Public law enforcement complaints drop
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Public complaints against Denver's law enforcement agencies are falling, according to a report by the city's civilian watchdog agency.
The big picture: Community complaints dropped 16% for Denver police and 37% for sheriffs during the first half of 2024 compared with the same period in 2023, per a semiannual report issued last month by the Office of the Independent Monitor (OIM).
Context: The OIM oversees public and internal complaints made about Denver police and sheriffs, and it provides policy and disciplinary recommendations.
Between the lines: The reports says it's unclear why complaints lessened, though it's probably welcome news for two agencies trying to attract recruits.
State of play: Changes in policy, practices and training can be a factor, while media coverage and changes in types of complaints can also influence the total, per the report.
Threat level: The most common complaint for DPD involved incidents like unconstitutional search and seizure, improper handling of evidence, and officers failing to follow department rules about body worn cameras (BWC).
- Denver police logged 146 public complaints so far this year, down from 173 during the same span in 2023.
The majority of internal complaints from Denver sheriffs deputies concern the use of BWC, which the agency has struggled to implement.
Zoom in: While the Sheriff Department collected 19 fewer internal complaints and 55 fewer from the public and inmates, 40% were for disobedience of rules.
- It's a designation the report says is connected to body-worn camera policy violations. (Wearing cameras became a requirement for sheriffs last year.)
What they're saying: Public safety executive director Armando Saldate tells us his office is working to improve training for sheriffs to ensure better compliance, including asking the City Attorney's Office to help with instruction.
The intrigue: The sheriff department's low staffing levels could also contribute to poor training outcomes.
- Saldate says it can be harder to pull someone from duty when there are fewer options to replace that deputy's shift.