DENVER (KDVR) — A community-based task force has officially submitted more than 100 recommendations to city officials on how to create a newly imagined police force. Inclusion, anti-racism and a non-violent approach are all at the heart of The Denver Task Force to Reimagine Policing and Public Safety.
Task force members joined residents at a rally Monday afternoon outside the Denver City and County Building to call for change.
“We are making the demands that you implement these strategies,” said speaker Abron Arrington of Second Chance Center.
The strategies are laid out in a report that is the product of a year-long effort born in the aftermath of the death of George Floyd.
“We are here today because of a senseless murder.” Said Dr. Robert Davis, project coordinator of the task force.
The five strategies are:
- Empowering the community with resources to address socioeconomic needs and provide for their own public safety.
- Minimize unnecessary interaction of law enforcement.
- Support successful community reentry of those who were incarcerated.
- Healing the community from the harm of policing.
- More independent oversight to improve accountability and training.
“We’re here today to present this full comprehensive package to Denver City Council and to our mayor,” said Xochitl Gaytan, co-chair of the Colorado Latino Forum and member of the task force.
Of the 112 recommendations, members made clear that they are demanding all be adopted. Some of those demands include ending homeless sweeps, building up unarmed non-law enforcement response teams, deprioritizing enforcement against sex workers and creating amnesty events to clear certain warrants and expunge certain offenses. The group is also calling for mandatory routine mental health support for police officers and a stronger Office of the Independent Monitor.
Mayor Hancock said he is reviewing the recommendations to ensure voices are heard and represented. He plans to get the job done through a new Denver law enforcement policy division.
There is no publicly available timeline on how long the change will take or what the change might look like. FOX31 reached out to the union representing Denver police officers for comment on this story. A response was not provided.