfill our collective potential.
TEN YEAR ANNUAL REPORT
27
A DECADE OF ACHIEVEMENT
Chief Whitman takes a personal interest in all police officers
who are injured in the line of duty. He is well known for visiting officers (from all over the U.S.) who are rehabilitating at
Craig Hospital. He saw, first hand, the financial needs of families who came into Denver to be with their beloved injured
officers and put an idea into motion.
In October 2009, the Daniel’s fund provided a generous
financial gift of $100,000 to Craig Hospital to help cover
expenses for the families of injured police officers receiving
care for brain and spinal cord injuries at Craig Hospital.
DANIELS FUND NEIGHBORHOOD
HERO AWARD PROGRAM
One of the Daniels Fund programs is the Neighborhood
Hero Award Program. This award recognizes, “Those who go
above and beyond the call of duty.”
In 2004, the Daniels Fund presented the Neighborhood
Hero Award to Denver Police Detective Jeff Carroll and
his wife for providing a stable and caring environment for
86 foster children. Detective Carroll retired soon after
receiving the award, having served 33 years in the Denver
Police Department.
In December 2006, the Denver Police Department and
the Daniels Fund presented a Neighborhood Hero Award to
Mr. Van Cleave and Ms. Betty Bradley for saving the lives
of others by assisting the Denver Police in capturing three
extremely desperate and dangerous criminals more than
30 years ago.
In October 2008, the DPD and the Daniels Fund presented
eleven-year-old Roman Ross with a Neighborhood Hero
Award for saving the life of a drowning victim at the pool in
his apartment complex.
In 2009, the Daniels Fund and the Denver Police
Department honored four lifeguards and a six-year-old girl
for saving a five-year-old drowning victim.
In 2010, the Daniels Fund presented citizen Matthew
McCune with a Neighborhood Hero Award for coming to the
aid of a woman who was being assaulted.
28
DENVER POLICE DEPARTMENT
SIX
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LEADERSHIP
Every great organization must plan for its future by nurturing its
future leadership. The Denver Police Department uses three primary
command preparation training modules to groom future department
leaders. They are the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s National
Academy (FBI-NA), the Northwestern University Center for Public
Safety School of Police Staff and Command (NWUCPS-PSC),
and the International Association of Chiefs of Police Leadership in
Police Organizations Program (LPO).
A DECADE OF ACHIEVEMENT
CAREER DEVELOPMENT AND
SUCCESSION PLANNING
The Federal Bureau of Investigation National
Academy has been in existence since 1935, when Director
J. Edgar Hoover created a school for police executives. Since
then there have been 241 completed sessions of the 10week National Academy. The classes are taught by experts
in police science and the courses qualify for college credits
through the University of Virginia. Classes are taught at both
the baccalaureate level and graduate school level. As well as
academic rigor, the students also go through vigorous physical fitness training. When they emerge they have an excellent
education, they are physically fit and have made connections
with key experts and colleagues from across the nation. Police executives from all over the country attend and are also
joined by international students.
After the academy, the FBI National Academy Associates is
an active alumni association. The Denver Police Department
has benefited from participating in the FBI-National Academy by sending 20 officers (lieutenant and above) over the
last decade. Currently, the Denver Police Department has 17
active members of the FBI-National Academy Associates.
A number of Denver Police members have attended 22 local
conferences offering timely training that is pertinent to the
law enforcement profession. They participated in the planning and hosting of the National Academy in 2003 in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Four Denver Police members have
served in executive board positions; two served as president,
one as Secretary and one as Treasurer.
30
DENVER POLICE DEPARTMENT
Northwestern University Center for Public Safety has
been in operation since 1936. They offer a 10-week School
of Police Staff and Command. The curriculum covers topical
areas of Understanding Management, Law Enforcement
Management and Environment, Human Resources Administration and Planning and Analysis Skills. Classes earn credits
through Northwestern University.
The International Association of Chiefs of Police
(IACP) has adapted a leadership program from the West
Point Military Academy. Recognizing the importance for all
department managers to “speak the same language,” the
Denver Police Department began to research the various
management and leadership courses available for the Department’s command staff. While the FBI National Academy
and Northwestern Leadership programs are recognized as
the pre-eminent management development programs for
law enforcement, their availability and substantial personal
and organizational commitment make it unrealistic for large
numbers of management personnel to attend.
In 2007, the Denver Police Department sent a captain and a
lieutenant to the West Point Leadership Program, originally
developed by LAPD in the mid-90s in partnership with the
United States Military Academy at West Point. Their mission
was to evaluate the program with an eye toward adopting
this training for DPD command. Operating under the philosophy that leadership consists of “influencing human behavior
to achieve organizational goals,” West Point applied behavioral science theories to individual, group, and organizational
settings in order to affect positive change in motivation,
satisfaction, and performance.
L e a d e r s h i p
The International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP)
refined the West Point program under the title of Leadership
in Police Organizations (LPO). Nine command officers were
sent through both the basic LPO program as well as the LPO
Faculty Development Workshop, and DPD created a cadre
of instructors for its in-house training program, funded by
the Colorado Peace Officers’ Standards and Training (POST)
Board. The second joint
Denver PD / Aurora PD began
in late March 2011. Upon
completion, nearly half of the
Denver Police Department’s
command staff will have been
trained. Over the course of the
next two years it is expected
that all of DPD’s command
and supervisory officers will
have received training on
Leadership in Police Organizations.
The IACP Leadership in Police Organizations (LPO) training
program began development in 2000. The classes focus on
the systematic development of leaders at all levels of a police
organization and embrace the concept of “every officer a
leader.” A major part of the training is the idea that true leaders develop those who work for them to become the leaders
of the future. This heralds the true meaning of succession
planning, with each officer doing what he or she can to create an effectively functioning department that is focused
on doing the “right thing.” The Denver Police Department is
dedicated to managing its resources in an accountable, transparent, efficient and professional manner to provide the best
possible police service for the citizens of the City and County
of Denver. LPO training instills this focus.
CREATION OF CORPORAL RANK
The Department has had a model field training program
for decades. Field Training Officers (FTOs) are selected
through testing and then receive common training. Each
police district’s field training program is closely monitored
by a sergeant.
FTOs usher trainees through
four phases of training that
requires progressively greater
autonomy of action by the
trainee. In essence, the FTOs
are supervisors of their trainees
and complete daily observation reports of their progress,
discuss their progress in weekly
meetings and make recommendations for the trainee’s movement to the next phase of
training or release from the Field Training Program. FTOs
also recommend remedial training or dismissal where appro-
priate. On the street, FTOs are also sought out for questions
from other officers and even supervisors. FTOs also perform
district training functions for all officers.
Selection of officers to this rank requires that they test and
be promoted to the rank of technician. They must then successfully perform the duties of an FTO for a period of two
years. At that point they can test for the rank of corporal. The
stripes give officers and citizens a readily identifiable insignia
of rank and allow them to be easily found within a group of
officers at a scene.
CREATION OF COMMANDER
OF POLICE RANK
In 2001, Chief Whitman worked with Mayor Wellington
Webb to create the appointed rank of Commander of Police.
The Chief recognized that while all of the captains occupied
important positions in the agency, there were certain assignments that were more onerous and critical to accomplishing
the goals of a community policing department.
In the past, captains were selected to command police district
stations. The rank of captain is a merit rank and is tested
for through the Civil Service Commission. As such, they had
strong job protection and could only be demoted for cause.
Chief Whitman wanted to be able
to make significant strides in
community policing, technology
improvement, and adoption of
best practices. He needed strong
support from his district commanders to make these initiatives happen. He developed the
commander assignment which is
an appointed position. The appointed position also allowed him
to select people from the Civil Service ranks of lieutenant
and captain for these posts, allowing a wider selection of
talent for these positions.
Chief Whitman gave each Patrol District crime analysts, real
time data and expected them to have a strong situational
awareness and be taking actions to combat crime problems.
He used the managerial accountability program Command
Accountability Review and Evaluation (CORE) to assure that
his commanders were aware of and actively addressing problems. He also used this weekly forum to identify problems
crossing district boundaries and to create a problem-solving
atmosphere to address issues. This new rank has been instrumental in pushing the amount of progress the Department
has been able to accomplish over the last decade.
TEN YEAR ANNUAL REPORT
31
SEVEN
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COLLABORATION
The Denver Police Department is known for its intense commitment
towards collaboration. This is demonstrated not only with other
governmental agencies, but with non-profit organizations, and the
private sector as well. There is a clear belief that synergy is a key to
effective relationship with the community and also in fighting crime.
CO L L A B O R AT I O N
AIR FORCE ACADEMY
RESEARCH PARTNERSHIP
Cadets of the Air Force Academy conducted research for the
Denver Police Department under the guidance of a faculty
member as part of their course of study at the Academy.
This academic partnership allows a teaching situation for the
cadets and provides valuable research from a fresh perspective to the department.
One such study looked at the through-put for doing offense
reports for street officers. The cadets went on ride-alongs,
conducted focus group discussions with officers and looked
at computer-aided dispatch data. They focused on the time
a call is in queue and the time on a call. The research covered
the time from 1998 to 2005. They learned that as the
number of calls for service increased, the average time per
call decreased; but the clear trend was for both the number
of calls and the time spent on calls to increase, effectively
demonstrating the relationship between Denver’s increasing
population while the number of patrol officers was static or
slightly declining.
In another study using different cadets, the investigative
process for aggravated assault cases was examined. This
group focused on what criteria are used to prioritize cases
for investigation. At the time, the Assault Bureau assigned
and investigated all cases regardless of solvability factors.
The research team recommended that the Assault Unit adopt
a method of screening cases and stamping cases with no
solvability factors. The proposed methodology would allow
the Assault Unit to prioritize cases and expend investigative
resources on cases that had a higher likelihood of success.
This recommendation was accepted by the department.
CU RESEARCH PARTNERSHIP
The Department established multiple researching partnerships
allowing for significant benefits to the agency and the various
collaborations as a whole. One specific partnership of note,
involving the University of Colorado at Denver and Boulder,
has spanned over a decade and continues to this day.
Together the University of Colorado and the Denver Police
Department have explored such topics as:
DPD Use of Force Analysis (1996-2002), which found
that the Denver Police Department’s use of force is consistent with findings in other jurisdictions; that is, most arrests
do not involve force when handcuffs are excluded from the
data analysis.
Citizens Complaint Analysis, concluding that a newly
implemented policy, an internal mandate that all complaints
are documented and the creation of initial inquiries have become a useful tool for the identification of early warning signs
of negative behavior, is key in order to divert future problems.
Bias and the Use of Deadly Force, validating that
everyone carries biases and through consistent and regular
firearms training, those biases can be reduced.
The DPD-CU partnership has proven that evidence-based
policing through research partnerships are beneficial not only
to the organization but to community as a whole.
TEN YEAR ANNUAL REPORT
33
A DECADE OF ACHIEVEMENT
TRAFFIC SIGN BOARDS
FRONT RANGE TASK FORCE (FRTF)
The Colorado Department of Transportation has installed
Sign Boards on Interstate 70 and Interstate 25 in Denver.
These boards are used by CDOT to impart traffic information. The Denver Police Department negotiated use of these
boards to provide traffic information, and Amber Alerts.
These message boards are very effective in getting an immediate message out to drivers.
ASSISTANCE TO OUTSIDE LAW
ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES
The Denver Police Department is the largest law enforcement agency in a 500-mile radius, and the 26th largest police
department in America. Due to the size, training, technology, equipment and resources available, DPD is regularly
requested to assist surrounding law enforcement agencies,
including municipal, state and federal agencies, with investigations, tactical and operational planning and response, and
training. DPD is also only one of two local law enforcement
agencies that has its own crime lab. All other law enforcement
agencies in Colorado utilize the services of the State Lab
or other laboratories for testing and lab services. DPD may
also provide assistance to outside law enforcement agencies
through the use of its Crime Lab and its personnel.
S.W. WELD
BOULDER
BROOMFIELD
GILPIN
CLEAR
CREEK
ADAMS
DENVER
ARAPAHOE
The regional High Intensity Drug trafficking Area (HIDTA)
office supports several metro area drug task forces. The
Denver Police Department participates in the Front Range
Task Force.
At present, the department provides a lieutenant to manage
the unit and five detectives. These detectives are joined by
detectives from Aurora PD, other local agencies, state and
federal agencies. The department uses this organization to
handle all its major peddler cases. All T-3 cases are handled
through the FRTF. In 2009, the FRTF was awarded the designation of Task Force of the Year by the HIDTA office. Chief
Whitman is the Board Chair of both HIDTA and the FRTF.
In 2008, the FRTF also initiated a Rotation and Retention
Process. Each Task Force Officer (TFO) is evaluated each
year to see that the work product and effort is consistent
with the high standards of the FRTF. An annual evaluation
must include a decision to retain or release them. In addition,
TFOs are rotated back to the Vice Drug Control Bureau’s
Street Enforcement Section after five years as a TFO. This
affords more officers an opportunity to be a TFO and learn
major case development. The selection process is designed
to select the best and brightest to represent the department
in TFO positions.
Over the past five years, the Front Range Task Force has
caused the indictment and prosecution of nearly 400 individuals associated with drug trafficking, with seizures during
that period of time totaling 300 pounds of cocaine, 141
pounds of methamphetamine, 20 pounds of heroin, 5,398
pounds of marijuana and nearly 5 million dollars in assets.
Over this same period, the task force has dismantled 50 drug
trafficking organizations operating in the Denver metro area.
JEFFERSON
METRO-GANG TASK FORCE (MGTF)
The City & County of Denver sits in the heart of a multi-county, metropolitan area
that includes over 2.5 million residents and over 50 individual law enforcement
jurisdictions.
Task Force Participation and
Interagency Partnerships
Of primary importance to any law enforcement or criminal
justice agency is the need to create, establish and maintain
strong, professional partnerships and collaborative relationships in order to fully accomplish the collective missions of
the organizations that typically work hand-in-hand. Japanese
poet Ryunosuke Satoro wrote, “Individually, we are one drop.
Together, we are an ocean.” This is certainly true of the men
and women of the Denver Police Department who, individually, make significant contributions day-in and day-out, resulting in the oceans of the Department’s accomplishments over
the past 11 years.
34
DENVER POLICE DEPARTMENT
The Metro Gang Task Force (MGTF) is funded through the
regional HIDTA office. The Denver Police Department provides a supervisor, gang officers and one narcotics detective
to support this effort.
Originally formed in 1992, the Metro Gang Task Force is a
multi-jurisdictional task force comprised of members from
local, state and federal law enforcement agencies. The Metro
Gang Task Force conducts long-term, complex investigations that specifically target the leadership of violent criminal
gangs that traffic in illegal narcotics and firearms. The diverse
and comprehensive makeup of the task force uniquely equips
it to identify and dismantle these organized criminal gangs.
This is accomplished through multilayer investigations involving: undercover operations, surveillance, confidential sources,
wire taps, electronic tracking devices, covert cameras, and
other high-tech investigative techniques.
CO L L A B O R AT I O N
Over the past five years Metro Gang Task Force investigations have led to the indictment and prosecution of nearly
400 individuals and the seizure of 305 pounds of cocaine,
118 firearms, 243 pounds of marijuana, 13 pounds of methamphetamine, approximately 13,500 pills of ecstasy, and
approximately 3.8 million dollars in U. S. currency.
DENVER FIELD DIVISION FINANCIAL
INVESTIGATIVE TEAM (FIT)
The Metro Gang Task Force was awarded the Organized
Crime/Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) “Case of the
Year” in 2006 and was named the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) “Task Force of the Year” in 2007.
In addition, the Denver FIT provides the necessary assistance
to enhance and build expertise and investigate techniques
to identify, document, and prosecute drug-money laundering/transportation organizations. Then Denver FIT provides
training to DEA, State and Local narcotics investigators in the
area of bulk cash seizures and utilization of undercover shelf
accounts. The Denver FIT provides undercover expertise for
money laundering investigations on an as-needed basis.
In 2009, the Task Force received both a regional OCDETF
award and a national West Central Region OCDETF award. In
November 2010, during a press conference at the Colorado
U. S. Attorney’s office, Special Agent in Charge James Davis
of the FBI said, “I have never seen a more prolific and more
effective task force” than the Metro Gang Task Force.
HUMAN TRAFFICKING TASK FORCE
The Denver metro area has a human trafficking work group
that meets quarterly and discusses investigations. The
members of this working group endeavor to get commitment from local, state and federal organizations to start
an investigative task force dedicated to human trafficking
crimes. The Denver Police Department has been the leading
local agency in addressing human trafficking. The DPD Vice
Unit has put together several major investigations, seized
millions of dollars in assets, and rescued more than 70 girls
from sexual exploitation.
Denver is at a crossroads of interstate travel, is a vacationing location in summer and winter, and is a strong agricultural
state. These factors place Denver as a major hub for human
trafficking activity. The DPD has only begun to scratch the
surface of this insidious crime, and is committed to expanding the Department’s ability to combat this form of modernday enslavement.
The Denver Field Division Financial Investigative Team’s
mission is to investigate and successfully dismantle or disrupt
drug-money laundering/transportation organizations and
seize and forfeit the revenues generated.
DEA PRESCRIPTION DRUG TACTICAL
DIVERSION SQUAD (TDS)
The Tactical Diversion Squad has been an ongoing, combined
effort between the Drug Enforcement Administration and the
Denver Police Department for more than twenty years. The
incumbent detective started in 2004. After working for a few
months, he discovered that a lot of offenders, mainly medical professionals, were slipping through the cracks. When a
diversion occurred, the medical professional was reported
to the nursing or medical board, and placed on a period of
suspension and entered into a treatment program. Very few
had been filed on criminally.
The detective met with the directors of several area hospitals
and explained their duty to report. Consequently, the police
department began receiving reports of diversions and our case
load dramatically increased. Almost simultaneously, with the
advent of Oxycontin, Denver experienced an increase in cases
involving drug seekers passing false orders and faking pain issues and hospitals in an effort to obtain pain medication.
By 2007, DEA recognized the increase in crime statistics
involving pharmaceuticals drugs and decided to expand
the Tactical Diversion Squad. Denver’s unit has steadily
grown since.
TEN YEAR ANNUAL REPORT
35
A DECADE OF ACHIEVEMENT
The Tactical Diversion Squad now consists of ten members; a
full time supervisor a full time secretary, four Special Agents,
one Diversion Investigator and three Task Force Officers. The
Denver Police Department has one full time task force officer
assigned to the squad. In addition, one Street Enforcement
Section detective also specializes in prescription drug diversion cases and works closely with the squad.
In 2010, DEA reported a 400% increase in prescription
drug crime from 2007 to 2010. When Denver’s enforcement/investigations began the majority of the filings were
cases developed in the field by officers responding to calls of
prescription fraud.
Since then, approximately 75 percent of the filings are cases
generated by the Narcotics Unit through information obtained from established contacts and direct sources such as
pharmacists and doctors.
The unit also conducts numerous training sessions for law
enforcement officers and the medical community.
DEA INTERDICTION TASK FORCE
The DEA Denver metro office has an interdiction team.
They develop complex cases and try to use advanced investigative techniques to take down complex drug transportation networks.
In 2008, the DEA restarted and reformulated their drug
interdiction efforts. Formerly an interdiction team would
limit their activity to trying to locate drugs by conducting
interdiction stops on highways, train stations, bus stations
and airports. The new emphasis was to make larger cases and
take down whole transportation networks, using a wide array
of complex investigative techniques. They aimed at attacking the flow of contraband both ways–drugs going into and
through Denver and the money returning to pay for them.
INTERNET CRIME AGAINST CHILDREN TASK FORCE
ICAC Task Force is a national initiative sponsored by the
National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Since
2008, when the Denver Internet Predator Unit (IPU) was
formed, it has been a participating agency with the Colorado
ICAC Task Force.
The IPU investigates crimes related to the use of the internet
to commit crimes against children, child pornography, and
internet predators. As a member agency, the Internet Predator Unit (IPU) receives tips that come from the national ICAC
phone line, channeled through the regional office. If they
receive an internet-based child prostitution tip for Denver
through ICAC, those tips are referred to the VICE Team.
The ICAC task force also provides training and information
on national trends in ICAC- related cases. Since the unit’s
inception in May 2008, they average approximately 95
cases annually.
INNOCENCE LOST NATIONAL INITIATIVE
The FBI Crimes Against Children Unit, within the Violent
Crime Section at FBI HQ created the Innocence Lost National
Initiative (ILNI) to assist the 56 FBI Field Divisions combat
the growing threat of commercial sexual exploitation of
children through prostitution throughout the United States.
This initiative seeks to create task forces and working groups
consisting of FBI Agents working with local and state law
enforcement partners to address child prostitution investigations in cities throughout the United States.
The FBI has federal investigative jurisdiction into violations
of the White Slave Act - Domestic trafficking of Children/
Prostitution and Sexual Exploitation of Children. Within the
Denver Division of the FBI, investigative responsibility for
these cases resides with the Rocky Mountain Safe Streets
Task Force (RMSSTF).
The DPD approved of this new strategy and added a task
force officer to this effort. This officer has been a major player
in the task force’s efforts and they have had remarkable success as reflected by some of the case data:
The RMSSTF currently works with the Denver Police Department’s Vice Detectives to address cases of child prostitution
on a case-by-case basis. The same is done with other metro
area agencies such as Lakewood and Aurora.
ROCKY MOUNTAIN SAFE STREETS TASK FORCE
Cases initiated
Assets Seized
Arrests
Phone Intercepts
Kilograms Heroin Seized
Kilograms Cocaine seized
Kilograms Marijuana seized
Kilograms Meth Seized
MDMA Dosage Units Seized
36
DENVER POLICE DEPARTMENT
20092010
60
61
$1,401,610
$1,406 897
105123
8
16
2.8
2.3
60
36.7
89
442.7
5
39
15,768
2,805
The RMSSTF is a FBI-led violent crime task force that
consists of FBI Agents and Task Force Officers from Denver,
Aurora, Lakewood, Jefferson County, Arapahoe County and
the Colorado State Patrol. The RMSSTF has an outstanding
working relationship with local and state law enforcement
partners throughout the Denver metro area.
CO L L A B O R AT I O N
ROCKY MOUNTAIN COMPUTER FORENSIC LAB
The Rocky Mountain Regional Computer Forensics Laboratory is a collaboration of local, state and federal law enforcement agencies and district attorney’s offices. The Denver
Police Department and the Denver DA’s Office have been
instrumental members from the start. The FBI is the organizing agency and provides financial and technical assistance.
The FBI also dictates the standards by which regional computer forensic labs are operated, and has certified 14 such
organizations throughout the country.
The RMRCFL was established in 2006 and covers Wyoming and Colorado. In 2009, the RMRCFL had 59 agencies
request assistance with 339 service requests. They examined
1,995 pieces of media, completing 283 investigations. The
RMRCFL also trained 67 law enforcement officers in various
digital forensics tools and techniques. The five top crimes
they deal with are 1) child pornography and exploitation, 2)
white collar crime, 3) child sexual assault, 4) homicide and 5)
computer hacking.
FUGITIVE UNIT AND THE FUGITIVE LOCATION AND
APPREHENSION GROUP (F.L.A.G.)
This program has been very successful and led the Department to form a Fugitive Unit in 2007. This Unit (seven detectives and a sergeant) concentrates only on Denver violent
crime arrest warrants. The working relationship between the
investigative units and the Fugitive Team is so positive that it
is often the case that the wanted party will be under surveillance as the arrest warrant is being signed by the judge.
COLD CASE TASK FORCE – COURSE DEVELOPMENT
An educational curriculum was developed in part by a cross
section of Denver metro area subject matter experts in the
area of cold case investigations. The intent of the course
is to provide Colorado Law Enforcement Agencies with an
overview of best practices and strategies for Cold Case homicide investigations, with an emphasis on evidence testing
and DNA forensic technology. Sandy Sayre of the Colorado
Department of Public Safety/ Colorado Regional Community
Policing Institute facilitated the development of this statewide Cold Case training.
The pilot course was held in Lakewood on November 18th
and 19th, 2009. Four subsequent training sessions in each of
the state’s geographic quadrants were held in 2010.
In 2000, the Department joined forces with the U.S. Marshal’s Office, sheriff’s departments from Arapahoe, Jefferson,
and Douglas counties, along with the Aurora Police Department and the State Department of Corrections. These agencies formed the Fugitive Location and Apprehension Group
(F.L.A.G.) under the auspices of the Rocky Mountain HIDTA.
F.L.A.G. was formed with the mission of pursuing violent
wanted felons on behalf of the participating agencies.
TEN YEAR ANNUAL REPORT
37
EIGHT
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STATISTICALLY
SPEAKING
In the past decade the Denver Police Department has
demonstrated the effectiveness of its strategies, policies, and
methodology through a steady decrease in crime. In fact, since
2005, there has been a 28.9% decrease in crime for Denver.
S TAT I S T I C A L LY S P E A K I N G
HIRING SURGE TO REPLACE
VETERAN OFFICERS
Between the years 2000 and 2008, the Denver Police
Department hired 810 officers, which equates to a change in
staffing of over half of the agency. Due to a sizable number
of veteran officers from the 1970s who retired, there was
a significant hiring spurt between 2004 and 2007. During
this four-year time frame the Department hired 530 officers,
which often required overlapping academy classes that
started every three months.
HIRING 2000-2010
200
Hired
Separated
180
159
150
134
115
During this hiring surge, the Department trained all officers
on the new and evolving, modern policies, procedures and
equipment of the decade.
100
91
76
50
40
26
0
25
25
0
00
01
02
34
24
6
29
13
16
0
1
03 04 05 06 07 08 09
0
10
TEN YEAR ANNUAL REPORT
39
A DECADE OF ACHIEVEMENT
POLICE OFFICER RECRUITING,
HIRING AND TRAINING
Calls for Service
Over the past decade the DPD has been dedicated to recruiting, training and hiring the most talented and committed men
and women possible to fill the Department’s mission.
CALL FOR SERVICE (CFS) DATA:
2000 – 2010
In general, when people picture “police response” the image
that typically comes to mind is that of a uniformed police officer responding in a marked police car. Whether the response
from the Department is initiated by a citizen through calling
9-1-1 or the non-emergency line, initiated by an individual police officer who is patrolling the streets of Denver or initiated
through an internal, administrative process, Calls for Service
(CFS) are truly the “bread and butter” for any police department. Over the past 11 years, the Denver Police Department
has responded to almost 6 ½ million Calls for Service. The
following tables will provide some additional, statistical information about Calls for Service:
Calls for Service
Class 1*
Class 2**
Class 3
2000
301,220219,000 90,978
2001
368,822157,782 117,784
2002
338,717150,833124,452
2003
339,444126,048 135,321
2004
341,046109,087 116,447
2005
346,339126,233 118,372
2006
330,661151,019117,794
2007
326,879 174,074108,526
2008
325,207162,985100,457
2009
317,704160,624 59,998
2010
324,418141,093 21,080
TOTAL
3,660,4571,678,778 1,111,209
Grand Total
6,450,444
Avg Time in Queue
(in min)
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
8 Yr. Average
PreMRE Avg
PostMRE Avg Class 1
Class 2
Avg Time
Assigned
to Closed
(in min)
Avg Time
Assigned
to Closed
(in min)
1444 47
144752
145151
13 5349
14 5148
1150 51
125254
1053 51
12.75
50.13
50.38
14.0
47.33
50.0
12.0
51.8
50.6
Note: the average time waiting for an officer to be assigned a call (in queue) has been below the
8 year average for the last three years. Officers began to make Mobile Report Entry (MRE) in
2006. The preMRE average time on call increased on class 1 calls since the department went
to MRE reporting. However, this must be weighed by the fact that several other data handing
steps have been eliminated by MRE reporting, creating a huge cost savings. For Class 2 calls the
increase in time on call in the post MRE time period is negligible, less than a minute.
In 2009, the accident reporting module was rolled out.
Officers are still in the learning curve for these reports.
700,000
DENVER ESTIMATED POPULATION
600,000
500,000
400,000
300,000
*Class 1 = Citizen initiated, Class 2 = Officer Initiated, Class 3 = Administrative
** In 2009 the Communications Center changed the method of collecting Class 2 Calls for
Service
200,000
Note: The average Class 1 CFS/Year is 332,769 and the average Class 2 CFS/Year is 152,616
CFS. The 2010 numbers are below the average, despite rising population and the shrinking
number of sworn officers.
100,000
0
40
DENVER POLICE DEPARTMENT
00
01
02
03 04 05 06 07 08 09
10
S TAT I S T I C A L LY S P E A K I N G
30,000
VIOLENT CRIME TRENDS AND
CRIMINAL STRATEGIES
TOTAL PART 1 CRIMES
The Denver Police Department has historically expressed its
crime statistics to the public in the Universal Crime Reporting
(UCR) format. In the past decade, the Department switched to
the National Incident Based Reporting format, but the department can still export its data in the UCR format for consistency
of presentation. The following is based upon the UCR Part 1
Crimes. These consist of major crimes including the violent
crimes of murder, rape, robbery and aggravated assault; and
property crimes of burglary, theft (except theft from motor
vehicles), auto theft and arson. The following represents data
from DPD annual reports for 2000-2010. Data for 2009
and preliminary data for 2010 are generated from the Data
Analysis Unit.
Part 1 Crimes have declined over the eleven-year time period
2000 -2010. A linear trend for this data shows a decline
of about 670 crimes per year. This is despite an increase in
population of about 554,636 to 610,345 in 2009. Violent
Part 1 crimes showed a modest decline during the period with
a sharp drop in robbery and homicide, but slight increasing
trends in rape and aggravated assault, although from 2009
to 2010 both these categories showed a decline. Property
Part 1 crimes showed across-the-board declines for the
same time period.
25,000
20,000
15,000
10,000
5,000
0
00
01
02
03 04 05 06 07 08 09
10
VIOLENT PART 1 CRIMES
2,500
Murder
Rape
Robbery
Aggr. Assault
2,000
1,500
1,000
500
0
Murder
Rape
Robbery
Aggr. Assault
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
33
301
1246
1532
47
301
1426
1465
51
325
1329
1561
65
312
1573
1774
91
242
1548
2564
61
348
1439
2221
55
373
1285
2244
50
346
1107
1701
49
337
1097
1701
38
409
1063
1749
33
349
996
1663
TEN YEAR ANNUAL REPORT
41
A DECADE OF ACHIEVEMENT
DENVER PROPERTY PART 1 CRIMES
8,000
7,000
6,000
5,000
4,000
3,000
2,000
1,000
0
Burglary
Theft
MVTF
Arson
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
5111
6322
5670
358
5755
6431
6944
351
6242
6233
7424
305
7449
6199
7534
208
7449
6199
7534
208
7360
6490
7835
244
6538
6146
6211
191
5829
5162
5396
176
5243
4971
3738
124
4862
5263
3569
140
4534
5620
3254
129
TOTAL
5,000 PART 1 CRIMES/100,000
When the data is normalized by calculating the crimes per
100,000 residents the declines are even steeper. From 2000
to 2010, the authorized strength for the Department has
increased on average 1.8 officers per year. The authorized
strength per 1000 residents should continue to decline as
there is no expectation to hire any new officers in 2011 due
to the budget shortage. The average authorized strength per
1000 residents declined 0.2 officers from 2000 to 2010.
4,000
3,000
2,000
1,000
0
42
DENVER POLICE DEPARTMENT
00
01
02
03 04 05 06 07 08 09
10
S TAT I S T I C A L LY S P E A K I N G
CRIME STATS NORMALIZED TO PER 100,000 RESIDENCES
4,000
3,500
3,000
2,500
2,000
1,500
1,000
500
0
Violent
Property
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
561
3148
574
3452
582
3597
667
3777
796
3830
725
3907
696
3356
576
2862
537
2373
534
2267
498
2218
AUTHORIZED
STRENGTH PER YEAR
1,600
AUTHORIZED
STRENGTH PER 1000 CITIZENS
3.0
1,400
2.5
1,200
2.0
1,000
1.5
800
600
1.0
400
0.5
200
0
0
00
01
02
03 04 05 06 07 08 09
10
00
01
02
03 04 05 06 07 08 09
TEN YEAR ANNUAL REPORT
10
43
NINE
20
0 0 -2 010
BEST
PRACTICES
“Doing it the way it is always done” is not an option at the Denver Police
Department. This progressive agency strives to be one of the premier
leaders in developing and implementing best practices. The former
director of forensic sciences in Great Britain recently said, “Nobody on the
planet does it better” when asked about the Denver Police Department.
B E ST P R AC T I C E S
PROTECTING CIVIL RIGHTS
In September 2006, the United States Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division (specifically, the Special Litigation
Section), the Office of Community Oriented Policing (COPS),
and the Civil Rights and Professional Standards committees
from the International Association of Chiefs of Police jointly
formed a project group to outline the best law enforcement
practices to ensure the protection of civil rights. That group
produced the comprehensive guide: Protecting Civil Rights: A
Leadership Guide for State, Local, and Tribal Law Enforcement.
In 2009, Chief Whitman directed that the Denver Police
Department’s policies and practices be compared to this
guide. DPD either met or exceeded all but one of the recommended practices.
The Consortium for Police Leadership in Equity also honored
Chief Whitman because of his and the Department’s “dedication to protecting civil liberties and human rights.”
The Consortium for Police Leadership in Equity (CPLE) is a
research consortium that promotes police transparency and
accountability by facilitating innovative research collaborations between law enforcement agencies and empirical social
scientists. CPLE was founded by Chiefs of Police from Denver, Salt Lake City, Houston and San Jose. The Consortium
seeks to improve issues of equity–particularly racial and gender equity–in policing, both within law enforcement agencies
and between agencies and the communities they serve.
The Consortium aims to effect cultural transformations
within both law enforcement and the academy by creating
opportunities that simultaneously preserve the dignity of law
enforcement and advance the application of social science to
the real world.
The CPLE is committed to research transparency and, as
such, does not charge participating law enforcement agencies
for access to its expert researchers. To that end, CPLE researchers are never funded by participating law enforcement
agencies and are able to render both expert consultations
(for law enforcement) and scholarly publications (for the
academic and general public) absent any hint of coercion or
incentive. Consequently, the structure of the CPLE is, itself,
an innovation designed to further the interests of transparency and accountability in equity matters.
BIASED POLICING
The development of the Department’s biased policing
policy was unique and representative of the DPD’s commitment to community partnership and the preservation of
civil rights. Forty-seven meetings (led by a coalition of 25
neighborhood groups and 78 community organizations)
were conducted regarding the development of policies
and procedures, the collection of data on police/citizen
contacts, the training of police officers and the community,
and youth outreach. Over 1,800 person hours were dedicated to this process.
The rank of Corporal was also added to decrease the span
of control by sergeants and to increase the supervision of
officers on the street. The duties and responsibilities outlined
for the rank specifically direct the corporals to:
“…have the particular responsibility
to maintain rigid police discipline and
cause to be investigated all complaints of misconduct, incompetence,
neglect of duty or violations of the
rules and regulations. They shall
report these circumstances immediately and in full detail to their
supervisor or commanding officer in
accordance with the departmental
rules of discipline.”
This additional level of accountability assists in providing high
quality professional service to
the citizens of Denver.
Data collection card created when the
Department initiated its biased policing
TEN YEAR ANNUAL REPORT
45
A DECADE OF ACHIEVEMENT
COMMUNICATION
The Denver Police Department must communicate well both
internally and externally to be effective. External communication is essential to receive and disseminate information
with the community. Internal communication allows the
DPD to provide direction to employees and receive necessary feedback to hone operations, be more efficient and
keep morale high.
INTERNAL COMMUNICATION
OPERATIONS MANUAL
The Operations Manual provides guidance on how to perform
most police activities encountered by Department members.
The Operations Manual used to be printed and distributed
to each member. Keeping up with the current updates was
cumbersome. The Department now provides the Operations
Manual on the Department intranet site, available in Adobe
PDF and MS-Word format. The MS-Word format allows
officers, supervisors and command officers to drag and drop
Operations Manual sections when creating memoranda.
This meeting is conducted by the Chief of Police. Informative
presentations are given, but the most effective part of the
meeting is giving everyone a chance to talk about what is affecting their operation or area of responsibility. This is a great
opportunity for problem solving.
It is now much easier to keep officers informed of changing procedures. Included in the Operations Manual are the
Department Mission Statement, Vision and Values. These
simple documents provide the moral and ethical compass
for Department members and guide employee actions
when the specific task is not specifically covered in the
Operations Manual.
COMMITTEE ON POLICE SUGGESTIONS (COPS)
BULLETIN
These meetings are designed to serve as a two-way informational flow and open dialogue in order to disseminate necessary and critical information throughout the Department.
Feedback and input is solicited and provided from both a
bottom-up as well as a top-down manner in order to provide
an effective resource for all members of the Department to
have a voice and to receive timely, important information
relative to their work and assignments.
The daily Bulletin is published through the Department and
made available to officers through broadcast e-mail links. The
Bulletin provides information on wanted parties and unsolved
crimes. It also provides information on up-coming events,
training, position openings, officer safety bulletins and much
more. Past Bulletins can be found on the Department intranet
site. The Bulletin provides valuable and timely information to
enhance officers’ abilities to do their jobs effectively and safely.
Beginning in 2002, the DPD initiated a new committee comprised of the top command personnel from police operations
and administration as well as commanders, supervisors and
representatives from across the Department. The committee
meets every other month or on special request to review and
discuss all topics that may affect the Department.
CARE COMMITTEE
INTERNAL NEWSLETTER
The Office of the Chief of Police produces a newsletter. The
newsletter comes out on an irregular basis and is available on
the intranet site under publications. There is also an archive
of past newsletters. The newsletter keeps officers informed
of emerging issues and Department events.
The DPD started the Civilians Are Responsible Employees
(CARE) Committee in 2001 as a forum where civilian (Career
Service) employees of the Department could meet with the
Chief of Police and Deputy Chief of Administration. These
meetings were held once a month and allowed the employees
to bring any questions or concerns directly before the Chief
and Deputy Chief.
SENIOR STAFF MEETINGS
Another regular means the Department utilizes for internal
departmental communication are monthly senior staff meetings. Each first Monday of the month all senior staff, lieutenants, captains and above meet to discuss current issues at
the District Three community room.
46
DENVER POLICE DEPARTMENT
DETECTIVE ROUNDTABLE MEETINGS
Meetings are held once a month to allow all detectives to meet
with and talk to the Division Chief of Investigations to address
complaints, get updates and confirm or dispel rumors.
B E ST P R AC T I C E S
EXTERNAL COMMUNICATION
ANNUAL REPORTS
Crime statistics were provided to the public once a year
through either a crime ranking report or the Annual Report.
Timely data was difficult to produce due to data scrubbing
efforts and the limited computer technology in order to provide updated reports.
In 2006, the implementation of a new Records Management
System to maintain reported crime data was authorized.
This system provided improved methodologies to access
information and process data more efficiently. The Department now provides on-going crime statistics to the public on
the internet for each neighborhood, council district and police
district monthly. Additionally, the data is imported to an
interactive crime mapping website, which allows citizens to
query timely information around a specific address or within a
predefined area.
The implementation of the intranet has saved the Department printing costs as well as personnel costs, as the public
can acquire information without assistance from the staff.
Large volumes of Annual Reports are no longer printed, as
the information is available on the Denver Police Department’s website.
‘BLUE AND YOU’ TELEVISION PROGRAM
In an effort to provide regular community safety information
as well as create greater transparency for the community to
understand the dynamics of Department operations, DPD
collaborated with Denver’s Channel 8 to produce the monthly
“Blue and You” television program. This show highlights
various parts of the Department and the members who make
DPD successful every day.
CRIME ALERTS
INTERNAL RESEARCH AND ANALYSIS
The Denver Police Department regularly provides Crime Alerts
to the public (through Crime Stoppers) to provide timely
notification related to criminal incidents that may affect public
safety. Additionally, the Department routinely requests the
public’s participation and assistance through these alerts in an
effort to quickly and effectively solve the crimes.
The DPD has changed the culture of the Department to
emphasize accountability among police commanders. In the
past, district commanders did not keep abreast of the crime
trends in their districts, and were never held accountable for
the crime occurring in their area of responsibility. Commanders operated as administrators and did not actively lead the
crime fighting actions of their officers. Chief Whitman envisioned a Department run by commanders who were armed
with accurate, timely data on crime trends and who were held
accountable for the crime occurring in their area of responsibility. The first task in changing this paradigm was to get
accurate timely data. This task was facilitated by upgrading
the data acquisition and handling capability. Acquisition of
the Department’s first Records Management System (RMS)
and Mobile Report Entry (MRE) system helped the DPD
move from a paper-centered process to a paperless process,
greatly improving accuracy and timeliness.
SOCIAL MEDIA
The Denver Police Department is a leader in the law enforcement community when it comes to innovative and accessible
public information. The Denver Police Department created a
Twitter page in June 2009. Since that time it has grown exponentially and is now one of the most popular law enforcement sites on Twitter in the world.
This medium allows the Department to disseminate accurate
information rapidly, to connect with a new generation who
gather their news electronically, and to answer questions
from the public in a non-threatening forum.
The next great hurdle was to provide access and analytical
tools for commanders. Chief Whitman solved these problems
by bringing formal crime analysis to the Department. This
process had proved effective to Chief Whitman when he was
the District Six commander, and he now wanted to apply it
department-wide. He also tied the availability of data to a
Compstat process for regular and continuous managerial accountability and to the strategic planning process to provide
metrics for strategic planning goals and guide change within
the Department. Emphasis was always on working smarter.
TEN YEAR ANNUAL REPORT
47
A DECADE OF ACHIEVEMENT
Office of Policy Analysis provided statistical reports of crime
data to the public, City Council, the Police Department and
the Manager of Safety.
In the spring of 2009, the three units converged to create the
Data Analysis Unit. Staffing was reduced 45% to reduce costs!
Several of the functions of each unit were decentralized to
improve efficiencies.
The Data Analysis Unit provides statistical and data support,
facilitates the Command, Operation, Response and Evaluation
(CORE) process, develops the Strategic Plan, oversees the
development and success of the Crime Analysts, designs and
manages the intranet and internet, creates and maintains Department forms and templates and creates the Daily Bulletin.
PROBLEM SOLVING POLICING PROCESS
CRIME ANALYSIS UNIT
The Crime Analysis Unit was initially formed in 1996 by Chief
Whitman, while he was Commander of the new District Six in
the Patrol Division. It was determined that the new NIBRS
reporting standards increased the reported number of violent
crimes. Each crime victim was reported separately, and for
incidents with multiple charges, each charge was counted
separately. Under the UCR rules, only the highest hierarchical
crime was counted. At the time, existing sworn officers were
used as crime analysts for each Patrol District and for the
centralized Crime Analysis Unit.
In 2006, the crime analysis staff was civilianized. The unit
became more professional and better trained and equipped
to provide the level of analysis service for the Patrol Division
and Criminal Investigations Division. Mapping and other
analysis tools were improved and expanded. This led to improvements in public (internet) access to crime statistics and
internal access (intranet) to police officers.
The services supplied by this unit were crucial in adopting
the Department’s accountability process called Command
Operations Review and Analysis (CORE).
DATA ANALYSIS UNIT
In 2008, the city was identifying areas to reduce the budget
due to the tightened economy. Consolidation of agencies to
minimize duplication was an effective method to increase efficiencies and reduce costs. There were three agencies in the
Department of Safety that managed similar functions with
respect to data and a common goal of providing statistics to
assist with reduction of crime.
The Research and Development Unit provided a Daily Crime
Bulletin and managed the 750 forms used by the Denver
Police Department. The Crime Analysis Unit provided intelligence and tactical support to the Patrol Division. The Safety
48
DENVER POLICE DEPARTMENT
The Department formally embraced problem solving policing
first in District Six in 1997, and then later in the entire Patrol
Division in 1998. A cadre of trainers was developed and all
patrol personnel were required to take an 8-hour training
segment on problem solving policing. A Problem Solving
Plan (PSP) form was developed and made available on
the computer as a template. The form embraced the SARA
model. Officers were encouraged to look at the big picture
and determine the underlying causes of continuing problems.
They were then to put a plan together to address the situation. All major areas of the Department manage both large
and small PSPs.
When the CORE process was implemented in 2005 the PSP
process was a key element in documenting problems and
organizing a response to the problem. The PSP process has
now been ingrained into the Department.
KELLING’S CRIME REDUCTION STRATEGY
In 2004, the DPD adopted a departmental CompStat process
(the utilization of crime statistics and accountability for police
commanders to reduce crime) and a formal crime analysis.
To assist in the adoption of these programs the DPD sought
Police Foundation funding to hire internationally renowned
authorities Robert Wasserman and George Kelling. Wasserman
and Kelling provided valuable assistance in gearing the Department’s information infrastructure to accommodate close to real
time data acquisition. They also set up crime control projects
for District Four and the Capitol Hill area. Their projects were
a success and their assistance invaluable in fast-tracking the
Department to a formal crime analysis function and an effective CORE Process.
B E ST P R AC T I C E S
COMMAND OPERATIONS REVIEW
AND EVALUATION (CORE)
Compstat is a managerial accountability system first tried in
New York City under Mayor Giuliani. This is accomplished by
using real time crime information. The information and analysis tools are provided to district and bureau commanders. At
that point district and bureau commanders are expected to
be familiar with what is going on in their area of responsibility
and to implement strategies to deal with problems.
Chief Whitman wanted an accountability model that fit
DPD’s culture. He mandated that the process be collegial
and emphasize problem solving. As a result, the meetings
have been productive. Since its adoption, crime has steadily
dropped in most areas. The process was dubbed Command
Operations Review and Evaluation (CORE). This is another
example of the Department constantly watching for evolving best practices and adapting them. This also dovetails
with the Commander rank, which was created to hold patrol
commanders accountable for making progress in their
areas of responsibility.
STRATEGIC PLANNING PROCESS
In 2008, the Denver Police Department’s Strategic Plan was
re-evaluated. The original version of the DPD Strategic Plan
was an internal document.
The main issue identified with that version was a lack of accountability. The plan lacked measurable tasks with defined
due dates. It had multiple responsible parties and lack of
follow-up measurement. It lacked coherency, as various
aspects of the plan were not tied to the overall department
mission and items were included that were not relevant to
the strategic plan. This version also did not meet the goals
of tracking and understanding the DPD process in real time,
and providing transparency into how the Police Department
is doing. Due to these issues, it was decided that a new plan
would be developed.
The planning process from several other police agencies and
businesses were evaluated and a hotel-planning model was
selected. The basic model is based on the overall mission of
the department.
The plan was overhauled so that the overall strategies
support that mission and individual tactics measure the accomplishments of each strategy. Each tactic is discreet and
measurable with responsible parties that are held accountable. Because of this new model, it was possible to streamline
the strategic plan. The new plan was launched in 2008 for
2009 implementation. It included a public version posted on
the denvergov.org website.
In 2010, the plan was institutionalized into the DPD and quarterly progress updates were instituted. These quarterly updates were also posted to the denvergov.org website to meet
the mayor’s goals of accountability and transparency. Progress
toward meeting strategic plan goals was also included in the
weekly CORE process. Now, in 2011, the plan has settled into a
continuous evaluation and improvement stage.
TEN YEAR ANNUAL REPORT
49
A DECADE OF ACHIEVEMENT
HOMICIDE CLEARANCE RATES: DENVER VS. NATIONAL AVERAGE
National Clearance %
Denver Clearance %
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
HOMICIDE CLEARANCE RATE
The U.S. Department of Justice considers a homicide case
to be cleared when “at least one person is arrested, charged
with the offense, and turned over to the court for prosecution, or cleared through exceptional means.”
Through quality training and continued dedication, the Denver Police Department supports one of the highest homicide
clearance rates in the nation.
POLICE SHOOTING PROTOCOL
A number of reviewing entities, including the Police Executive
Research Forum (PERF), the Erickson Commission, and the
Police Assessment Resource Center (PARC), have lauded the
officer-involved critical incident investigative protocols of the
Denver Police Department.
Over the past decade, the Denver Police Department and
the Office of the District Attorney for the Second Judicial
District have used a cooperative investigative approach. The
investigation is under the command of the Division Chief
of Investigations or his designee. This protocol applies to
those shootings where the subject is shot and killed, shot and
injured, or if it is unknown, whether the subject was injured.
This investigative protocol is also applied to those officerinvolved critical incidents where death or critical injury occurs
while the deceased or injured person was in the care, custody
or control of law enforcement at the time of the incident.
50
DENVER POLICE DEPARTMENT
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
Ten Year
Mean
Average
The Denver Police Shooting Protocol has been a model for
“best practices” for many years.
A City ordinance passed in 2004 created the Office of the
Independent Monitor (OIM). The ordinance also made some
fundamental changes to how a critical incident of this type
would be handled. If there is a police shooting, in-custody
death, or use of force with serious bodily injury (SBI), the new
policy required an immediate on-going Internal Affairs Bureau
(IAB) case. As such, IAB representatives and representatives
of the OIM would be at the scene, in addition to representatives of the District Attorneys Office and the Homicide Unit,
or other investigating unit of the Criminal Investigation Division (CID).
While the District Attorney’s Office and CID detectives
worked to investigate any potential criminal case, the IAB
and OIM representatives looked for violations of policy and
procedure. Under the old PSRC model, all citizen oversight
was from an appeal basis, conducted after the fact. The new
“active” monitoring model allowed the OIM to be at the scene
to observe questioning of suspects and witnesses.
The OIM only acts on an advisory basis. By being at the
scene from the very beginning of a case, the OIM can assess
the situation with a better understanding of the people, place
and conditions under which the incident occurred, gaining
first-hand knowledge.
B E ST P R AC T I C E S
HUMAN TRAFFICKING INITIATIVE
The City and County of Denver sits on a crossroads of vehicle,
train and air traffic. As such, it is a choke point for the criminal
transportation of contraband. Human trafficking in the form
of forced labor and sexual exploitation activity in Denver is
one such aspect.
The federal Trafficking Victim Protection Act (TVPA) was
passed in 2000 and has been reauthorized and updated several times since. The State of Colorado passed its first human
trafficking law in 2006 and updated it in 2010.
All human trafficking investigations are
channeled to the Vice Drug Control
Bureau’s Vice Unit. The Vice Unit
emphasizes the sexual exploitation
of juveniles through anti-prostitution
operations. The face of prostitution
has changed substantially. Most
prostitution now centers around
posting for erotic services on the
internet. Officers of the Vice Unit
conduct both supply- and demandside operations. Human trafficking
is also big business. In one case
they closed 26 houses of prostitution, one as far away as Glenwood
Springs, Colorado. Primarily, VICE
investigators see domestic trafficking in the sex trades, but they have also seen
major international trafficking cases.
The DPD Vice Unit is recognized as the preeminent law
enforcement agency dealing with human trafficking in Denver
and Colorado. Denver detectives attend national training and
then provide training for other investigators around the state.
DPD has provided training to non-government organizations that help provide services to assist in human trafficking
operations. The Vice unit also is constantly looking for better
practices used in other jurisdictions.
STANDARDIZED USE OF FORENSIC INTERVIEWING
Forensic interviewing has been developed to provide information from a child victim or witness that is complete and
defensible in court. Child victims and witnesses have varying
abilities to recall events and use language; and the trauma of
the subject event(s) complicates efforts to obtain information.
Special interview techniques are used in child abuse and child
sexual assault investigations. The Denver Police Department
has also used them for victims of child sexual exploitation (i.e.,
child prostitutes). The National Child Advocacy Center has
developed models for proper use of forensic interviewing.
SEX OFFENDER REGISTRATION
AND ACCOUNTABILITY
In compliance with State Statute CRS 18-3-412, the Denver
Police Department began to register convicted sex offenders
in 1994. At that time the Department did not have any idea
how many sex offenders were living, working, or traveling
through the City and County of Denver.
In 2002, a database–Sex Crimes Analysis Registration
Enforcement Database (SCARED)–was developed by the
Department to collect the addresses, physical information
and registration dates on sex offenders. With the database,
the Department was better able to determine how many sex
offenders were living within the City and County of Denver,
and which individuals were required to register. At the time,
detectives determined that more than 400 individuals were
out of compliance. By 2007, 1,340 convicted sex offenders
were registered with the DPD. The Sex Offender Registration
Unit had now become the Compliance Unit, under the Pattern
Crimes Bureau.
The DPD constructed a web site, so that citizens could go
on the internet and locate registered sex offenders living
in their community. In December 2010, the DPD signed an
agreement with the Douglas County Sheriff’s Department to
utilize a new, unified sex offender registration database. This
database will be shared by other metro area jurisdictions and
has the ability to search all offenders in the system.
Beginning in 2004, the Denver Police Department began
a strong partnership with the Denver Children’s Advocacy
Center (DCAC), which has been contracted to perform these
services for the Denver Police Department.
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A DECADE OF ACHIEVEMENT
SCHOOL VIOLENCE DETECTIVE
The School Violence Detective works alongside Denver
Public Schools Security to assess threats and collect intelligence regarding incidents where the victims and/or suspects
are students in the City and County of Denver. Denver police
officers notify the School Violence Detective whenever they
respond to serious incidents involving students, on or off
school property. The School Violence Detective regularly attends safety-planning meetings with Denver Public Schools
Administration and Security in order to assist them with the
best practices available.
NIGHT SHIFT DETECTIVES
The Crimes Against Persons Bureau Night Shift is a group of
dedicated investigators who handle numerous calls for service each year. Since the implementation of the current Detective Night Shift, the Department has reduced the call-out
responsibility for many detectives in the Homicide Unit, thus
allowing them to spend more time on homicide investigations.
Furthermore, the Night Shift detectives are an efficient triage
unit that reduces call-out of all investigative units throughout
the Denver Police Department. Because of their continued
efforts, these investigative units receive complete and wellinvestigated cases requiring limited follow-up.
MANAGE CONCEALED WEAPONS
PERMIT PROCESS
The State of Colorado enacted a new Concealed Weapons
Permit Statute in 2003. Traditionally, concealed weapons
permits for the City and County of Denver had been processed through the Denver Police Department Intelligence
Bureau. With the enactment of the new statute, the duty
of issuing concealed weapons permits was moved from
the Intelligence Bureau to one detective working in the
Identification Bureau. The new state statute made it easier
for the public to apply for the permit. Currently, there are
approximately 3,559 current or past Denver residents with a
concealed weapons permit.
DIGNITARY PROTECTION
Whether through the Department’s Executive Security Unit
that is responsible for the protection and security of the
Mayor of the City and County of Denver, including within the
State of Colorado and during official trips elsewhere in the
nation or during events and visits that have routinely brought
world leaders and public officials to Denver, the Denver Police
Department is regularly responsible for providing direct or
collaborative security and protection for visiting dignitaries. Frequently these assignments work in conjunction with
Federal law enforcement and security agencies including
the Secret Service, FBI, U.S. Marshall’s Service, Homeland
Security and many other agencies and departments within
and outside Colorado.
USE OF GRAND JURY FOR VIOLENT CRIMES
The grand jury is an investigative body, the proceedings of
which are secret. Only the prosecutor who is responsible for
keeping the process secret knows the general purpose of the
grand jury’s investigation.
Reasons to use a grand jury include preventing the escape of
individuals whose indictment may be contemplated, prevent
disclosure of derogatory information presented to the grand
jury against someone who has not been indicted, encourage
witnesses to come before the grand jury and testify with
respect to the commission of crimes, and encourage grand
jurors to conduct uninhibited investigation of and deliberation
on suspected criminal activity.
A grand jury determines whether there is enough evidence
for a trial. Grand juries carry out this duty by examining
evidence (physical and testimonial) and issuing indictments.
A grand jury is distinguishable from a petit jury, which is used
during a trial. Grand juries are virtually unknown outside the
United States. While all states in the U.S. have provisions
for grand juries today, only 22 require their use, to varied
degrees. Most jurisdictions within the U.S. have foregone
the use of the grand jury, replacing them with the preliminary
hearing. Jurors who sit on the grand jury come from the same
pool of citizens as a petit jury, and participate for a specific
period, usually one year.
52
DENVER POLICE DEPARTMENT
B E ST P R AC T I C E S
The uniqueness of the grand jury, and where it differs
from the preliminary hearing, is that it can compel witness
testimony. Other unique components of the grand jury are
secret proceedings, the absence of the defendant and his
or her counsel during witness testimony, and the absence
of the judge. The grand jury’s decision is either a “true bill”
(meaning that there is a case to answer), or “no true bill.” A
“no true bill” finding results in a sealing of the documents
detailing the proceedings.
The Denver Police Department and the Denver District
Attorney’s Office successfully use a grand jury in criminal
cases where there are several, uncooperative witnesses. This
is often beneficial in cases involving gangs and drugs. The
Homicide Unit routinely submits cases to a grand jury (four to
six per year). Although there is the occasional “high profile”
case submitted to a grand jury, most are non-descript cases
where the witnesses and co-conspirators are less
than accommodating.
LABOR MANAGEMENT AND EFFICIENCY
Trying to get the most out of personnel resources is a challenge for any organization. In law enforcement, shift work
and varying average workload over each hour of the day and
day of the week make scheduling even more difficult. Add to
that the complexity of setting the spatial distribution of those
personnel resources based upon workload, physical barriers
and officer safety issues. How to best schedule and distribute
DPD personnel resources is a constantly changing dynamic
that must be revisited periodically to compensate for measured changes in workload and other factors.
GEOGRAPHIC DEPLOYMENT
The Denver Police Department had historically used area
referencing of offense, arrest and call-for-service data,
indicating a precinct area for each data element as its spatial
analysis tool.
Advances in technology allowed for more and better information with better spatial analysis tools. Computer Aided
Dispatch (CAD), Records Management System (RMS),
Geographic Positioning Systems (GPS) in the police cars,
Geographic Information System (GIS) referencing in the CAD
and RMS, Mobile Report Entry (MRE) and computerized
mapping capability (using ESRI ArcView) provided real-time
mapping capability and use of spatial statistical techniques
like ‘Animal Movement’ to predict where serial criminals may
strike next.
Officers are provided frequent maps and analysis from district crime analysts and are able to make user-defined maps
using a law-enforcement-only mapping program.
The public also has a more watered-down mapping capability over the internet. Data flowed more freely to those who
needed it, allowing police managers to “put the cops on the
dots.” This allows for more efficient deployment of police
resources. Annualized sets of data can be used to optimize
long-term deployment plans, redrawing precinct boundaries
to equalize officer workload. In the last decade the DPD has
come a long way from precinct books.
ANNUAL WORKLOAD ANALYSIS
The digitalization of department records has allowed for
greater and more timely access to data. Using the prior paper
process, it might have taken a year to analyze data at an annual level. In fact, the annual report usually was produced in
October or November of the subsequent year.
With digital data that is acquired instantly through the Mobile
Report Entries (MRE) and Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD),
and stored, organized and made accessible through the Record management System (RMS) and business intelligence
data warehouses, the DPD is now able to make real-time
analysis of workload and crime trends. The police department can look at real-time data aggregates related to rolling
weeks, 28-day periods, 52-week periods or year-to-date.
This allows for constant trending of data and identification of
problem areas.
The adoption of GIS standards for addressing also makes
mapping and spatial analysis of data easier and almost real
time. This more timely acquisition, organization and presentation of data allows for an almost infinite variety of work load
analysis. The Department can identify and address trends
prior to their becoming a greater burden on resources, and
assess the efficiency of actions in a more accurate and timely
manner, thereby reducing waste.
PLANNING
Best-selling author, columnist and businessman Harvey
MacKay is credited for the saying “Failures don’t plan to
fail, they fail to plan.” Truer words have likely never been
spoken related to the workload and challenges faced by a
21st century law enforcement agency. Over the past decade
the word “planning” has become synonymous with “Denver
Police Department.” Whether for annual events such as the
Capitol Hill People’s Fair, the Taste of Colorado, the National
Western Stock Show, the annual Cinco de Mayo celebration, the Columbus Day Parade or large, regularly occurring
events such as a Broncos game, a Rockies game, shows at
TEN YEAR ANNUAL REPORT
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A DECADE OF ACHIEVEMENT
the Denver Performing Arts Complex, a Nuggets game or
enormous events such as a Super Bowl parade and celebration or the Democratic National Convention, the Denver
Police Department has a plan. Over the past decade the
Denver Police Department has coordinated and implemented
an incalculable number of successful plans related to events,
tactical operations, budgetary considerations, organizational
structure and responsibility.
MAJOR BUDGET REDUCTIONS
The City and County of Denver experienced a severe reduction in sales tax revenue beginning in late 2008. This recession was a national trend, and not just a local phenomenon.
Reducing the police budget is difficult, as 93% of the budget
is in personnel cost.
In 2009, the City renegotiated with the police bargaining
unit, deferring the equipment allowance payment until 2010,
hired replacements for crime analysts, honored its contract
pay increase for sworn personnel and had to pay increased
fuel costs. Additionally, the City reduced the police workforce
through attrition by 16 FTE, 12 sworn and four civilians.
In 2010, the City reduced police workers compensation
charges by $1.3 million, eliminated 62 take-home cars reducing gas expense an estimated $300,000, reduced $2.6
million in ASL payments by requiring use of time off, and
saved $6 million in contract concessions via a Memorandum
of Understanding (MOU) with the police collective bargaining
unit. Additionally, the City saved $3.5 million by moving 67
officers to the Denver International Airport (DIA) under the
FAA budget and required five mandatory furlough days to
reduce civilian employee expenses.
In the 2011 budget, the City saved $1.9 million with vacancy
savings from DPD positions, cut 14 civilian positions to save
over $900,000, saved over $250,000 through the recycling
of parts in the Police Fleet Maintenance. Five mandatory
furlough days were again required for civilian employees and
the City saved $3 million by not replacing police vehicles as
scheduled. The City saved $3 million by not having police
recruit classes and continues to save $3 million by having 41
officers assigned to DIA. Further, the City saved $500,000
from vacancy saving for police officers on military leave and
$250,000 for officers volunteering to take one year of leave
without pay.
In the year 2000, the City police services budget was about
$135,000,000. In 2011, the estimated budget is over
$178,000,000. When looking at the cost breakdown over
this time period, the operational costs make up the bulk of the
increase in budget, while administrative costs have remained
relatively flat.
54
DENVER POLICE DEPARTMENT
MAJOR CASE RESOLUTION
BRENT BRENTS
On July 6, 2006, Brent J. Brents pled guilty to 68 felony
counts related to a string of violent sexual assaults in the
Denver metro area. The Court sentenced him to 1,319 years in
prison – the longest sentence the Denver District Attorney’s
office has ever seen.
Brents was 36 at the time he admitted guilt to 68 felony
charges. The counts he pled guilty to included attempted
murder, sexual assault, kidnapping, burglary, aggravated
robbery, sexual assault on a child, child abuse, menacing,
aggravated motor vehicle theft and
vehicular eluding. The main body of
crimes occurred between October
2004 and February 2005. The majority of the assaults occurred during
a one-week crime spree. Three of
Brents’ victims were a grandmother
and her two 11-year-old grandchildren. Eight people were attacked in
total with seven being sexually assaulted. During his confession, Brents admitted to the sexual assaults of 32 prostitutes
occurring between his July release from prison in 2004 and
January of 2005.
When the one-week crime series of attacks began February
11th, the Crime Laboratory of the Denver Police Department
worked around the clock to obtain a DNA profile from the
evidence collected at the various crime scenes. This profile
was identified in CODIS as that of Brent Brents.
After obtaining the DNA identification, Denver police began
looking for Brents. He was arrested February 18th, 2005,
in Glenwood Springs, Colorado after Denver police tracked
the cell phone that he had stolen from an apartment manager. This apartment manager victim was brutally beaten by
Brents. She received a severe brain injury during the assault.
B E ST P R AC T I C E S
Brents had been released from prison on July 12, 2004, after
serving 15 years in prison and in a state hospital for raping a
young boy and a girl in 1988.
reason for the length of time was that witnesses and those
involved were part of a gang /drug ring that was under federal
investigation.
RAÚL GÓMEZ-GARCÍA
This incident began with an argument between Clark and
Denver Bronco’s player Brandon Marshall. The argument
escalated to the point where Clark armed himself with a
semi-automatic pistol and fired on the limousine occupied by
Darrent Williams and several others.
On October 25, 2006, Raúl Gómez-García was convicted of
killing police Detective Donald Young and wounding his partner, Jack Bishop, and was sentenced to 80 years in prison.
Denver Police Detectives Donnie Young and John Bishop
were ambushed on May 8, 2005, while working at the Salon
Ocampo social hall at 1733 W. Mississippi Avenue.
The hall was hosting an invitation-only baptismal party. On
the evening of May 7th, Young and Bishop escorted Raúl
Gómez-García out of the hall. Gómez-García returned about
1:00 a.m., approached both detectives from behind, and shot
Donnie Young three times, including one shot to the head.
Gómez-García also shot John Bishop once in the chest. Jack
Bishop survived the shooting partly because of his bulletproof vest. Detective Young died at the Denver Health Medical Center. Detective Young was the Denver Police Department’s sixty-first officer killed in the line of duty.
Gómez-García, a Mexican national and illegal immigrant to
the United States, fled to Mexico by way of his parents’ home
in Los Angeles, California.
Authorities in Mexico, with the assistance of the U.S. Marshal’s Service, arrested Gómez-García in Mexico on June 4,
2005. After the Denver District Attorney’s Office promised
the Mexican government they wouldn’t seek the death
penalty or file a charge that carries a life sentence, Mexican
authorities released Gómez-García to Denver. He returned in
December 2005.
The success of this investigation resulted from the passion
and dedication of the members of the Denver Police Department and the efforts and assistance of the Federal Bureau
of investigation, The United States Marshal Service, The
Los Angeles Police Department and the Agencia Federal de
Investigación, (AFI – the Mexican equivalent to the FBI).
WILLIE CLARK
On March 11, 2010, a Denver jury, after deliberating a day and
a half, convicted Willie Clark on all 21 counts he faced, including the murder of Denver Bronco Darrent Williams and the
attempted murders of the 16 others in the limousine January 1,
2007. A Denver judge sentence Clark to life in prison.
It took Denver detectives and District Attorney prosecutors nearly two years to build their case against Clark. The
Although detectives had a good
working knowledge of probable
suspects early in the investigation, arrests were delayed by other
considerations that included federal
investigations. This prolonged investigation resulted in thousands
of pages of investigative data. The
success of the investigation was the
result of a superior working relationship between local and
federal law enforcement personnel.
Mr. Clark is charged in relation to the death of Kaloniann
Clark (no relation) and his trial is anticipated to occur in
late 2011. With respect to the case profile of Clark (Darrent
Williams), Mr. Clark was convicted of Murder in the First
Degree and was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
MICHAEL LOLLIS (COLD CASE UNIT)
Serial rapist Michael Lollis was sentenced on February 11,
2010, to over 100 years in prison for kidnapping and sexually assaulting four different women
in Denver during the latter part of
2004 and into the summer of 2005.
Judge Robbins levied three consecutive 35-year sentences on Michael
Lollis for the sexual assaults in which
DNA evidence led to the identification of suspect Michael Lollis. In the
remaining case where biological evidence was absent, a traditional investigation revealed that Michael Lollis possessed
the victim’s wedding ring after the attack. As such, Michael
Lollis was sentenced to an additional 15 years in prison.
It should be noted that because of the powerful DNA evidence against Michael Lollis and sound follow-up investigation by Denver Sex Crimes investigators, Michael Lollis
also confessed to four additional cases from 2004 and
2005 where DNA evidence was not present, but the modus
operandi of the attacks was similar to the DNA cases. DNA
further matched Michael Lollis to five sexual assaults in
Aurora and one in Arapahoe County during the same 20042005 time frame.
TEN YEAR ANNUAL REPORT
55
TEN
20
0 0 -2 010
TECHNOLOGY
British mathematician and philosopher Alfred North Whitehead
said, “Civilization advances by extending the number of important
operations which we can perform without thinking of them.” Over the
past decade the Denver Police Department has truly advanced into the
21st century through the acquisition and use of modernized equipment
and technology resulting in the “magic” of increased efficiency, public
safety, officer safety and enhanced communication and accountability.
Additionally, the Denver Police Department has significantly decreased
its carbon footprint and impact on the environment through the
implementation and use of modernized systems and equipment.
T E C H N O LO GY
COMPUTER AIDED DISPATCH (CAD)
The Denver Police Department acquired its first computer
aided dispatch system in the early 1990s. This was a system
made for a small department and worked on micro computers. In this experiment the Department learned the value of
such a system and the need for one tailored to the Department’s needs.
DPD acquired its second CAD system in 1993. It ran on two
mini-computers that mirrored the operations located within
different electrical grids for redundancy. The Department
also acquired a backup dispatch and call-taking facility. This
system was competent, but by 2002 the vendor no longer
supported the system.
In April 2002, a new CAD system was acquired. The system
was already being used by the Fire Department and already
had a geofile for the city. Transition to the Tri-Tech system
saved money and time. The Tri-Tech system acquires information from the DPD call center and actions called in by
officers on the street. It creates a permanent digital record
which is used for investigations, management of the system
and data analysis.
RECORDS MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
(RMS) VERSATERM
In 2002, the DPD acquired the Department’s first Records
Management System (RMS) from Versaterm. The Versaterm
system was in use in area departments and had a proven
interface with Tri-tech, the Department’s Computer Aided
Dispatch (CAD) system. The core of the system, the data
warehouse, was up and running and accepting data in October
2003. Initially the system was used to enter hand-made reports, but soon was accepting computer-generated reports.
The system is available at any Department computer in its
desktop form and can also be accessed using the Mobile Report Entry (MRE) version of the software available on mobile
computer terminals in police cars. A general offense record
can have officer statements, neighborhood surveys, lab
reports, and detective supplemental reports added right into
the record. Other hard paperwork can be scanned into the
record so that when the record is referenced all these records
are associated and made available.
MOBILE COMPUTER TERMINALS
The DPD directed that mobile computer terminals be
purchased by sending out an RFP to vendors specifying minimum standards. As part of the technical review and selection
process, vendors set up machines for officers to test. This
process allowed the Department to reap the vast experience
of street officers who would be most affected by this equipment acquisition. The system has been a big success as it has
significantly increased reporting efficiency.
TEN YEAR ANNUAL REPORT
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A DECADE OF ACHIEVEMENT
COMPUTER AIDED DISPATCH (CAD)
MOBILE REPORT ENTRY (MRE)
From 2005 through 2006, the DPD directed the implementation of the Mobile Report Entry (MRE) system from
Versadex. The MRE allows entry of reports from police-carmounted mobile data terminals. The information is entered
without having to make a paper report. The information is
made available as soon as it clears supervisory approval and
Transcription Unit approval.
Initially the system only offered a general offense report and
a street check (contact card). The system has recently been
upgraded to include traffic accident reports. An attempt
was made to include a Universal Summons and Complaint
(US&C), but technical difficulties caused this to fail. The
US&C is now being included in an effort to integrate criminal
justice records.
INTEGRATED CRIMINAL JUSTICE (ICJ)
After the failure of the US&C component of the MRE, it was
determined that a broader-based analysis of the interrelations of the business practices of the courts, court records,
the Denver Sheriff’s Department, the Denver City Attorney’s
Office, the Denver District Attorney’s Office and the Denver
Police Department was needed.
TIME AND ATTENDANCE PROGRAM
In 2006, the DPD directed that members of the Denver
Police Department’s Human Resources Bureau receive
grant monies to help develop and implement an electronic
time and attendance system. Various vendors were interviewed and a rigorous selection process was completed,
which led to the selection of a Principal Decision Systems
International product known as TeleStaff.
Over the course of several months the system was eventually configured and customized to meet the Department’s
long-standing need to integrate all of the various and
complicated staffing and scheduling tasks. On December
2, 2007, the system was made operational. It took several
more months of configuration, testing, and vendor software upgrades to get the staffing system solution that the
Department presently enjoys.
Near the end of 2008, the TeleStaff system was completed
and provided the Denver Police Department for the first time
in history an integrated electronic time and attendance system. This system automated many aspects of police department staffing and has made the DPD much more efficient,
saving millions of dollars in personnel costs as they relate to
staffing and scheduling duties.
The result has been a new contract with Versaterm to add,
amend and upgrade certain portions of the Versaterm
RMS system to accommodate processes outlined by the
ICJ committee.
The system does everything from automating assignments
and staffing to tracking off-duty employment, all in a seamless and completely integrated way.
The emphasis has been to simplify the field officer’s process.
There are about 8,000 different criminal charges that are
possible when using a US&C. The restructured system will
make selection of certain criteria preselect and limit the
number of available charges. The remaining selection will
then have the ability to be searched by alpha string to quickly
locate the appropriate charges.
The Technical Electronic Services Unit (TESU) also administers and maintains the license plate readers (LPR) and bait
car programs for the department. LPRs are deployed to areas
in the city to combat auto thefts, pattern burglaries and assist
with criminal intelligence gathering. The LPRs are checked
out on a two-week rotating schedule and all data collected
is returned to the TESU Unit for future download into a collection database system that will assist detectives with case
investigations.
ONLINE SUBPOENA SYSTEM
LICENSE PLATE READER PROGRAM (LPR)
From 2002 to 2003, the DPD directed that an automated
subpoena system be developed and implemented that eliminated the need for manual production and service of District
and County Court subpoenas to officers. The enhanced,
electronic system has greatly simplified the subpoena system
and has allowed for more timely notification to the officer,
creating a new level of accountability for compliance.
The Department currently has three license plate readers, which are shared
between various patrol districts.
58
DENVER POLICE DEPARTMENT
T E C H N O LO GY
COPLINK
DAREC ATV VIDEO PROJECT
The Colorado Information Sharing Consortium (CISC) was
formed in 2008 by public safety leaders from across the
state. It is the governing board for a new statewide network
designed to empower officers and deputies to fight crime in
the smartest of ways—through state-of-the-art data sharing
and analysis. The vision of CISC is that eventually all 154
police departments and 62 sheriffs’ offices in Colorado, and
every officer and deputy, will be on line.
The DAREC (Denver Amateur Radio Communications) ATV
Video Project ham radio members utilize the ATV (amateur
television radio band system), which will be custom-built to
assist the Denver Police Department in the real-time video
broadcast of event surveillance, mass casualty incidents,
HAZMAT, riot situations, training or whenever DAREC is
called upon to provide situational awareness or site intelligence to the local command posts.
Coplink is a data search engine that links criminal records
from participating law enforcement agencies. It allows street
cops and investigators to analyze information regarding
individuals, property, vehicles and incidents from various
state and local law enforcement records. For example, investigators can identify suspects on bits of information such as
height, weight, hair color and style, or the placement and type
of a scar, tattoo or piercing. A vehicle might be identified by
make, model, color, style, body damage, license plate or even
partial license plate information.
DAREC members provide the Department with additional
volunteer resources, with significant technical expertise
that will provide the Department with the ability to transmit
and view real-time video, as well as video documentation at
multiple events or incidents when Department resources such
as the AgileMesh video system is already deployed, being
utilized or unavailable.
The core partners in the CISC contributed over $2 million to
purchase an enterprise license for all officers and deputies in
the state. These agencies were supported by their taxpayers, city managers, elected leaders and E-911 boards, as
well as by federal grants that were awarded with the help of
Colorado’s Congressional delegation, especially Congressman
Ed Perlmutter, Former U.S. Senator Ken Salazar, and U.S.
Senator Michael Bennett.
The fundamental rule of the Consortium is that every agency
that joins must also agree to share its criminal records with
the other members. All members agree to provide training
on Coplink to their street officers and investigators. All the
information used and shared via Coplink remains sensitive
criminal justice information and must be treated as such under current laws, regulations, and agency-specific policies. It
cannot be accessed to gain information for non-law enforcement purposes, nor may it be shared with anyone outside of
law enforcement.
If an investigative lead is obtained via Coplink, it is incumbent
upon that investigator to verify that information with the
source agency.
RAPIDLY DEPLOYABLE VIDEO SYSTEM
The ‘AgileMesh’ video system is a rapidly deployable camera
system that can operate in non-line-of-sight situations. The
cameras are self-contained, ruggedized, weatherized and
can be quickly deployed to provide real-time video surveillance at critical incidents and tactical deployments. They
can also provide event surveillance and can be used in some
covert applications.
The camera system is well suited for multiple first responder
situations. The AgileMesh camera system allows for autonomous deployment of the video camera system, which operates
from self-contained rechargeable batteries for several hours. It
can also be hard-wired into existing power outlets.
The system immediately auto-connects with other AgileMesh
cameras for quick, painless deployment that allows for realtime situational awareness at a scene. The AgileMesh system
can be monitored on all Denver Police Department Command
Posts, and will also allow the ability to transmit existing Bomb
Unit video from the bomb robot to other command posts for
remote viewing.
The system can also exploit existing facility video (system
dependent) to allow for the transmission of facility video to a
remote viewing location to the local Command Posts.
TEN YEAR ANNUAL REPORT
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A DECADE OF ACHIEVEMENT
COLORADO LIFE TRAK SYSTEM
H.A.L.O. VIDEO SYSTEM
The Denver Police Department began working with Project
LifeSaver International in 2006 to get equipment to assist in
finding at-risk missing persons. After receiving money from
the Denver Police Foundation and the Denver City Council,
the program was initiated in early 2007.
Over the past 15 years, several United States and European
public safety models have demonstrated that closed circuit
television (CCTV) is a critical component of a comprehensive
public safety and security plan. As of October 1999 (the last
official survey), there were an estimated one million video
cameras in use around the country for the purpose of promoting public safety and security.
Relationships were established with the other law enforcement agencies across the state as part of the program. In
2008, due to issues with the Project LifeSaver provider and
changes in technology, money was received from the state
to purchase new equipment from a company called CareTrak
International, and Colorado LifeTrak started.
Colorado LifeTrak is intended for individuals who are afflicted
with Alzheimer’s, Autism or other cognitive disorders, and
who have a tendency to wander from home and become lost.
If the participant becomes lost or missing, the Denver Police
Department’s Missing and Exploited Persons Unit personnel have specialized tracking equipment to help isolate the
location of the transmitter the participant is wearing. The
search starts from the last known location of the participant
and works outward until the transmission signal is obtained.
The goal is to determine the location of the signal in a quick,
timely manner, minimizing the risk of harm to a loved one.
Colorado LifeTrak is a valuable tool to help locate lost or missing persons. It is part of the overall missing person’s investigation, but it does not replace the need for supervised care. It can,
however, help provide peace of mind to caregivers.
A tax-deductible donation of $275 is requested upon initial
enrollment to help defray the cost of equipment. Participants
are asked to donate a $10 monthly maintenance fee to pay for
the cost of replacement batteries and wristbands. The donations are voluntary and not a condition for participation in the
program. There are currently 19 clients enrolled in the program.
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DENVER POLICE DEPARTMENT
In the fall of 2005, the Department directed that a needs
analysis be conducted into using this type of technology to
enhance the DPD’s crime fighting strategy. The initial goals of
this project were the enhancement of the safety and security
of residents, workers, visitors, public buildings and commercial enterprises, educational institutions, healthcare facilities,
cultural art, entertainment and other tourist venues, while
vigorously respecting the privacy rights of individuals. From
this analysis the Denver Police Department’s High Activity
Location Observation (H.A.L.O.) program was created.
The program was designed to strategically disperse closed
circuit television cameras throughout the Denver metro area to
provide real-time visual imagery of public spaces. These CCTV
camera platforms augment the existing complement of both
public and private cameras within the Denver metro area.
To increase the effectiveness of the H.A.L.O. program the
Denver Police Department established partnerships with:
• The Regional Transportation District (RTD)—Establishing a bridge strategy through their vast metro-area
corridor infrastructure and normal passenger route
enterprises
• The Colorado Department of Transportation (DOT)
enterprise including their vast infrastructure of highway
cameras
• The Colorado State Patrol infrastructure
• The existing City and County of Denver traffic camera
network
T E C H N O LO GY
In the spring of 2006, the project team began the implementation (build and test) phase of H.A.L.O., which at this time
was a multi-grant funded project. There were four Internet
Protocol (IP) based cameras installed and tested for a period
of time. Several ‘quick wins’ were attained during this phase,
enabling officers to make arrests and prosecutors to ensure
convictions based on what was captured on video.
Beginning in May 2007, the H.A.L.O. project team designed
and configured 17 internal holding cells, elevator and prisoner
drop-off video cameras. The H.A.L.O. project was expanded
to include a helicopter (Air One) video downlink. This enabled
the H.A.L.O. system to be robust enough to gain video feed
from the helicopter and convert it to an IP address for important sharing needs, along with all other H.A.L.O. video.
Funding obtained in support of the Democratic National Convention (DNC) enabled a substantial expansion of the project.
After the identification of critical areas of concern, there were
50 cameras installed throughout the downtown Denver area.
Using a tri-frequency mode of video transportation, along
with wireless-mesh, point-to-point, and microwave technologies, the H.A.L.O. cameras were monitored through a central
command and control room at Denver Police Headquarters.
The Denver Police Department H.A.L.O. program shared its
video with over 60 local, state and federal partners during
the DNC through the IP-based solution. This program solution proved to be extremely effective, especially as applied to
crowd management duties during the convention. This was a
critical tool for the Incident Commander (IC), who was able to
take real-time video feeds of crowd movement and activities
to assist in making deployment decisions.
On numerous occasions it was information obtained from this
system that prevented criminal activity and violence from occurring, because the IC was able to shift resources ahead of
trouble-makers and thereby prevent acts from taking place.
GRAFFITI TRACKER
In 2009, the Denver Police Department entered into a
contract with Graffiti Tracker (GT). Graffiti Tracker provides
a camera that has a GPS system. The city graffiti abatement
crews use the camera to document graffiti. The pictures are
then uploaded to Graffiti Tracker. A Graffiti Tracker analyst
then sections off the portions of the picture to different tags.
The GT analyst then also makes estimates of the square
footage encompassed by each tag. All this goes into the GT
database associated by the graffiti moniker. DPD’s Graffiti
Unit detectives can then access the GT website. If a graffiti
suspect is determined to be using a specific graffiti moniker,
detectives can then download all the incidents involving that
graffiti moniker. The detectives use the information when
interviewing and prosecuting suspects.
AIR SUPPORT UNIT
The Denver Police Air Support Unit used to fly a Bell 47
helicopter with a 1946-designed airframe. The unit was disbanded temporarily due to budgetary constraints.
The program was resurrected in 1997 with a new Bell 407, a
1993 airframe design that replaced the popular and long lived
Bell 206. Over the last decade the Denver Police Department has been committed to increasing the capability of this
police observation platform.
Pilots now have GPS capability and can use a computer
screen to get location information on any address they select
on the screen. This helps direct ground resources to locate
suspects and crime scenes. The helicopter’s camera and
thermal imager can now be downlinked to the H.A.L.O. system and the department command post. A suitcase downlink
module is also available for use in a unified command post.
TEN YEAR ANNUAL REPORT
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A DECADE OF ACHIEVEMENT
SPECIALIZED VEHICLES
(MOBILE COMMAND POST AND BOMB/LAB/HN VEHICLES)
The Denver Police Department has acquired several specialized vehicles over the last decade. The new mobile command
post was purchased for the DNC. It provides a high-tech
remote meeting and briefing location with downlinks from
H.A.L.O., traffic cameras and the helicopter.
The Bomb Squad also needed a vehicle to haul around and
deploy their specialized equipment. The hostage negotiation
team needed a vehicle in order to conduct their negotiations
without interruption by other people located in the command post. By acquiring their own vehicle they were able to
operate independently of the mobile command post and keep
their equipment set up and ready.
The Crime Lab also needed a vehicle where some crime scene
documentation and tests could be conducted remotely, close
to the crime scene. By having these specialized vehicles, the
Denver Police Department is able to respond effectively to
large crime scenes and planned events.
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DENVER POLICE DEPARTMENT
DPD BOMB SQUAD EQUIPMENT AND
TRAINING OVERVIEW
The DPD Bomb Squad is responsible for investigating and
rendering safe all known or suspected explosive devices
in the City and County of Denver. This includes all manner
and types of suspected explosive devices including: suicide
bombers, vehicle bombs, pipe bombs, and devices containing or strategically placed to cause the release of toxic or
radioactive material.
The DPD Bomb Squad has received numerous articles of
equipment over the last 10 years through the use of Homeland Security Grant Program funding (HSGP), Denver city
general funds, and the DPD Confiscation Board.
The equipment that has been obtained has assisted in the
completion of the mission of the unit, and increased the
safety of the citizens. The DPD purchased a medium platform
robot in 2001, via general funds and the Confiscation Board,
for $120,000. This robot has had several upgrades made
over the years that account for an additional $90,000.
T E C H N O LO GY
DPD had the opportunity to purchase a man-portable robot
in 2010 (for $120,000) using a combination of HSGP and
Confiscation Board funding. The man-portable robot is able
to access areas that the 500-pound robot cannot. In 2008,
just prior to the DNC, HSGP provided the funding necessary
to purchase a Bomb Squad Command and Response Vehicle.
Despite the increasing budgetary constrains, the Department
prioritized the need for detectives to have both adequate
work space as well as their need to have modern computer
equipment at their disposal. Over the course of several years
the DPD upgraded and replaced the work stations for every
detective within the Department.
This vehicle provides a mobile platform for transporting the
large robot to each incident, tools and equipment, and also a
work station. The Bomb Squad uses portable x-ray technology to determine the contents of a container whenever possible; however, Polaroid discontinued the production of the
film in 2009, so a single digital x-ray system was obtained for
approximately $26,000.
DIGITAL CAMERAS FOR PATROL AND
CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIONS
One of the DPD Bomb Technicians, using HSGP funding, was
able to travel to Israel to observe and interact with the Israeli
Police Bomb Disposal Division (the busiest bomb squad in
the world).
UPGRADED DETECTIVE WORK STATIONS
Early in the decade the DPD became aware that increased
workload efficiencies as well as cost savings could be obtained
through the use of more modernized technology and equipment. A primary department-wide focus was the use of individually assigned computers for each detective throughout the
Department, as well as assuring that the necessary software
and programs were available to each of the specialized investigative units within the Department. Not only was the need to
invest in upgraded equipment explored, but also the need to
upgrade the detectives’ physical work space.
The Denver Police Department had long used film-based
cameras to document crime scenes. In a domestic violence
initiative, strongly supported by Chief Whitman, the department bought digital cameras for the Patrol Division to record
injuries and property damage at the scene and to record CD
quality sound/low quality video recordings of victim outcry
and witness statements. The cameras used mini-CDs to
record and store the information. The mini-CDs were then
placed into evidence.
Subsequent innovation of digital cameras in forensic photography made the use of these cameras more widespread.
Now the cameras can be used to document crime scenes and
record statements at a crime scene. The same cameras are
now used by Criminal Investigation Division detectives to
document their investigations.
Having the images posted in a computer data warehouse
assists in discovery. Each image can be imbedded with
information on where and when the images were taken, who
took them and for what case. This has reduced the need for
chemical-based film formats for which images are harder to
store and are perishable.
TEN YEAR ANNUAL REPORT
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ELEVEN
20
0 0 -2 010
MAJOR PROGRAM
ENHANCEMENT
Throughout the past decade, the Denver Police Department has
been committed to ongoing program review and evaluation as well
as the enhancement and implementation of programs designed
to further the Department’s vision of creating powerful crime
prevention and reduction strategies, structuring the department to
promote professional, creative, well-trained, ethical and accountable
employees utilizing the most modern and effective practices and
methods to fulfill the mission of delivering high quality public safety
services so all people may share a safe and healthy environment.
M A J O R P R O G R A M E N H A N C E M E N T
CRISIS INTERVENTION TRAINING
In the year 2000, the Denver Police Department initiated
a Crisis Intervention Training (CIT) Office in response to the
need for officers to develop skills to deal with citizens who
are in crisis. The goal of the DPD is to divert the mentally
disordered population out of the criminal justice system while
maintaining civil order, whenever possible.
Denver has trained 890 officers in CIT. Every Denver Police
Officer hired after the year 2004 will be CIT trained by
February 2011. DPD hostage negotiators, Victim Specialists,
and Probation Officers are all required to be CIT trained as well.
VOLUNTEERS IN POLICING
The DPD initiated a Volunteers in Police Services Unit (VIPS)
in 2004. There were initially nine volunteers. However, within
two years the unit had grown to over six hundred volunteers
working in every area of the department. Denver was the first
police department to initiate an all-volunteer CSI team and
has utilized volunteers in the Homicide Unit, Internal Affairs
Bureau, Missing Persons Unit, Victim Assistance Unit, Patrol
Division, ID Section, Training Bureau and many other unique
areas of the department.
LAW ENFORCEMENT ADVOCATE
(LEA) PROGRAM
The Denver Police Department was identified by the
International Association of Chiefs of Police as one of the top
25 programs for quality law enforcement in the United States
for a program it developed in partnership with the Denver
Juvenile Courts. This innovative program pairs police officers
with at-risk juveniles to promote youth and family advocacy,
offender accountability, and to maintain public safety.
In 2003, the DPD partnered with the Denver Juvenile
and Family Justice Treatment Accountability for Safer
Communities (DJFJ TASC) of the Colorado Judicial Branch to
create the Law Enforcement Advocate (LEA) Program. The
LEA program was created with the assumption that it could
improve the community’s perspective of police in Denver,
enhance police/community relations, reduce client recidivism
and prevent future crime.
The initial LEA program included specially trained officers
who were assigned to work with extremely high-risk juvenile
offenders living in neighborhoods known for high levels
of calls for service by law enforcement. The officers were
trained in motivational interviewing and stages-of-change
techniques designed to promote positive behavior change
for clients. In addition to neighborhood and home-based
accountability checks, the officers were charged with forming
supportive relationships with project participants and their
families that would hopefully continue beyond justice system
involvement. Interviews with law enforcement advocates
indicated a high level of satisfaction related to making a
“positive difference” within the lives of youth along with
improving public safety. Program outcome data over the
course of three years markedly supported all goals of the
LEA program.
HOSTAGE NEGOTIATION
The Denver Police Department’s Crisis Negotiation Team
began as Hostage Negotiators, a group of wizened senior
detectives who had the ability to talk to persons in crisis.
Their skills were honed from years of experience listening,
understanding, and repeating what a person had said to
them during endless interviews. These senior detectives
had the skills, intuition, and common sense of the modern
day Crisis Negotiator.
The early days of negotiation for a Hostage Negotiator was
either face-to-face, or on a hard line telephone. The conditions
were often dangerous to the Hostage Negotiator, whether
caused by elements of nature or an armed, deranged suspect.
The command post for the early negotiator was often the rear
trunk lid of a detective’s vehicle, and later a four-door SUV.
At the beginning of the new millennium, the DPD adopted a
new philosophy that saw the creation of Crisis Intervention.
Crisis Intervention classes were directed at street officers,
giving them methods to diffuse and de-escalate situations by
talking and listening to a person in crisis. This class became a
fertile training ground for future Crisis Negotiators.
TEN YEAR ANNUAL REPORT
65
A DECADE OF ACHIEVEMENT
In August of 2006, a crisis presented itself that
demonstrated to the Denver Police Department the need
to update equipment, increase communications between
staff and command, and explore techniques to increase the
on-scene efficiency of the Crisis Negotiation Team. Because
of this situation, monies from the Confiscation Fund were
appropriated for equipment and training.
A Mobile Command Post was acquired and retrofitted to
make the Crisis Negotiation Team as efficient as possible.
The equipment purchased was bought in two identical sets.
Having two sets of equipment allowed for equipment failure
and for a second scene if necessary. The state-of-the-art
equipment allowed the command staff, Metro/Swat Unit,
and Crisis Negotiation Team commander to be in constant
communication during an incident.
The Mobile Command Post vehicle is equipped with
computers that allow the detectives remote access into
departmental resources: N.C.I.C. / C.C.I.C., databases, and
reports. This allows detectives to write Search Warrants,
Arrest Warrants, and to obtain background information on
suspects, persons of interest and witnesses.
Each Crisis Negotiation Team member is required to have
two-hundred hours of initial training. They are eventually
certified through Public Agency Training Counsel as Hostage
Negotiators.
Crisis Negotiation Team Members are required to attend
quarterly meetings to debrief every call-out. The Crisis
Negotiation Team has gone from a minimally trained,
minimally equipped afterthought, to a highly trained and well
equipped unit, which makes them a self-sufficient asset at a
crisis incident.
DISASTER RESPONSE
Every law enforcement agency in the country had to adjust
and upgrade their disaster response plans after September
11, 2001. International incidents such as the Beslan Massacre
(2004) and the Columbine Shooting (1999) caused serious
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DENVER POLICE DEPARTMENT
review of how law enforcement should react to incidents
around schools. The DPD directed that members of the
Department work with federal, state and local agencies to
prepare, plan, train and equip themselves for all hazardoustype responses. Using UASI funds, training in the National
Incident Management System (NIMS) and the Incident
Command System (ICS) was mandated and completed for all
officers. DPD conducted training exercises and practiced on
several large planned events.
DISASTER PREPAREDNESS PARTNERSHIPS
The events of September 11th awoke our nation to the real
threat of international terrorism. It was no longer a crisis that
happened across oceans, but a tragedy clearly pointing out
vulnerabilities at national, state and local levels. The focus
became building capabilities at all levels of government with
the goal of prevention, preparing for, responding to and
recovering from terrorist events.
In the summer of 2003, Denver and metro partners were
selected as one of fifty urban areas across the country to
receive grant monies from the Urban Area Security Initiative
(UASI). The Denver UASI partnership includes twenty-four
cities, counties and fire districts. Since the inception of
Denver UASI, millions of dollars have been spent equipping
and training our first responders.
Personnel throughout the Denver Police Department have
spent thousands of hours in joint training and disaster
preparedness training. Additionally, the following efforts were
initiated since September 2001:
• Organized lobbying of congressional representatives
D.C. for direct and immediate funding for Homeland
Security
• Establishment of Region 7 Liaison with State Office of
Preparedness, Security and Fire Safety
• Created a system of internal liaison officers for terrorism intelligence collection and dissemination
• Organized a cadre of volunteer retired officers for callout in case of a major incident
• Full time participation in the FBI Joint Terrorism Task
Force (JTTF) International Terrorism Unit to work in
conjunction with the Domestic Terrorism Unit and the
DPD Intelligence Bureau.
M A J O R P R O G R A M E N H A N C E M E N T
NATIONAL SECURITY
Since the inception of Denver UASI, millions of dollars have
been spent equipping and training our first responders.
Full-time, dedicated Denver Police personnel, assigned to
UASI and the Mayor’s Office of Emergency Management and
Homeland Security (OEM) have provided planning, training,
exercises, and educational outreach programs related to
natural and man-made disasters to assist and prepare
citizens, government agencies, and private/non-profit
organizations prior to, during, and after a local emergency or
disaster. The Office also manages the Emergency Operations
Center (EOC) during any major emergency or disaster and
activates emergency warning systems. The OEM works
as an interagency coordinator in partnership with local,
state, federal and private entities to provide comprehensive
planning, response, mitigation and recovery capabilities for all
hazard potentials facing the City and County of Denver.
In August 2010, the Annual National InfraGard Community
Service Award was presented to the Denver Office of
Emergency Management and Homeland Security (OEMHS)
for its outreach and education programs. The OEMHS
conducts the “Are You Ready” READYColorado, Citizen
Emergency Response Training (Denver CERT) and other
professional training. InfraGard is a partnership between
the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the private sector.
InfraGard is an association of businesses, academic
institutions, state and local agencies, and other participants
dedicated to sharing information and intelligence to prevent
hostile acts against the United States.
CONTINUITY OF OPERATIONS
(COOP) PLANNING
The DPD instituted the Continuity of Operations (or
Contingency) Planning (COOP). This planning is to effectively
coordinate emergency preparedness, mitigation, response
and recovery (Business Resumption), efforts for the Denver
Police Department in order to protect lives and property in
the event of a natural or man-made disaster. This planning
will allow bureaus or divisions in the Police Department to
provide services after the destruction or contamination of a
primary police facility. Personnel trained in the area of COOP
Management have provided this knowledge to command
staff representatives from all bureaus and divisions. This
knowledge has allowed division and bureaus to prepare their
own comprehensive COOP plans. This planning is an ongoing
process and is updated annually.
Prior to the 2008 Democratic National Convention, Bold
Solutions held a tabletop exercise to test all Denver COOPs
to determine feasibility and projected level of success. The
Denver Police Department’s COOP was found to be sufficient.
SECURITY CHANGES AT DENVER
INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (POST 9/11)
Since the events of 9/11, there have been extensive changes
in the security levels that exist at Denver International
Airport (DIA). DIA is currently the 5th busiest airport in the
U.S. and the 10th busiest in the world. Its land mass of 53
square miles would hold the entire footprints of LAX, Atlanta,
Dallas, and Chicago’s airports and still leave just under two
miles of undeveloped space.
The Denver Police staffing at DIA was 67 on 9/11. It is now
staffed with 141 police officers. There were four Bomb K-9
teams, where we now have eight.
Video surveillance and various other layers of security
have been added to protect the traveling public and the
facilities that cannot be shared or discussed due to their
sensitive nature.
TEN YEAR ANNUAL REPORT
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A DECADE OF ACHIEVEMENT
SCHOOL RESPONSE PLAN
Over the past two school years, the Denver Police
Department has worked with partners such as DPS Safety
and Security to review and revise our critical incident
management capabilities in large-scale incidents occurring
in schools. The Critical Incident Profile – School has been
totally redesigned to improve incident command efficiency
and effectiveness. The profile is a command management
tool for use during a major incident, such as an active shooter,
occurring in a school.
BOND INITIATIVES
The DPD has started improving its capital infrastructure
through voter-approved bond initiatives. The Department has
been successful in all three voter-approved initiatives in the
last decade.
PUBLIC SAFETY COMMUNICATIONS INTEROPERABILITY
2001 – Denver Metro Region Public Safety Communications are divided between Harris EDACS systems (City and County of Denver, Denver International Airport (DIA), City of Lakewood, Cities of Arvada and Westminster), Motorola Statewide Digital Trunked Radio System (DTRS), (Arapahoe, Jefferson, and Douglas Counties), Motorola Analog Trunked System (Aurora) and legacy conventional
systems (Boulder City and County, Adams, Elbert, Gilpin, and Clear Creek Counties). All systems are divided by different frequency
bands and technologies. Gateways allow patches between different systems; radio cross-programming allows direct communications
between Denver-DIA and Denver-Lakewood.
2003 – 2005 – City of Aurora purchases a Harris EDACS system along with StarGate switch. Grant funding provides equipment, which allows the other EDACS agencies within the region to connect their systems at a network level.
2005 – Metro Area Communications (MAC) Truck is provided to the Denver Police Department by the Department of Justice and
deployed as a communications support vehicle that can provide Cache radios, mobile gateway patches, EDACS and conventional radio
channel operation.
2006 – The Network First system is implemented for the 10-county North Central Region. This is a network level gateway that
provides connectivity between different systems and frequencies to provide interoperable communications. The system connects all
EDACS and Statewide DTRS agencies and some conventional agencies within the region.
2008 – For the DNC, Denver Safety purchases 700 Harris radios that will operate on either the EDACS systems or the Statewide
DTRS. Three hundred more Harris radios are purchased after the DNC for 1,000 units that are deployed throughout the Denver Police
Department and used for interoperable communications.
2010 – A major upgrade for the Network First system is completed, funded by the Public Safety Interoperable Communications
Grant Program (PSIC).
2010 – Lakewood procures Harris P25 system equipment with plans to cut over to P25 operation in 2011.
2010 – Lakewood and Denver with regional support submit a grant request to the North Central/UASI region for Inter Sub System
Interface (ISSI) technology that would connect the P25 Systems within the Metro area to the Statewide DTRS.
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DENVER POLICE DEPARTMENT
M A J O R P R O G R A M E N H A N C E M E N T
TRAFFIC OPERATIONS BUREAU
AND RANGE
LEVERAGING GRANT FUNDS TO
MAXIMIZE POLICE IMPACT
On June 28, 2010, the Denver Police Department dedicated
the construction of a new multi-purpose Denver Police site
funded through the voter-approved Better Denver Bonds
in November 2007. The $12.3 million project allowed for
new construction and remodeling of existing facilities to
create nearly 50,000 square feet to house the Denver
Police Traffic Operations Bureau, the Traffic Investigations
Bureau, and Firearms Training Center. The new facilities will
enhance public safety and police services, and increase the
coordination and efficiency of police operations.
In 2006, the Denver Police Department’s funding base
was expanded by creating a civilian position dedicated to
generating new revenue through grants. In the past five
years, the department has nearly tripled annual grant funding
for police projects to an average of $4.6 million in awards
received each year.
CRIME LAB
The Crime Lab was also approved via the Better Denver
Bond Program bond issue in November 2007 for a total
of $38 million. The new Crime Lab is described extensively
elsewhere in this document.
PATROL DISTRICT STATIONS 1, 2 AND 3
Another bond issue was passed by the voters providing
partial funding for the building of three new police stations,
which were obsolete. They were too small and not designed
for computer use. Many had only one electric outlet per
room. A needs assessment was completed and the new
buildings were designed to meet the need 30 years out
at the estimated end of life for the construction project. A
common design was used with adaptations made to fit the
site size and profile. The bond issue provided $6 million for
each station. This provided about half of the required funds
to build each station. Having the bond funding also provided
an impetus to push the construction of the buildings. The
District One Station was completed in 2003; the Stations for
Districts Two and Three followed in 2004.
Nearly five years later, over $20 million in grant revenue has
helped the Denver Police Department launch or support
innovative new projects such as:
• COPLINK - a regional system to share law
enforcement data
• High Activity Location Observation (H.A.L.O.)
Program – the citywide state-of-the-art camera
surveillance system deployed in partnership with
schools, business districts, neighborhoods, Regional
Transportation District (RTD), and Colorado Department
of Transportation (CDOT)
• Denver’s DNA/Cold Case Team – considered the
best in the country, this collaboration between forensic
scientists and Cold Case detectives reviewed 5,400 cold
cases and has filed 73 homicide and sex assault cases
with the Denver DA.
• Denver Assessment Response Team (DART) –
a specialized patrol team to serve people with mental
illness or in crisis
• Domestic Violence Patrol Project – to
simultaneously provide on-scene response to domestic
violence calls by trained patrol officers and victim
specialists.
DPD grant funds now support a number of civilian and
sworn positions and enable the department to maintain
critical enforcement efforts in areas such as impaired
driving, gang suppression, interstate traffic safety, human
trafficking, and internet crimes against children. Today,
the Denver Police Department model of focused grant
acquisition and management has become a cited ‘best
practice’ for other city agencies.
TEN YEAR ANNUAL REPORT
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A DECADE OF ACHIEVEMENT
COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY
The DPD supports and maintains a continued commitment to
supporting a diverse citizenry as well as a diverse population
of both sworn and civilian employees. The Department
widely values and promotes the benefits of a diverse array
of cultures, beliefs, attitudes, backgrounds, ethnicities,
races and views with the understanding that these qualities
continue to push the Department’s ability to provide the most
relevant, thorough, timely and efficient services, training,
education and support of Denver’s communities and the
Department’s employees.
Cultural Awareness Training
Beginning in the early part of the past decade, the DPD
directed that all department personnel begin attending a
newly developed cultural awareness class to assist them
in aiding and understanding the City and Department’s
diverse populations. This training program was widely
accepted internally as successful and was taught outside the
Department via our internal instructors.
Around the same time, a committee of officers,
neighborhood residents and City Council members was
formed to develop and implement a program to compensate
officers who use a second language. Model programs
were examined nationally resulting in the DPD creating a
Bilingual Officer Program.
Officers who use a second language are compensated
$100-$200 each month. The primary goal was, and
continues to be, to provide not only language translation
for victims, witnesses and criminal suspects, but culturallyspecific and competent understanding of these individuals
and the dynamics of the situations involving their
communication with the Denver Police Department.
More than 125 officers have been certified as bilingual
in many different foreign languages as well as American
Sign Language.
A further expansion of language translation was implemented
through the Department’s Victim Assistance Unit, which
has the ability to arrange for timely and culturally-relevant
DIVERSITY IN THE DPD, 2010
AFRICAN
AMERICAN
All Officers
Command Staff
HISPANIC
HIRING DIVERSITY STRATEGY
In 2004, Manager of Safety Al LaCabe created a task force
whose mission was to set a course for diversity in hiring for
the Department of Safety. This group met monthly for almost
two years and developed proactive strategies. The results of
that work have been positive but have stagnated due to the
lack of hiring of new employees for several years.
CRIME STOPPERS
The Denver Metro Crime Stoppers program is sponsored by
the Denver Police Department. Since its inception, Crime
Stoppers has been responsible for the arrest of more than
1,300 suspects in unsolved crimes, two-thirds of whom were
involved in serious felony offenses such as homicide, rape,
robbery, and burglary.
A 24 hour tip line, (720) 913-7867, is continually monitored
for callers to use if they have information involving crimes.
Callers who wish to remain anonymous may do so. If the
information provided by the caller leads to an arrest by the
police and acceptance of the case by the District Attorney, a
cash award up to $2,000 may be made to the witness.
Crime Stoppers cases are publicized on 9News (Channel 9).
These public service announcements present a mini-drama of
the crime and request more information to help solve the crime.
Crime Stoppers’ Track Record:
• More than 1,300 offenders have been arrested
• More than $1.6 million in narcotics has been confiscated
• More than $2.0 million in stolen property has
been recovered
• More than $374,000 in awards have been made to callers
Crime Stoppers has been instrumental in solving crime in
the Denver metropolitan area, throughout Colorado and
in other states in the mountain region. No tax dollars have
been used to pay for the Crime Stoppers awards. Crime
Stoppers depends solely upon contributions from individuals,
businesses, and foundations to operate and distribute the
cash awards to callers.
Thanks to new software, it is now possible for people to
text a tip, or to send a tip on the web and still maintain their
anonymity. Additionally, anonymous two-way communication
is now possible between citizens with a tip and police
investigators.
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language translation services for victims and witnesses
through the Denver Center for Crime Victims Translation
and Interpreting Center as well as the Interpreter’s Bank of
the Asian Pacific Development Center. Additional language
translation and interpretation can be arranged by the Victim
Assistance Unit through a number of agencies throughout
the metro area.
10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70%
DENVER POLICE DEPARTMENT
Tips can be texted to 274637 (CRIMES) then titled ‘DMCS’.
The tip is then entered and sent.
M A J O R P R O G R A M E N H A N C E M E N T
POLYGRAPH UNIT AND
POLYGRAPH COORDINATOR
Historically, the Denver Police Department contracted with
an outside agency to complete polygraph examinations and
testing. Beginning in 2005, the DPD directed that members
of the department review existing polygraph processes and
made significant revisions including establishing an internal
Polygraph Unit and supervising Polygraph Coordinator.
The coordinator wrote and implemented high-quality
polygraph procedures and standards and selected a number
of detectives to complete the intensive training necessary to
administer a polygraph examination. The installation of the
Polygraph Coordinator and internalization of the polygraph
exam process has yielded a much more timely and efficient
process. The following are some of the successes of the
Polygraph Unit over the past five years:
• 850 exams completed from 2006 to end of 2010
• Two dedicated polygraph suites with soundproofing and
noise reduction devices
• Audio and video recording of polygraph exams (in
compliance with APA – American Polygraph Association
– standards)
• Use cutting-edge technology polygraph software to
score polygraph charts.
• All polygraph examiners successful graduates of the
Backster School of Lie Detection. See http://www.
backster.net/ for further information.
UNDERCOVER PROTOCOL
The Denver Police Department recognizes the benefit
of standardized training for undercover operations. This
training encompasses legal issues involving search and
seizure, standard operating procedures for specific types
of undercover operations, operational planning and
documentation, deconflicting operations and practical
exercises to illustrate and build undercover skills. Most
undercover operations occur in the Vice Drug Control
Bureau. This bureau has been charged with maintaining
state-of-the-art knowledge of undercover techniques,
equipment and legalities. The Bureau also provides
the most in-depth training in its six-month vice training
program. The Bureau also provides a one week undercover
training program to certify other officers to work undercover
operations for Special Crime Attack Teams (SCAT) and
other investigative assignments.
VICE also conducts quarterly undercover training to provide
a refresher to all officers involved in undercover operations to
keep them current.
TACTICAL DECONFLICTION POLICY
Implemented in 2002, and re-designed in 2010, the purpose
of Tactical Event Deconfliction is first and foremost, officer
safety. Secondary to this is to prevent enforcement and/
or investigative conflicts between law enforcement units,
bureaus and other agencies. The goals are: to reduce
duplication of effort, promote the exchange of information
crucial to multi-unit, multi-jurisdictional operations and
investigations; to coordinate units, bureaus and agencies with
common interests.
Tactical Event Deconfliction is the coordination of any
number of law enforcement events, which may have the
potential to involve conflicting times, geographic areas,
or suspects (also known as Event Deconfliction). Keeping
in mind the Denver Police Department’s Mission, Vision,
and Values, the principle objectives of Tactical Event
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A DECADE OF ACHIEVEMENT
Deconfliction include:
• Enhancing public safety in areas where the safety and
security of our citizens are at risk;
• Preventing and deterring crime;
• Reducing the risk of operational and/or investigative
conflict;
• Identifying criminal activity;
• Identifying suspects and gathering evidence;
• Documenting police actions to safeguard citizens and
police officers;
• Improving the allocation and deployment of law
enforcement resources
CREATION OF THE SPECIAL
INVESTIGATIONS BUREAU
In 2009, the DPD consolidated a number of specialized and
undercover investigative units into the newly created Special
Investigations Bureau (SIB). The purpose was to bring
proactive units from all over the department under a single
command structure. This reorganization gave the Criminal
Investigations Division the ability, when necessary, to direct a
number of specially trained and equipped surveillance teams
at crime problems.
This was a very effective reorganization and the Bureau
has assisted on a number of high profile investigations, such
as pattern robberies, kidnappings, rapes, home-invasion
robberies and burglaries, as well as assisting on simultaneous
homicide investigations.
The Bureau has two fugitive apprehension teams, one
of which is a multi-jurisdictional team working with the
U.S. Marshals Service (F.L.A.G.) and the Fugitive Unit,
which focuses on DPD violent felony warrants. There is
an investigative team (Complex Investigations Unit) that
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DENVER POLICE DEPARTMENT
handles all types of specialized undercover investigations.
Two detectives are dedicated to investigating internet
predator cases (Internet Predator Unit).
The High Activity Location Observation (H.A.L.O.) overt
surveillance camera system operates from this Bureau, as
does the Intelligence Unit and School Violence Detective. The
Technical Electronic and Support Unit (TESU) maintains the
Department’s specialized surveillance and crisis negotiations
equipment while assisting other bureaus with investigations
involving cell phones.
Personnel are also assigned to the Federal Bureau of
Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF) Gun Task Force and
the Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF).
RE-DESIGN OF THE INTELLIGENCE
UNIT FUNCTION
Operational policies and procedures have been developed to
ensure efficiency and effectiveness. To be more effective, the
Intelligence Unit has a mission to be proactive, developing
unique products and disseminating the products to
appropriate personnel on a consistent and comprehensive
basis. These factors were precipitated by the development of
Intelligence-Led Policing (ILP) as an underlying philosophy
of how intelligence fits into the operations of the Denver
Police Department. Rather than being simply an information
clearinghouse that has been appended to the Department,
ILP provides strategic integration of intelligence into its
overall mission. In many ways, ILP is a new dimension of
community policing, building on tactics and methodologies
developed during years of community policing practice.
M A J O R P R O G R A M E N H A N C E M E N T
CREATION OF THE PATTERN
CRIMES BUREAU
FLEET MAINTENANCE &
MANAGEMENT EFFICIENCIES
In 2004, the Criminal Investigations Division, lead by Division
Chief David Fisher, recognized the need to concentrate on
pattern offenders. Chief Fisher reorganized the Criminal
Investigations Division to include a new Bureau, the Pattern
Crimes Bureau. The Bureau investigated robbery, check
fraud, financial crimes, and sex offender registration. The
Hostage Negotiation function and Bomb Squad were also
placed within this Bureau. The Safe Streets Task Force
operations for the Denver Police Department are also
managed through the Pattern Crimes Bureau.
The DPD, through the Department’s Fleet Management,
has been helping the budget by scavenging parts from fleet
vehicles totaled while in service. So far in 2010, not counting
December, Fleet Maintenance has saved almost $30,000
in parts for the Police Body Shop and over $301,000 from
the Police Mechanical Shop. This eleven month savings is
almost $331,000.
DIVESTED COMMUNICATIONS CENTER AND
ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING BUREAU
The Department had long used police officers to act as
dispatchers, work on radio repair and other technical
tasks. With the advent of Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD),
interoperability and other modern communications trends,
DPD came to rely more on schooled expertise. Civilianization
of these technical functions made sense from a cost and
functional basis.
Over the last decade the DPD has civilianized both of
these highly technical operations, reducing cost, increasing
functionality and employing more highly skilled employees.
The result has been better performance, more advanced
technology and increased efficiency.
PHOTO RADAR/ PHOTO RED LIGHT
The Photo Enforcement Program consists of both photo
speed and photo red light enforcement within the City and
County of Denver. The Photo Speed Program was initiated
and approved in 2002 by members of the Denver City
Council to mitigate excessive speeding on residential streets
and designated school zones.
Since the inception of the Photo Speed Program, its success
in providing a safe motoring environment necessitated
expanding the program to a present staffing of fourteen
civilian Photo Enforcement Agents and two civilian Photo
Enforcement Supervisors. In 2009, Photo Speed coverage
expanded to encompass work zones on state highways
located in Denver.
The Photo Speed Program continues to augment traditional
traffic safety methods used to mitigate speeding and red
light running in Denver. These additional measures were
approved by City Council and the Denver Police Department
in an effort to help keep the City’s streets, intersections,
work, and school zones safe from the hazards of speeding
and red light running.
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Officer Training,
Safety & Wellness
The Greek philosopher Aristotle wrote, “Excellence is an art
won by training and habituation…We are what we repeatedly do.
Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit.” Over the past decade,
the Denver Police Department has significantly increased and
enhanced personnel training opportunities that have allowed the
men and women of the Department to become one of the best
trained law enforcement agencies in the nation.
O F F I C E R S A F E T Y, T R A I N I N G & W E L L N E S S
TRAINING
BLUE VIEW (FORMERLY SHORT SEVEN TRAINING)
The Short Seven training program is modeled after the daily
training program used by the California Highway Patrol. The
DPD Short Seven training is delivered department-wide via
a video stream on the DPDWeb (Intranet). The training is
designed to be mandatory, concise and repetitive. The training
stresses high risk/low frequency situations and is an ongoing
training asset to officers and departmental personnel, as this
program allows for a variety of subjects to be addressed department-wide. It allows officers to stay updated with relevant
training without going out of service or attending in-person
training, resulting in significant time, efficiency and cost savings
as well as increased officer availability for police service.
POLICE ACADEMY CURRICULUM STANDARDIZATION
The DPD directed the Department’s Training Bureau to embark
on a large-scale revision of all recruit training lesson plans,
estimated to be approximately 300 in number. The new lesson
plans use a consistent format with standardization of binders
and indexes. Lesson plans and related materials for each topic
are retained on computer thumb drives for ease of access by
instructors. Additionally, the material is archived for future
reverence using CDs. The vast majority of new lesson plans use
a PowerPoint presentation for consistency and ease of use by
instructors and students.
ROTATING MANDATORY TRAINING
In order to provide the highest quality police and investigative services as well as to ensure that officers are also able to
receive training related to their personal safety and well being,
over the past decade the DPD identified multiple areas of
ongoing training interest. The Department created a training
curriculum and an efficient training implementation strategy
that allowed all officers and other departmental personnel
to receive regular, mandatory training involving a number of
subjects on a regular basis. The DPD created three rotating
classes, allowing for attendance by approximately one-third
of the Department in each class each year. In that way, every
three years everyone has taken a refresher class in each of
the following areas: Mandatory Weapons Training, Mandatory
Wellness Training and Mandatory Arrest Control and Defensive
Emergency Vehicle Operations Course (DEVOC) Training.
DECISIONAL SHOOT TRAINING
To improve officers’ decision making related to use of force,
the DPD authorized the purchase of an improved video-based
training system (Range 2000) and placed this same system in
a mobile bus that took the training to the remote District
Stations and live fire at the range.
One of the strengths of this training system is that it trains an
officer when it is appropriate to shoot and, most important,
when it is not. The vast majority of Denver’s officers have
been trained on this system, which has been upgraded twice
since 2000.
SUPERVISORY TRAINING
New supervisors receive training on critical incident management so they can better control these types of encounters.
Documentation of the training was captured for each individual
officer and mandatory supervisory classes were implemented
and expanded.
DRIVING SIMULATOR
Driving simulators were obtained on a lease purchase through
the City’s Risk Management Office. The simulators are used in
an effort to reduce liability associated to traffic accident claims
against the City and the Department. The training provided
greatly enhances an officer’s ability to handle a vehicle during
emergency operations and routine driving situations, which has
resulted in increased public and officer safety while reducing
liability and repair costs to the City and Department.
OFFICER SAFETY AND WELLNESS
The Denver Police Department has had its share of tragedy-officers killed in the line of duty, suicide, careers ended by
injury and illness. Police officers have a very high-stress job,
with varying hours and work conditions that are not conducive
to proper sleep, nutrition and exercise. On average, longevity
after retirement for police officers is short. Recognizing these
facts, the DPD directed that a number of programs be developed to help keep officers safe and healthy.
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A DECADE OF ACHIEVEMENT
Throughout the past decade a significant amount of attention and resources has been focused on enhancing the safety,
physical, emotional and mental well-being of officers, as well as
increasing and enhancing the number and quality of resources
available to injured officers and their families.
BALLISTIC VESTS FOR ALL OFFICERS
Ballistic vests were historically purchased by officers at their
own expense. The Denver Police Department made the vests
available to all officers and provided a replacement rotation so
that the vests worn by officers meet the warranty restrictions
of the manufacturers. Having ballistic protection eases the
minds of officers and their families, and has saved the life of
Denver Police Detective Jack Bishop.
Less Lethal systems are not a viable option when an officer is
faced with imminent death. They will never replace the need to
carry a sidearm. Deadly force is still the only logical response
when an officer is about to be killed. However, Less Lethal systems do have their place in a professional Use of Force policy.
They have prevented countless injuries and have saved many
lives over the past ten years.
The Denver Police Department’s program, with its training and
policy, has served as a model for other departments nationally
as they develop their own Less Lethal programs. The Department will continue to study any new Less Lethal options that
become available.
INDIVIDUALLY ASSIGNED RADIOS FOR ALL OFFICERS
LESS LETHAL
Times change, and over the past ten years the police department has been changing too. The introduction of the Less
Lethal systems has proven that even old departments can learn
new tricks. This new technology provides more options that
officers can use to protect themselves, the public and suspects.
It was 2001 when the DPD put together a committee to study
the use and deployment of Less Lethal options. This committee did a yeoman’s job in evaluating all the Less Lethal options
available. It recommended three Less Lethal systems: 1) Taser,
2) Pepperball and 3) the Less Lethal beanbag shotgun. In
2008, the Department added 40mm type launchers to the
Less Lethal inventory.
These four tools give the first responding officer faced with a
violent situation the ability to safely apply a measure of force
from a distance.
Since the start of the Less Lethal program, DPD officers
have deployed the systems over 700 times, with a 95%
success rate.
It should be noted that 13% of the incidents were rapidly evolving into deadly force encounters. The officers used good tactics
to end a situation with a Less Lethal tool, before it reached the
level requiring a firearm.
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DENVER POLICE DEPARTMENT
To increase officer safety and efficiency, provide timelier communication abilities, and ultimately provide increased safety to
the community, the DPD directed the purchase of $750,000 in
new police radios, thus allowing each officer to be issued their
own police radio. The Denver Police Department now operates
over 1600 portable radios.
OFFICE OF EMPLOYEE ASSISTANCE AND WELLNESS
Detective Danny Veith was appointed by Chief Whitman,
in February 2008, to fill a one-man unit concerned with
“Employee Assistance and Wellness.”
Detective Veith assists employees with identifying options,
strategies, and resources for addressing issues and concerns
impacting their ability to live or work in a healthy manner. He
participates with Department management, organizations,
and resources to develop a shared vision and strategic plan
for attaining Department and employee wellness. Some
examples follow:
• Provides a supportive care component when employees
are absent from work for an extended period of time due
to illness or injury. He ensures that these employees and
their families receive appropriate support and assistance
from resources within and outside the Department;
• Implements and monitors the effectiveness of Denver
Wellness, the city-wide health initiative and program to
O F F I C E R S A F E T Y, T R A I N I N G & W E L L N E S S
•
•
•
•
•
improve the health and well-being of all city of Denver
employees;
Publishes a monthly, in-house wellness newsletter for all
DPD employees;
Obtains and reviews health promotion resources from
various sources, and develops and/or customizes materials as needed;
Coordinates vendor and employee worksite wellness
services;
Serves as the liaison between the Denver Police
workplace and referral resources such as
Psychological Services, the Mayor’s
Office of Employee Assistance, the
Chaplains Unit, and the Denver Police
Officers Foundation;
Serves as the Director of the Peer
Support Project.
The DPD adopted a “Wellness Rewards” program that allows employees to engage in healthy
activities (promoting prevention and wellness) in exchange for
points. At the end of each year, the points are converted to add
hours to an employee’s complimentary time bank. The program
has been very successful and has influenced other agencies
(such as the Colorado Department of Corrections and Colorado
Springs Police Department) to emulate the program.
The Department implemented a program, funded by the
Denver Police Foundation, allowing Denver Police officers
to obtain a $395 heart scan for just $50 at Porter Hospital.
This program has been very successful. During the first three
months of the program, three Denver police officers were diagnosed with advanced heart disease and referred to cardiologists; eight additional officers had incidental findings (such as
scarring on their lungs) that prompted further exams.
DENVER POLICE OFFICERS FOUNDATION
The sole purpose of the foundation is to offer financial assistance to an active Denver Police officer or immediate member
of the officer’s family during a time of medical crisis, death,
long-term illness, or any other crisis.
Since the founding of the Denver Police Officers Foundation,
the money donated by officers’ monthly payroll deductions,
donations by citizens and other fundraisers has allowed the
foundation to assist in a significant number of beneficial programs and areas including providing
emergency financial assistance to officers
and their families, longer-term emergency
financial assistance to officers and their
families, a Retired Officers Assistance
Fund, the Jacques and Alexisa Bensard
Medical Education Scholarship Award,
as well as providing financial support for
the annual Denver Police Memorial and the
Thomas O’Byrne Annual Health Fair.
THOMAS O’BYRNE ANNUAL HEALTH FAIR
Following the untimely death of Lt. Thomas O’Byrne in March
2001, the DPD established the annual Thomas O’Byrne Health
Fair through funding provided by the Denver Police Officers
Foundation and the Denver Police Foundation. It provides for
reduced and no-cost medical screening, testing and services to
the officers and civilian employees of the Department.
Since the inaugural health fair, hundreds of officers and employees have received valuable medical testing, and in several
cases significant medical issues have been identified and
treatment initiated prior to these medical conditions resulting
in more serious outcomes or even death.
PSYCHOLOGICAL SERVICES
During 2009 and 2010, the program has provided an eighthour class to approximately 750 Denver Police officers concerning wellness (mind-body-spirit), stress management, and
suicide prevention. During this class, several officers have been
diagnosed with hypertension and high blood cholesterol levels
(prompting referral to their primary care physician). These
classes have been among the most popular and well received
at the Academy.
Nicoletti-Flater Associates, PLLP has been retained to provide police psychological services including: pre-employment
screenings, fitness-for-duty evaluations, threat/violence risk
assessments, training workshops/seminars, therapy, trauma
intervention, peer support, disaster management, extreme
environments, and Employee Assistance Program (EAP).
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A DECADE OF ACHIEVEMENT
Dr. John Nicoletti is a nationally renowned authority in police
psychology, violence detection and disruption, and crisis response and recovery. These services have been invaluable.
The Department also maintains an active Peer Support
Program and Chaplains Program. Psychological services are
included in DPD’s health insurance. No officer need suffer
alone. The Department provides a wide variety of options for
seeking help.
CHAPLAINS UNIT
Police Chaplains are on-call 24-hours a day to provide support
and counseling to the members of the Denver Police Department and their families when personal, professional, or spiritual
issues arise. Chaplains are also involved in Academy training,
promotional ceremonies, and community events.
Each Chaplain rides a minimum of eight hours per month in
a district patrol car or with a specialized unit. This continuity
allows a personal rapport to develop between the officer and
the Chaplain. Police Chaplains do not attempt to preach or
convert. Rather, they serve as trained resources when personal
difficulties arise.
Police Chaplains are not intended to replace personal clergy.
However, because they are trained in law enforcement issues,
they are attuned to situations that officers may feel uncomfortable sharing with their own clergy or those unfamiliar with law
enforcement.
All Denver Police Chaplains are required to attend ongoing training sessions and obtain basic certification from the
International Association of Police Chaplains. This certification
includes education in stress management, death notification,
post trauma syndrome, burn-out, legal liability, ethics, critical
response, law enforcement family, substance abuse, child
abuse, officer injury, community relations, and cultural diversity
training. Many Police Chaplains have additional training in
other areas, such as marriage and family counseling, and communication skills.
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DENVER POLICE DEPARTMENT
PEER SUPPORT
The Peer Support Project was established in 1982, a reaction
to more DPD officers dying by their own hand (suicide) than
in the line-of-duty. Thirteen officers were trained and staffed
the project in addition to their regular duties. This number of
“Peer Advisors” was maintained for the next two decades as
no further “active-duty” officer suicides occurred. In 2003, this
trend ended with an officer suicide.
Considering the size of the Department, with just fourteen
Advisors, the ratio of Peer Advisors to officers indicated the
program was understaffed. The DPD approved the addition of eleven more Advisors in March of 2003 (double the
original staffing).
Peer Support has become more proactive in suicide prevention, stress management, combat veterans returning to duty,
and other interventions; it was clear that more Advisors were
needed. The integrity and perception of the program relies on
sincere, qualified Advisors (meaning selection of new members
requires careful deliberation). So from 2005 through 2009,
Peer Support was allowed to replace retiring Advisors in addition to adding a few more each year.
OFFICER’S BILL OF RIGHTS
The Officer’s Bill of Rights provides basic rights, protections
and procedures to protect officers from unreasonable expectations from the Department and the public. The concept began
in California in 1974, but was adopted by the DPD and placed
in the Police Operations Manual. This gives officers peace of
mind that they will be treated fairly.
UNIFORM COMMITTEE
The Department created a uniform committee so officers could
have a say in what is acceptable for wear as a uniform. The
committee reviews new products and ideas. Recent considerations included protective equipment for the DNC, baseball
hats for officers, bike uniforms, cold weather head gear and
other issues relevant to officers’ safety and comfort while at
work. The committee also ensures that any ideas conform to
policy and maintain a professional image for the department.
O F F I C E R S A F E T Y, T R A I N I N G & W E L L N E S S
DENVER POLICE OFFICER MEMORIAL
The Denver Police Officer Memorial that stands in the plaza
in front of the Denver Police Administration Building was
originally constructed in 1991 through funding provided by the
Denver Police Protection Association. The Memorial stands in
honor of the Denver Police Officers that lost their lives in the
line of duty.
Beginning in 2001, each May the Department and dignitaries
throughout the City gather annually to pay tribute to these
men and women and to reflect on the sacrifices that they and
their families made in service to the citizens of the City and
County of Denver.
During the annual memorial event (for the past three years)
the Department has also recognized the dedication and commitment of retired Denver Police Officers and has hosted an
appreciation luncheon for the retirees.
OFFICERS KILLED
Inscribed on the Denver Police Officer Memorial
are these words by Julian Lewis:
When Duty Called, There Was No Thought But Answer.
No Question, But The Task That Must Be Done.
Though Death Their Final Payment For Victory
For Honor Was The Battle Fought. And Won.
No Monument Stands Higher Than Their Valor.
No Words Replace The Loss of Heroes, Slain.
But If Their Names, Remembered, Give us Courage,
Their Sacrifice Shall Not Have Been In Vain.
Since 2000, two Denver Police Officers have made the
ultimate sacrifice and lost their lives in the line of duty:
Detective Donald “Donnie” Young II
On May 8, 2005, Detectives Donald
Young and Jack Bishop were working
off-duty and in uniform at a baptismal
celebration. The evening had been fairly quiet except for one uninvited male
who had to be escorted by the officers
out of the hall where the party was taking place. Although scheduled to leave
at midnight, the officers were asked by the hall manager to
stay an additional hour to help ensure an orderly conclusion
to the event.
At approximately 1:00 a.m. the officers were at the front
entrance of the hall observing the crowd inside. A suspect, later
identified as Raul Gomez-Garcia, approached the officers from
behind and fired a barrage of shots. Detective Bishop was hit in
the back but the round was slowed by his body armor. Detective Young was fatally wounded, shot twice in the back and
once in the head.
Officer Dennis M. Licata
On September 6, 2000, Officer Licata and his partner, Officer
Roberson, were on their department motorcycles, responding
to a construction accident at 18th Avenue and Washington
Street. Just west of Shoshone on 13th Avenue, the railroad
crossing signals were flashing as the officers approached. Officer Licata accelerated through the crossing and collided with
the passenger side of a Honda that was making a left turn from
westbound 13th onto southbound Shoshone.
TEN YEAR ANNUAL REPORT
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INNOVATION
Innovation is the act of introducing something new or creative. With
the financial support of the Denver Police Foundation, and the energy
and creativity of the men and women of the Denver Police Department,
innovation has flourished in the past decade. From a crime lab without parallel
on the continent, to programs that help people in all sets of circumstances,
the DPD continues to expand the boundaries of what’s possible.
I N N OVAT I O N
ALTERNATIVE FUNDING OF POLICE INFRASTRUCTURE, EQUIPMENT AND ACTIVITIES
In challenging times, progressive departments must seek and
use alternative funding methods. Grants can also provide new
equipment; staff support and overtime to pay for enhanced
directed police activity. The Denver Police Department has
used public initiatives to fund building projects and public and
private granting organizations to fund necessary equipment
and activity.
INVESTIGATIVE INNOVATIONS
One area where the Denver Police Department has excelled
at identifying and adopting “best practices” has been in investigative practices, for which the Department has become
nationally and internationally recognized.
DENVER POLICE FOUNDATION
The Denver Police Foundation is a Colorado nonprofit corporation created to enhance public safety and law enforcement
in the Denver Community. The Foundation does so by raising
funds for initiatives aimed at reducing crime and improving
life for all citizens of the city. Every contribution to the foundation directly affects the lives of our brave men and women
and ultimately enhances the safety of our community.
In 2010, the Denver Police Foundation split into two separate foundations. The second, the Denver Police Officers
Foundation, took the mission of assisting officers and their
families when in need, while the Denver Police Foundation
continued the mission of fostering innovation, helping keep
pace with technology, promoting excellence and innovation,
and promoting valor and wellness.
To date the Denver Police Officers Foundation has collected
over 1 million dollars in donations and has helped over 400
police families in need.
The Denver Police Foundation has raised over $3,000,000
and funded over $2,000,000 in grants to support the
Denver Police Department.
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TECHNICAL ELECTRONIC SERVICES
UNIT (T.E.S.U.)
A survey of Major Cities Chiefs Association agencies, nationwide, reveals over 70% have consolidated their Technical
Assistance resources into dedicated units.
The formation of the Special Investigations Bureau included
the H.A.L.O. Unit to expand to the “Technical and Electronic
Services Unit.” This officially consolidated the Department’s
technical assistance capabilities. The goal was to streamline
disparate and “silo’d” efforts, spread throughout assorted internal units, into a cohesive, interoperable and mutually supportive function. This consolidation made the DPD more efficient
and effective in the midst of budget and staffing challenges.
Expanding H.A.L.O./T.E.S.U. has made the DPD more effective by gathering superior electronic evidence, quickly finding
missing or wanted persons and bringing better information
to commanders at planned or emergent events, for real-time
situational awareness. The proper application of technology
to collect audio, video, phone and GPS data brings dramatic
evidence to cases, which increases clearances and pleas,
while reducing trials and court overtime.
Using state of the art cellular communication investigative tools, the location of a missing person or a dangerous
fugitive can be pinpointed. The forensic examination of
mobile electronic devices has provided irrefutable evidence
for prosecution. Event commanders in the field will have
multiple camera angles to evaluate emerging incidents and
rapidly deploy the most suitable resources to the right locations during major events.
The T.E.S.U. is tasked with the research, development,
deployment and maintenance of electronic systems to assist
detectives and officers with enhancing their investigative
capabilities. Items available to officers include cell phone
data extraction and forensics tools, covert audio and video
systems, assistance with cell phone tracking, rapidly deployable camera systems for critical incidence, vehicle tracking
devices, maintaining and upgrading the Crisis Negotiation
Team Command Post. Detectives assigned to T.E.S.U. offer
training to officers and detectives in the use, care and legal
issues of T.E.S.U. equipment.
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VIDEO INTERVIEW TECHNOLOGY
In November of 1983, the Denver Police Department and the
Denver District Attorney’s Office coordinated in the development and implementation of a Video Interview Facility and a
procedure protocol for video interviewing.
Over the past decade, the DPD has committed significant
resources to the enhancement of continued improvements
in video interviewing technology resulting in the current
video facility that incorporates state of the art digital
encoders for video capture for both investigative interviews
and polygraph examinations.
In addition to the central core of video interview rooms, three
of the six police district stations have video capability. The
Internal Affairs Bureau uses video technology in their investigations with a capacity for two simultaneous interviews.
The Family Crisis Center (FCC) has six state of the art video
capable rooms for child interviews and the Denver Children’s
Advocacy Center (DCAC) has four video interview rooms
dedicated to child interviews.
Members of the Denver Police Department regularly consult
with law enforcement agencies on a national level to assist
these agencies with the creation of video interview facilities
and interview protocols.
COLD CASE INVESTIGATIONS
The Denver Police Department, like many law enforcement
agencies nationally, has in its archives, hundreds of unresolved homicide cases. Investigators solve most of these
cases through professional investigation, yet other cases remain unresolved. This reality demands the attention of those
charged with the investigation of these critical cases.
The reasons that cases go unresolved are relatively simple.
Investigators have long known that the first few hours of
a new homicide case are the most crucial. Witnesses are
easier to locate, and their recollections generally prove
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more accurate soon after the incident. Experts often state
that the first 48-72 hours of the investigation will make or
break the case. Investigative resolution after this time is
dramatically reduced.
DPD solves cases early in the investigation because witnesses are often located quickly, detectives recover evidence
that may link a suspect to the crime scene, and offenders
may possess evidence from the crime scene or have evidence
clinging on them. Additionally, interrogation completed early
is more effective in obtaining confessions and admissions.
The Denver Police Department continues its advance in a
direction designed to reduce caseload on investigators while
increasing the solution rates of cases. With this in mind, the
usual causes for old unresolved homicide cases rested with
the thoroughness of original investigation, and the types of
evidence collected.
With the advent of DNA technology, the dynamics for solving
older cases has shifted dramatically. The identification and
employment of new strategies will continue to support in
clearing unresolved homicide cases and finally bring a level of
closure to a multitude of co-victims, families, and friends.
Beginning in the summer of 2004, the DPD initiated what is
now commonly referred to as the “Cold Case Project.”
Investigators within the Crimes Against Persons Bureau
coordinated with the Crime Lab to further evaluate unsolved
cases within two specific units - the Sex Crimes and Homicide
Units. The purpose of this endeavor was to identify those
unsolved cases in which biological evidence was still present
so that new advances in DNA testing could be used to “bring
those responsible to justice.”
Additional and ongoing consultation and collaboration with
the Denver District Attorney’s Office has resulted in significant grant funding for the Cold Case Project that has become
identified as one of the nation’s most professional and productive cold case investigative and prosecutorial teams in the
United States.
I N N OVAT I O N
Of significant importance to the department’s cold case investigations is the need to establish a strong partnership with the
victims, co-victims and surviving family members when there is
renewed activity in a cold case and to provide as much information as possible as the case investigation progresses.
To carry on the Denver Police Department’s mission of continuing the pursuit of justice for those victims long thought
forgotten, we have profiled unsolved homicide cases on a
department-driven website that identifies and profiles every
unresolved homicide that has occurred in Denver since 1970.
The Cold Case Squad regularly reaches out to the family
members in these cases in an attempt to update the cold case
website with photos and case information.
Through this website, the Cold Case Squad also maintains
a “Wanted for Homicide” section, identifying individuals
wanted for murder on previously unsolved or unresolved
homicide cases.
PROPERTY CRIME DNA PROGRAM
In 2005, the Denver Police Department received a grant to
employ DNA to combat burglary crimes.
Between 10/2005 and 9/2007 Denver had 12,000 burglaries. About 6% of these had biological evidence. Six hundred
DNA profiles were obtained, resulting in 245 hits in CODIS, a
41% hit rate in CODIS. Also, 234 cases were filed based upon
DNA evidence. DNA-based cases were eight times more
likely to be accepted for filing, and more than twice as likely
to result in a plea bargain to the highest charge. Suspects
received higher sentences (averaging 10 times higher) when
DNA evidence was presented, keeping serial burglars off the
streets for longer periods.
The project was estimated to have saved the City $41.8
million; $36.8 million in avoided property loss and $5 million
in police costs. The results of the study were published in
Prosecutor Magazine, third quarter, 2008, pp 34-43.
FAMILIAL DNA SOFTWARE
The Denver Police Department Crime Lab developed procedures to use familial DNA in criminal investigations. The
legality of the process and its legal application was pioneered
by the Denver District Attorney’s office. Colorado was the
first State in the United States to successfully use Denver’s
software to solve a criminal case in 2009.
The Virginia Department of Forensic Sciences has recently
announced plans to use the familial DNA search software
that was developed and tested by the Denver Police Department Crime Laboratory. Virginia has two high-profile
unsolved cases that could potentially benefit from running
a familial DNA search with their state DNA database. There
is an unsolved murder of a student at Virginia Tech and an
ongoing investigation to identify the East Coast rapist, who
is believed to have committed serial rapes along the East
Coast for many years including attacking two Virginia teenagers in 2009. Several other states have expressed interest
in Denver’s familial search software and Colorado’s familial
searching policy.
ELDER ABUSE INVESTIGATIONS
With the recognition that seniors represent a potentially significant, vulnerable and ever-increasing population, the DPD
initiated and enhanced a number of policies, procedures and
responses to cases involving elder abuse.
The Denver Police Department initiated a first-of-its kind
agreement and Memorandum of Understanding with the
Denver Department of Human Services Division of Adult
Protective Services (APS) involving a timely and efficient
process by which APS would notify the Department of
possible elder abuse or exploitation. APS forwards any
referral that they feel could be criminal to the DPD Assault
Investigations supervisor. The Sergeant assigns the case for
investigation, if appropriate, and records the information. If
the referral only involves an allegation of a financial exploitation, the referral is forwarded to the department’s Fraud Unit
for investigation. This collaboration and process has led to a
significant number of criminal investigations and convictions
involving crimes committed against the elderly and at-risk
victims. It also paved the way for a strong, positive partnership between the department and APS.
In 2009, Denver was one of only three jurisdictions in the
country awarded a sizeable grant by the U.S. Department of
Justice, Office of Violence against Women involving responsiveness to elder abuse and victimization.
BIAS MOTIVATED CRIMES UNIT
Beginning in 2005, the DPD recognized the importance of
investigating bias motivated crimes and created the Bias
Motivated Crimes Unit. This task was assigned to the Crimes
Against Persons Bureau. By having one unit investigate all
bias motivated crimes, training and expertise for these types
of crimes was concentrated in one unit.
The new unit quickly began researching the best practices
and training opportunities of other like units, from around the
country, to identify resources that would assist the unit with
these types of investigations. Investigators attended all of the
department’s roll calls to disseminate a newly created Bias Motivated Crime Training Bulletin and to address questions about
these types of crimes. Members of the Unit met with numerous
city agencies to help them in identifying what Bias Motivated
Crimes are and how to report them more efficiently.
Focused training was then addressed through multiple
neighborhood organizations across the City. Unit representatives also met with organizations such as the American Civil
Liberties Union (A.C.L.U), the Anti-Defamation League, the
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Colorado Anti-Violence Coalition, the Colorado Progressive
Coalition, the Muslim Society, the Mexican Consulate, the
Jewish Community Center and the African Community Center
and provided training for these organizations and their
members to assist in increasing their knowledge of how the
investigations worked and to improve the relationships that
the department has with these organizations.
Additionally the department completed a new web page, providing detailed information about the Unit and the types of
bias motivated crimes that were being investigated in Denver,
created a newsletter for city-wide distribution through the
various neighborhood organizations throughout the City and
set up a hotline for tips/information to be left anonymously.
Beginning in 2009, the unit worked in cooperation with the
A.D.L to present a course entitled “Extremism Training”. The
course explores the historical context and current trends of
various extremist groups.
IDENTITY THEFT INVESTIGATIONS
Due in large part to the significant technological
advancements over the past, the DPD quickly identified
a new crime trend that required new investigative techniques
and procedures.
Based on the increasingly identified need as well as increasingly difficult circumstances for victims, in 2002, the Fraud
Unit adopted very liberal reporting requirements to assist
victims in reporting what was being called “identify theft”
issues. A “catch 22” situation was present in which a citizen
could not report an issue to a police department without an
address (in that jurisdiction) but they could not obtain the
address (or other information) from the financial institution
without a police report.
In order to provide high-quality support to these victims the
Fraud Unit began taking reports from Denver residents regardless of venue and listed the victim’s home address on the
report. (Of note, a similar policy was later drafted into state
legislation, however, DPD’s Fraud Unit practice was about
five years ahead of the law).
Over the past decade, the Denver Police Department has
been committed to establishing one of the most responsive,
knowledgeable and committed identity theft / economic
crime units in the country.
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CROWD MANAGEMENT RULES OF
ENGAGEMENT MATRIX
As part of the 2008 DNC preparation, the Denver Police
Department developed the first of its kind decisional matrix
for officers to determine the appropriate response for specific
actions when dealing with large crowds or riotous behavior.
The policy of the Denver Police Department is to appropriately direct and control public gatherings so as to protect life
and property, maintain public peace and order, ensure compliance with the law and respect all constitutional rights including those of free speech and assembly. Efforts are made to
isolate and arrest violators from a crowd before declaring an
assembly as unlawful.
The Crowd Management Manual serves as a guide for strategies and tactics in circumstances requiring management and
control of crowds. Flexibility and adaptation are important
elements of successful crowd management and control while
ensuring that the police response is not disproportionate to
the situation.
Crowd control tactics are generally intended for use when
efforts to manage a crowd or event have been unsuccessful
or simply require a greater level of police intervention. Some
situations, both planned and spontaneous, require a combination of management and control.
A team-based response with strong leadership is the key to
maintaining control and safety.
The matrix outlines several strategies and tactics that are used
to address the unlawful behavior of individuals or groups. Additionally, as the level of unlawful behavior increases, a higher
level of control may be necessary depending on the exigency
of the circumstances and the size of the crowd.
Any decision to use force takes into consideration the following factors when determining “objectively reasonable”
options based on the totality of the circumstances known at
the time.
CROWD MANAGEMENT TRAINING
The majority of training for the DNC was devoted to Crowd
Management (53,466 contact hours). The Denver Police Department had successfully utilized the Miami/Dade crowd management model for a number of years. However, in anticipation
of this event the Crowd Management / Prisoner Processing
Section revisited their training, did extensive research into best
practices from around the world and completed a significant
revision to the existing training program. The Crowd Management Manual underwent a total revision, which included not
only Rules of Engagement, but also new Rules of Conduct
(expected behavior on the part of the officer). These were
enhanced with the Crowd Management Matrix that outlined
several strategies and tactics that may be used to address the
unlawful behavior of individuals or groups.
I N N OVAT I O N
CRIME LAB
Because of the unique position that the Denver Police
Department’s Crime Lab maintains in the world, we have
dedicated a separate section to highlight the evolution of the
crime lab between the years 2000 – 2010.
Civilian Director
In 2005, the Denver Police Department created a new civilian directorship in the crime laboratory, which ended decades
of command by a police captain. This resulted in a restructuring of the crime laboratory bureau and included new steps for
forensic scientists from entry level to the Director’s position
as well as the establishment of professional level leadership
for the future. The qualifications and experience requirements for this position ensure that only the most qualified
individuals will be selected for senior laboratory management
and that they will remain in the position for extended periods
of time. This consistency in command is essential for the
crime laboratory bureau due to the complexity of laboratory
operations and the specialized knowledge required to provide
proper leadership to such a diverse bureau.
Grant Funding
Over the last ten years, the Denver Police Crime Laboratory
has been awarded $5,773,317 in grant funding. This funding
is part of a larger effort to advance the forensic science community and help further the efforts of criminal investigations.
As technology becomes more advanced and techniques become more refined, the bureau worked to insure the Denver
Police Department had the best tools and innovative ideas at
its disposal.
Accreditation
As crime laboratories modernize and are more heavily relied
upon by law enforcement, it is becoming crucial to ensure both
timely and quality results. In 2005, the Denver Police Department Crime Lab achieved its first ISO 17025 accreditation.
years, forensic science has had an influx of attention in the
public media and popular culture. As such, the court system
expects a high level of professionalism and accountability.
The questions asked of the forensic scientists are no longer
just, “What were the results?” but “How did you get the
results?” and “How can you be sure these are the correct
results?” The Department chose to implement an internationally recognized quality management system called ISO
17025:2005.
Quality assurance dictates that testing be conducted consistently, validly, and at a high standard. Accreditation means
that the laboratory is held accountable to standards industrywide—for example, as part of the quality assurance program,
each forensic scientist must undergo proficiency testing
which ensures that a scientist can achieve an expected result.
The crime laboratory utilizes external testing services in
order to verify the competency of its scientists.
In 2003, the DNA Unit was the first to pursue accreditation
under both the FBI Standards and ISO 17025, which is the
International Organization for Standardization best practices
for testing and calibration laboratories. Once the DNA Unit
achieved their accreditation status, the Forensic Chemistry
and Trace Evidence Units were the next to receive the ISO
accreditation (2006). More recently, the Firearms and Latent
Prints Units received accreditation (2009). It is anticipated
that the Forensic Imaging Unit and Crime Scene Section
will complete the process in 2011, which will place the entire
laboratory under ISO 17025:2005 accreditation.
Information Sharing
The capability to share information has grown exponentially
in the last ten years. Investigative databases, such as the
Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS), the
Combined DNA Index System (CODIS), and the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN), have helped
identify and exclude individuals in criminal investigations.
With recent studies, such as the National Academy of Sciences 2009 report “Strengthening Forensic Science in the
United States: A Path Forward,” forensic laboratory quality
assurance is more important than ever. Over the last ten
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Latent Fingerprints
The most significant advance in the Latent Print Unit over
the last ten years is the inclusion of two new databases,
expanding the capabilities of identifying individuals further
than before.
The Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS)
has been used by the crime laboratory for more than twenty
years and is a state level database. However, its limitation
to fingerprints could not provide a full detail of an individual.
While identifications can be made from a single print, it is
preferable to have multiple prints in order to gain a stronger
identification. Similarly, it is more preferable to have a palm
print in order to make identifications. In order to automate
searching of palm prints, the Denver Police Department
purchased Automated Palm and Fingerprint Identification
System (AFIX) in 2007. This developed into a local shared
database between the Denver Police Department and Denver Sheriff’s Department.
When Denver received the bid for the Democratic National
Convention, the crime laboratory expanded its latent print
search capabilities to the national level directly via the FBI’s
Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification System
(IAFIS). Accessing this database allows the Latent Print
Unit to access thousands of identified prints from across
the United States, expanding the capability to identify more
individuals than before.
Over 12,000 latent prints have been uploaded to AFIS over
the last ten years, while 700 images were uploaded to AFIX
over the last four years, and about 200 images have been
uploaded to IAFIS over the last two years. Soon AFIS will
have a palm print database, allowing the unit to access palm
prints from all over the state, not just the City and County of
Denver. Both AFIS and IAFIS have an astounding 21.6% hit
rate, while AFIX has an 18.9% hit rate.
DNA Technology
At the turn of the century, DNA was reserved for violent
crimes in which a suspect was identified through traditional investigation; consequently, the Denver Police Department DNA
lab handled 470 cases per year. In contrast, over 1700 cases
were completed in 2009, with services expanded to include
no-suspect cold cases and non-violent property crimes. This is
largely due to CODIS, the largest DNA database in the world
with 9.3 million DNA profiles to date. It is used by law enforcement in the U.S. to generate investigative leads by searching
crime scene DNA profiles against convicted offenders for
matches. Denver has submitted 2,862 crime scene profiles
to CODIS since 2003, resulting in 1,643 hits—a 57% hit rate.
Denver uses DNA testing in no-suspect cases effectively
employing CODIS as an investigative tool to identify suspects
through DNA database matches. The power of CODIS to link
unsolved cases nationwide through DNA is outstanding.
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Based on early successes, the DPD directed that the laboratory expand Denver’s DNA cold case project, which began in
late 1999 and was formally funded in 2003. The project is
now recognized as a national model for highly collaborative
and effective DNA cold case investigations. Detectives identified 1,000 cold case homicides and sex assaults dating back
to the 1960s with potential DNA evidence. Six hundred thirty
three cold cases have been tested for DNA with 358 profiles
uploaded to CODIS, 159 CODIS hits and 73 cases filed with
the Denver DA’s office. The value of restoring victims’ peace
of mind and their confidence in law enforcement cannot be
overstated. This project continues to impact public safety by
changing the lives of victims and their families, and by bringing violent, serial offenders to justice after years of escaping
responsibility for their acts.
In 2006, the DPD launched a DNA property crimes initiation
that has revolutionized how burglaries are investigated and
prosecuted. Prior to 2006, DNA was rarely used in Denver
property crimes investigations, which are considered “volume
crimes,” numbering in the thousands each year. This project
was a proactive effort to train officers to identify and collect
DNA evidence at burglaries. As a result, since 2006 DNA
testing has been performed on 1,353 property crimes with
1,065 DNA profiles uploaded to CODIS, 537 CODIS hits and
563 case filings with the Denver District Attorney’s Office.
Between 2006 and 2009, the City of Denver enjoyed a 26%
decrease in the number of reported burglaries.
Ballistics
In 2002, the new Integrated Ballistic Information System
(IBIS) was installed in the laboratory, giving Denver access
to the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network
(NIBIN) administered by the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and
Firearms. IBIS uploads images of fired cartridge cases collected at shooting incident scenes or those test-fired from
submitted firearms to the NIBIN database. Once uploaded,
these images are correlated and compared to previously entered items. The goal is to link new evidence to evidence from
unsolved crimes, hopefully providing new leads or potential
suspects to investigating detectives. Since its installation, the
Firearms Unit made 5,427 entries into the IBIS system that
resulted in 781 hits, or a 14.3% hit rate.
Trace Analysis
Technological advances have greatly affected the functionality of the laboratory. For instance, in the Trace Analysis Unit,
significant technological advancements have included the
use of digital microscope systems, digital photo microscopy,
and non-destructive methods of analysis. By utilizing nondestructive methods of analysis, evidence is able to be conserved for future analysis as well as the ability to re-analyze
a sample to insure the correct result was delivered. The unit
received its first digital microscope system in 2006.
I N N OVAT I O N
A digital microscope uses a camera and lens system to
magnify small objects and then photograph and archive
them. This system has revolutionized the way the laboratory
can image and examine small evidentiary items, and capture
those images with digital quality photographs. These digital
based microscopes and non-destructive analysis systems
were incorporated into the unit’s daily operation. This digital
microscope technology allows the laboratory to take these
small instruments into the field and capture microscopic images at crime scenes when necessary.
This new ability to respond to crime scenes provides results
to first responders in a matter of minutes. The microscopes
are now used in conjunction with non-destructive methods
of analysis to answer investigative questions while preserving limited evidentiary material. These high resolution digital
photographs of minute pieces of evidence can now be easily
transferred to investigators and utilized in the modern court
rooms at trial.
Technology - Fingerprints
The Reflective Ultra-Violet Imaging System (RUVIS) was first
used by the Latent Print Unit in 2005. The system uses ultraviolet rays to excite the molecules of certain components in
natural friction ridge skin residue, which can then be visualized through the scope prior to any powder or chemical development processing. This often allows for the photographic
capture of the most pure and accurate friction ridge detail
available from a deposited fingerprint. In multiple cases, the
RUVIS print detail was the only finger or palm print image
obtained that was of sufficient quality to use for comparison.
Traditional processing of the friction ridge detail can result in
loss of clarity and ridge “information.”
In 2005, an extremely useful integrated computer system,
digital capturing equipment, and software addition for the
unit, the Authenticated Digital Asset Management System
(ADAMS), was purchased using a Paul Coverdell Forensic
Science competitive grant.
tiary items and enhanced for better visibility. Many faintly developed print images that might have been useless in the past
have been able to be enhanced sufficiently to be able to use
for comparison. Additionally, high resolution and enlargement
capabilities of the equipment allow for better visualization
and documentation of an identification of a latent image to
a known print. The program records all enhancements made
to an image and will produce an “authenticated” qualification
on the final photograph product (or “compromised” if any
unauthorized actions were taken). This enhancement history
is added to the case file and is shared with the court system.
Combining the technological advancements within the Latent
Print Unit since 2000, a fingerprint image captured through
RUVIS, enhanced by ADAMS, and then searched through
AFIS, AFIX, or IAFIS has allowed for a significant number of
previously unknown suspects to be identified and prosecuted
that would never have been identified prior to 2000.
Crime Scene Investigations
During the last several years, the crime laboratory has modernized and improved crime scene investigations through an
aggressive training program. A more formal team approach
to crime scene processing was developed using modern
technologies to document and capture essential crime scene
features. A modern mobile crime laboratory was developed
using homeland security funds to act as a modular system
for the investigation of both routine and complex crimes
including incidents of terrorism or bombings. Funding of over
$500,000 from the Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI)
ensures that Denver is at the forefront of modern crime scene
processing and documentation technologies and training.
Part of these efforts include a more active role for forensic
imaging technologies using video and digital photo systems.
A leading edge system was implemented to analyze and
capture images and video from various sources from crime
scenes as well as H.A.L.O. video sources. Efforts are ongoing
to train specialized personnel to capture and analyze video
and photo systems.
This system program utilizes software in which friction ridge
detail can be scanned or photographed directly from eviden-
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Legislative Efforts
Not only has the bureau moved to become a fully integrated
and highly functioning laboratory, it has also worked to affect
the laws in Colorado as well as the community of Denver
whenever a need was identified.
Beginning in the fall of 2008, the Forensic Chemistry Unit
assisted the Denver Drug Strategy Commission by providing
drug information to the Denver epidemiology workgroup. By
providing information such as the variety of drugs encountered in the laboratory and the quantity of the different types
of narcotics analyzed, the commission was able to correlate
this information with treatment data to give an overview of
the drug usage in Denver and help the commission develop
prevention and treatment options.
Because the Forensic Chemistry Unit tracks and is actively
aware of the different trends in narcotic intake, the forensic
scientists assist the community through formal networking
and actively lobbying the legislative bodies in Colorado. In
2009, legislation was presented for the second time to the
Colorado House and Senate to control Benzylpiperazine,
or BZP, which is a schedule I substance under federal law.
BZP is comparable to methamphetamine, but has additional
hallucinogenic properties. A forensic scientist from the unit
appeared before the House and Senate to give expert testimony on the drug’s properties and the various incidents of
possession, including those by juveniles on school grounds.
House Bill 09-1157 successfully passed and was signed into
law on June 1st, 2009.
Additionally, a forensic scientist from the Forensic Chemistry Unit is a subject-matter expert and technical advisor
on marijuana for the law enforcement subcommittee of the
Colorado State Department of Revenue’s Medical Marijuana
Center Rules and Regulation Commission. This body was
formed after the passage of House Bill 10-1284 to publish
rules and regulations for medical marijuana centers. The
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scientist contributed to the twenty statutory rules that are to
be adopted, including the definition of marijuana plants for
medical purposes.
Katie’s Law (Colorado Senate Bill 09-241), requires law enforcement agencies to collect a DNA sample from adults who
are arrested for a felony, and went into effect on September
30th, 2010. Members of the laboratory testified before the
State Senate and the Denver Police Department lobbied for
passage of this law, which is expected to increase the number
of cases solved through CODIS.
Innovations
As a result of both the DNA cold case and burglary projects,
the first ‘John Doe’ DNA case filing was completed with the
Denver District Attorney’s Office to toll the statute of limitations on a burglary/indecent exposure case. A ‘John Doe’ filing
uses an unidentified perpetrator’s DNA profile rather than
a name, so that when a suspect is identified in the future,
the filing can be converted to a named individual. To date,
the Denver DA’s office has filed 164 John Doe cases with 55
converted to a named suspect through a subsequent DNA
database match.
The Denver Police Department DNA laboratory sparked a
national discussion and policy change regarding familial DNA
testing in 2006 that enables law enforcement agencies to
investigate partial DNA matches between possible biological relatives. Denver leads the nation in this research, and
in 2009 solved the first two cases through a familial DNA
investigation in the United States.
I N N OVAT I O N
New Crime Lab
The DPD directed members of the Department to work with
City planners and the Denver District Attorney to propose and
scope the needs for a new crime laboratory facility to serve
Denver’s needs for the next 25 to 50 years. This facility was
included on the November 2007 Better Denver bond initiative and passed with over 60% of the vote. The bond funds a
$39.2 million dollar facility that will be built on the north parking lot of the DPD headquarters campus and will be the first
crime laboratory built in Denver and in Colorado history. This
facility will be the most modern crime laboratory in the United
States and will have the capacity to double the investigative
support currently provided over time. The building is under
construction and is scheduled for completion in 2012.
VICTIM ASSISTANCE UNIT
While the Denver Police Department has maintained a fulltime dedicated Victim Assistance Unit (VAU) for more than
two decades, some of the most significant enhancements,
improvements and program implementations have occurred
in the past 11 years with significant emphasis and expansion
in the way of increased community partnership, collaboration, training and departmental integration occurring since
2005. Originally the VAU consisted of one full-time civilian
employee. In 2000 the VAU employed seven full-time employees and four contract employees. In 2010 the authorized
personnel strength included 12 full-time employees, eight
part-time employees, 10 Volunteers and one Senior Companion that serve approximately 12,000 victims, witnesses and
their family members annually.
On-Scene Response
Victim Specialists are on-call for on-scene response 24
hours a day, 365 days a year to provide crisis intervention,
psychological first-aid, resources and assistance to victims of
crime, victims of non-criminal stark misfortune (natural death,
suicide, vehicular fatality – critical but non-criminal events
requiring police response that result in trauma and crisis for
the affected individuals, families and communities). When
responding to scenes the focus for the VAU is to provide
an immediate sense of stability and predictability for those
affected by victimization so that they may be able to quickly
begin establishing a sense of safety and security while moving forward with their lives as well as their involvement with
the pursuing criminal investigation. The VAU is also responsible for providing all death notifications requested of the
Denver Police Department.
Offense Follow-Up
The VAU maintains office hours 365 days a year in the Police
Administration Building and also works regularly out of most of
the district stations throughout the City. A daily priority for the
VAU is initiating contact with the identified victims of the cases
assigned for investigation through the Crimes Against Persons
Bureau, some crimes investigated through the Pattern Crimes
Bureau and all of the property crimes involving elderly victims
investigated by the detectives at the district stations.
The VAU also works all fatalities and other serious cases
investigated through the Traffic Investigations Bureau.
The VAU receives the case assignments at the same time that
they are assigned to a detective and immediately initiates
contact with the victims to provide information and resources
that may assist them through the initial investigative steps as
well as providing immediate assistance related to the needs
that they may have involving their specific victimization and
its impact on their lives and families.
Program Development
and Expansion
In 2005, with the passing of the torch to a new VAU Director,
an emphasis involving the priority of victim-focused program evaluation, enhancement and implementation became
a priority for the VAU and the Department. In consultation with the International Association of Chiefs of Police
Research Center Director, DPD Investigations Division Chief
David A. Fisher, Jr. initiated a national search for a new VAU
Director with an emphasis placed on enhancing the VAU’s
commitment to community-focused partnership as well as
improved unit integration within the Investigations Division
and throughout the Department so that a fully collaborative, victim-centered approach would be achieved. In August
2005, Scott M. Snow was named as the acting VAU Director
and was hired into this position in February 2006 following the Department’s completion of a national search and
interview process.
Volunteer Victim Specialist Program
In 2005, working closely with the Volunteers In Policing Unit,
the VAU initiated its first Volunteer Victim Specialist Program. As a way to increase and maintain a connection to the
community and to allow for college students and citizens to
“give back” through assisting crime victims, a comprehensive
training program and curriculum was developed. Volunteer
recruitment and training schedules were initiated with the
area colleges and university semester and quarter schedules. Graduate and undergraduate students (primarily in the
areas of psychology, sociology, human services and criminal
justice) began fulfilling internship requirements while fulfilling
a commitment of service to crime victims, witnesses and their
families and assisting the department in maintaining a greater
connection with the community. All perspective volunteers
must complete the same comprehensive background check
and polygraph examination as a full-time employee and then
complete a forty plus hour classroom training phase before
then completing a multi-week on-scene training phase.
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Cold Case Victim Services
Witness Protection
In 2005, in conjunction with the emerging Cold Case Unit
being developed in the Criminal Investigations Division, the
need to maintain a victim-centered approach in the investigation of cold cases was identified and the VAU began developing procedures and policies that would allow for the integration of cold case investigative needs with dedicated victim
services. The result was the hiring of the first Cold Case
Victim Services Program Coordinator and the implementation
of the first full-time, law enforcement based Cold Case Victim
Services Program in the nation. Since its inception in 2005,
the VAU Cold Case Program has provided numerous statewide and national trainings involving emerging and promising
practices in the area of cold case victim services. Since 2005,
the VAU has assisted dozens of local, state and national law
enforcement and criminal justice agencies with the development of cold case victim services and procedures.
Beginning in 2005, the DPD directed members of the
department to explore enhanced services and assistance to
witnesses who may be in danger due to their cooperation
with a department investigation. Based on the nature of the
services and assistance likely resulting in these incidents, it
was determined that the VAU would be primarily responsible
for handling witness protection cases.
Senior Companion Program
In 2005 the VAU began exploring how to better serve senior
victims of crime. While a Senior Companion had been utilized in
the past, it had been many years since services and assistance to senior crime victims had been addressed in the VAU.
Through a partnership with Seniors, Inc. the VAU initiated a
more comprehensive Senior Companion Program in 2006.
Since that time our Senior Companion has been responsible for
initiating contact with all senior victims of all crimes assigned
to the VAU. In addition to assisting victims over the phone, our
Senior Companion provides regular transportation assistance
to and from medical appointments, grocery shopping and other
appointments that senior victims of crime might have.
Suicide & Natural Death Response
Understandably, some of the most traumatizing scenes
involve suicide and unexpected death. While the VAU was
regularly called-out to crime scenes involving these dynamics
and circumstances the majority of suicides and unexpected,
natural deaths did not receive a direct response from the VAU
prior to 2006. With the understanding that family members
may be extremely impacted the unexpected death of a loved
one, in 2006 the VAU initiated a policy and procedures, in
conjunction with the Denver Coroner’s Office and the DPD
Homicide Unit, that allowed for the VAU to provide timely
follow-up to family members that lost a loved one to suicide
or unexpected natural death.
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This was rather fortuitous as in 2006 the Colorado Legislature
passed the Javad Marshall-Fields & Vivian Wolfe Witness
Protection Program. From the beginning of this program
implementation the VAU began working closely with the
Denver District Attorney’s Special Projects Office and, collectively, developed and implemented the City and County of
Denver’s Witness Protection Program. Since that time the
Witness Protection Program has successfully relocated over
200 program participants and has worked to push the needs
and issues and limitations involving a local witness protection
program to the forefront of the U.S. Department of Justice.
The VAU and DA’s Office have provided numerous statewide trainings on this subject and have served on exploratory and advisory committees formed by the Colorado
Witness Protection Board. Training materials developed by
the VAU Director were used in the creation of the first
Colorado Peace Officer Standards & Training (P.O.S.T.)
Board training on this subject.
National Impact on Victim Services
In 2006 the International Association of Chiefs of Police
(IACP) conducted a search throughout the 17,000 + law
enforcement agencies in the United States in order to select
eight agencies to participate as validation sites for IACP /
Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) Enhancing Law Enforcement Response to Victims project. The Denver Police Department was selected as one of the eight validation sites and
began a multi-year partnership involving the development
and implementation of victim-centered philosophies and
strategies designed to create a sea-change in the operational
philosophies and practices of every law enforcement agency
in the nation. By the end of 2010, this project was continuing
to be implemented in law enforcement agencies around the
country and the VAU Director was selected and appointed to
the IACP’s Victim Services Committee.
I N N OVAT I O N
VAU / Patrol Domestic Violence
Response Project
In 2009, the VAU received a grant in the amount of
$286,323.00 administered through the Violence Against
Women Act and the American Reinvestment and Recovery
Act. The grant was awarded for the implementation of the
first of its kind, collaborative VAU & DPD Patrol response
to incidents of domestic violence. The project was piloted
in DPD District Three beginning on January 1, 2010, and
involved two, two-officer patrol cars and a Victim Specialist
answering all calls for service involving domestic violence
during project hours (21 hours per week) that corresponded
to the highest DV call for service times within the district
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE INITIATIVES
& STRATEGIES
Understanding that the dynamics involving domestic violence
are complicated for the victims as well as challenging and
resource-intensive for the department and additionally have
a significant impact on our communities and families, the
VAU has spent a considerable amount of time developing
enhanced, collaborative strategies as well as unique program
implementation to better serve victims of domestic violence.
Domestic Violence Triage Project
Beginning in 2005 several members of the Denver Police
Department’s Domestic Violence Investigations Unit (DVIU),
VAU, Denver City Attorney’s Office and Denver District Attorney’s Office began exploring the creation of a multi-disciplinary domestic violence case review process and project. In
2006, through a sizeable grant from the Office for Violence
Against Women, this exploratory idea became reality and
branched out to include community-based victim service
providers and other criminal justice professionals. Beginning
in 2006, members of the DVIU, VAU, City Attorney’s Office,
District Attorney’s Office, Project Safeguard, SafeHouse
Denver, the Denver Domestic Violence Coordinating Committee and AMEND began meeting every day (Mon – Fri) to
review every case of domestic violence (city-level as well as
state-level) charges to assess risk and safety concerns and
to provide enhanced, more collaborative and timely outreach
and services to the victims in these cases. Since its inception
the DV Triage Project has continued to evolve and expand
and has been held out as a national model of effective collaboration resulting in positive impacts on victims involved in
incidents of domestic violence.
The focus of this response model was to provide enhanced
scene investigations while at the same time providing immediate and thorough victim services. Additionally, project
officers and Victim Specialists conducted frequent warrant
sweeps to affect timely arrests of suspects who were wanted
on misdemeanor DV warrants.
Project personnel also provided regular home visits to previously identified domestic violence victims to ensure that they
felt supported by the Denver Police Department and to address any additional investigative or service needs that may
have developed since the initiation of the initial case.
Based on the successes of this initial pilot project, in 2010,
the Victim Assistance Unit was awarded a grant in the
amount of $143,569.00 through the State of Colorado’s
Division of Criminal Justice, Office for Victim Programs Crime
Victim Services Board. These funds will be used to expand
the VAU / Patrol DV Pilot Project and will allow this project
to go city-wide with a focus on responding to felony-level
incidents of domestic violence, affect timely warrant arrests
of suspects wanted on felony domestic violence warrants
and continue providing DV home visits to victims involved in
felony-level incidents of domestic violence.
Verizon HopeLine
Cell Phone Program
Beginning in 2010 the VAU initiated a no-cost contract with
the Verizon HopeLine Program that allows for full-use cell
phones to be provided to victims of domestic violence in cases
where they need a full-use cell phone for safety and ongoing
communication with investigators and service providers.
Of note, Verizon Wireless presented Whitman with the
HopeLine® Law Enforcement Partnership Award. The award
honors work by public safety individuals and organizations
to prevent domestic violence, educate communities and help
survivors rebuild their lives. The Vice President of Verizon’s national government sales and operations presented
the award to Chief Whitman, along with a $5,000 grant in
recognition of his contributions to SafeHouse Denver, the
only shelter in the City and County of Denver that exclusively
serves victims of domestic violence.
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Awards &
Recognition
The officers of the Denver Police Department do amazing and
heroic work every day and night. In fact, we make a difference
everyday. But on occasion, that work is so meritorious that it
deserves special mention. There are numerous awards presented
to officers by the department to recognize such behavior.
AWA R D S & R E CO G N I T I O N
DEPARTMENTAL RECOGNITION
AND AWARDS
OUTSTANDING VOLUNTEERS IN POLICING UNIT
The Denver Police Volunteers in Policing Program (VIPS) was
recognized at the 2006 International Association of Chief’s
of Police conference as one of three outstanding programs in
the United States and received the 2006 IACP Outstanding
Achievement in Law Enforcement Volunteer Program Award.
NORM EARLY JR. VICTIMS’ RIGHTS AWARD
Each year the Denver Center for Crime Victims honors an individual and business that have made a significant impact on the lives
of crime victims with the Norm Early Jr. Victims’ Rights Award. In
2006, the Denver Police Department’s Victim Assistance Unit
received the award and in 2008, Chief Whitman was the award
recipient.
QUARTERLY AWARDS CEREMONIES
A quarterly Awards Ceremony is held to present the member
with a certificate, ribbon, and medal for Purple Heart, Medal of
Honor, Medal of Valor, Distinguished Service Cross or Life Saving Award. Officers being awarded are in full uniform. At these
ceremonies, Career Service employees and Public Safety Cadets
may receive Life Saving Awards. The Denver Police Public Information Office prepares a press release synopsizing the meritorious acts and invites the media to attend.
EXPANDED AWARDS
The Denver Police Department understands the need to recognize the heroic and meritorious work of its employees. In the
last decade, the Department has expanded the range and type
of awards presented to more adequately recognize the great
work and sacrifice of sworn and Career Service employees of the
Police Department and the citizens who volunteer their work to
the Department. These new awards include:
STAR Award – STAR is for Superior Tactics and Response. It
is awarded to an individual who, through superior tactics, acts
to successfully resolve a critical incident, thereby promoting a
culture among the officers of safety and professionalism. A critical incident is any incident that is rapidly unfolding and dynamic,
where the suspect is armed and has the ability or intent to use
lethal force.
Leadership Award – The Leadership Award is awarded to an
individual in a command or supervisory position for a single or
series of incidents where the leadership and management actions were such that the successful outcome of the incident was
greatly influenced by the timely, accurate and decisive nature of
the individual’s actions, and these actions contributed significantly to the Department’s mission, vision and values.
Department Service Award – This award is given to an individual who, through personal initiative and ingenuity, develops a
program or plan (for non-leadership types of actions) which contributes significantly to the Department’s objectives and goals.
Community Service Award – This award is given to an
individual who, by virtue of sacrifice and expense of his of her
time, fosters or contributes to a valuable and successful program
in the area of community affairs, or who acts to substantially
improve police/community relations through contribution of time
and effort when not involved in an official capacity.
Outstanding Volunteer Award – Awarded by the Chief of
Police to an individual who, by virtue of sacrifice and expense of
his or her time, fosters or contributes to a valuable and successful program in the area of the Department’s mission, vision and
values, or who acts to substantially improve police/community
relations through contribution of time and effort when not
involved in an official capacity.
Family/Survivor Award – This small medallion is made available to the spouse/partner, children or parents of an officer killed
in the line of duty. It is limited to the immediate family members
of such officers. The purpose is to identify family members who
have lost loved ones in the daily war against crime. The recognition consists of a small medallion presented at the yearly Memorial Service held in May of each year with the permission of the
family member(s).
Family Member Award - Chief’s Citation – This award is made
available to acknowledge the important role played by the family
member of a sworn or non-sworn Department employee who has
encountered either a personal or job-related hardship or other
significant event. The award consists of a small medallion and
certificate signed by the requesting Department employee and
the Chief of Police.
Family Member Award - Officer’s Citation – This award is
made available to acknowledge the role played by the family member of a sworn or non-sworn department employee in
support of, or as an integral part of, the employee’s personal life,
which enables the employee to be a successful public servant.
Officer of the Year Award - This award is made available to an
officer who has represented the Department in all facets of law
enforcement with a commitment to excellence, in support of the
values of the organization, and a desire to represent the Department in the manner in which he or she was sworn.
This award is given annually to an individual officer, technician,
corporal, detective, sergeant, and command officer, or as determined by the Chief of Police. Any sworn officer of the Department can make nominations for an Officer of the Year Award,
directly to the Chief of Police.
The Officer of the Year Award consists of a plaque, certificate of
recognition, and a name tag including the year in which the officer
received the award. The recipient’s name is also included on a
plaque displayed in a prominent location in Police Headquarters.
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A DECADE OF ACHIEVEMENT
Career Service Authority Employee of the Year Award
– This award is made annually to an individual CSA employee
who has represented the Department in all facets of service
with a commitment to excellence, in support of the values of the
organization, and a desire to represent the Department in an
honorable manner.
Volunteer of the Year Award – This award is given annually
to any employee of the Department, or any citizen who has represented the Department, in all facets of service with a commitment to excellence, in support of the values of the organization
as a volunteer.
MEDALS
Since 2000, numerous men and women of the Denver Police
Department have completed countless acts of heroism, bravery
and dedication to serving the citizens of the City and County of
Denver. The following provides an overview of those officers who
have distinguished themselves through their commitment and
duty, and have received medals for their courage.
Medal of Honor
Forty-six Medals of Honor have been
awarded since 2000. The Medal of Honor is
awarded by the Chief of Police to members
who distinguish themselves conspicuously
by gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of
their lives above and beyond the call of duty.
There must be no margin of doubt or possibility of error in awarding this honor.
To justify the decoration, the actions must
clearly render the officer conspicuous by an act so outstanding
that it clearly distinguishes gallantry beyond the call of duty from
lesser forms of bravery.
A posthumous award may be made to a member who has lost his
life under conditions where he endangered himself in circumstances consistent with good police practices.
Medal of Valor
One hundred fifty four Medals of Valor have
been awarded since 2000. The Medal of Valor
is awarded by the Chief of Police to members
who distinguish themselves by extraordinary
heroism. The act or the execution of duty
must be performed in the presence of great
danger or at great personal risk, and must be
performed in such a manner as to render the individual highly
conspicuous in the police service.
Distinguished Service Cross
Three hundred sixty six Distinguished Service
Crosses have been awarded since 2000. The
Distinguished Service Cross is awarded by the
Chief of Police to members who are cited for
gallantry not warranting a Medal of Honor or
a Medal of Valor. The heroic act(s) performed
must render the individual conspicuous and well above the
standard expected.
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DENVER POLICE DEPARTMENT
Live Saving Award
Two hundred ninety eight Life
Saving Awards have been awarded
since 2000. The Life Saving Award
is awarded by the Chief of Police to members who, through
exceptional knowledge and behavior, perform a physical act
which saves the life of another person without endangering the
officer’s life.
Purple Heart
Fifteen Purple Hearts have been awarded
since 2000. The Purple Heart is awarded by
the Chief of Police to members who are killed,
seriously wounded, or seriously injured in the
performance of an official action.
GOLD DETECTIVE BADGES
The dictionary defines a detective as “somebody who investigates and gathers evidence about crimes or possible wrongdoing.” This is a very simple definition. Criminal investigation is a
complex business that requires professionals from a wide variety
of disciplines all working cooperatively toward a common goal.
The Denver Police Department utilizes a group of dedicated
individuals who take this responsibility very seriously. Detectives
are responsible for the complete and accurate documentation
of a crime scene, competent and in-depth
interviews, superior computer skills and
the ability to testify to the full investigation in court proceedings. Detectives
are the experts of criminal investigation
and their counsel, advice and expertise
is often sought by officers, supervisors
and commanders with questions ranging
from protocols and procedures of criminal
investigations, to assisting with interviews and the completion of
search warrants or other legal documents.
In 2002, the DPD began to recognize detectives with 10 years
of continuous service as a detective with a gold detective badge.
This badge is the official Denver Police Department badge, gold
with black lettering and a silver center seal. The purpose of
the silver center seal is to show their association to other detectives and separate them from the command staff. The word
“DETECTIVE” appears in lieu of the badge number. The Department provides the badge as a token of its appreciation for the
recipient’s dedication to this exacting position. The continuous
devotion and tenure of these outstanding individuals represent
the Denver Police Department at its highest standard. Recognition of this dedication is the Department’s way of thanking them
for an often thankless job.
The Denver Police Department has bestowed 76 gold badges so
far, and expects to have presented 145 by the end of 2013.
FIFTEEN
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The 21st Century
From the very dawn of the 21st century to the conclusion of its first
decade, the Denver Police Department has become one of the premier
police departments in America. All of the accomplishments, innovation,
and best practices listed here did not happen by accident; nor are they
the result of one person’s actions. They are a reflection of hundreds of
thousands of hours of talented, committed individuals who work in a
culture that expects excellence, and who benefit from leadership where
talent is rewarded and employees are provided the environment and
opportunity to thrive. As we head into a new decade, this commitment
and desire to lead and to emulate the best is as vibrant as ever.
A DECADE OF ACHIEVEMENT
Lord I ask for courage
Courage to face and
Conquer my own fears...
Courage to take me
Where others will not go...
I ask for strength
Strength of body to protect others
And strength of spirit to lead others...
I ask for dedication
Dedication to my job, to do it well
Dedication to my community
To keep it safe...
Give me Lord, concern
For others who trust me
And compassion for those who need me...
And please Lord
Through it all
Be at my side.
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A very special thank you to the Denver Police Foundation for its
continual support of the men and women of the Denver Police
Department and for making the Decade of Achievement possible.
Credits
Chief Gerald Whitman
Jane Prancan – Denver Police Foundation
Lieutenant Matthew Murray – Copywriting, Photography
Captain Bill Nagle – Research
Director Scott Snow – Research
Jay Marks – Copy Editing
James Chott – Graphic Design
Captain Eric Rubin – Photography
Michael Bush – Photography
Duane Pearson – Photography
Denver Post/Rocky Mountain News – Photography
Denver Metro Economic Development Corporation – Photography
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Denver Police Department
1331 CHEROKEE STREET
DENVER, COLORADO 80241
www.denvergov.org /police