Our communities are hurting. They feel unsafe. And soon, we fear, there will be less we can do to protect them.
As law enforcement officers, our duties are to serve and protect our communities. The manifestation of this duty takes many forms. On Monday, March 22, for Boulder Police Officer Eric Talley, it meant rushing to a shooting that ultimately took 10 lives, including his own.
This is the reality of law enforcement. It is a dangerous, unpredictable job. Every day you hope for the best and prepare for the worst. Either way, you know your shift will likely include encountering someone who is having one of the worst days of their life. Parents missing a child, a driver involved in a tragic crash, families impacted by a senseless shooting …
Boulder law enforcement quickly realized the scene at King Soopers was extremely dangerous for a large number of people. The gunman posed a threat to people outside the store, inside the store and in the neighboring community. When the initial call for help came, it would have been impossible to know whether there was more than one shooter or whether he was acting alone.
It’s why law enforcement showed up in armored rescue vehicles. A patrol car is no match for a gunman, and an armored rescue vehicle was used to create a clear view into the store and provide necessary protection to the officers responding to the incident.
As multiple agencies responded, law enforcement had many objectives: safely evacuate customers and employees, keep anyone else from entering the scene and stop the shooter.
Serving and protecting. It’s why we do what we do. Yet protecting our communities during the pandemic has become increasingly difficult, a frustration felt not only by law enforcement officers but also by community members and crime victims. Our communities are experiencing unprecedented increases in violent and property crime. Consider this:
In 2020, Boulder violent crime increased by almost 17%, and property crime increased 27% from a year earlier.
Statewide, from 2014 to 2020, violent crime has increased 40 percent and homicides have nearly doubled.
We don’t know exactly why violent and property crime are increasing. It’s likely a number of factors are at play. Because we are seeing repeat offenders, we think relaxed arrest standards put in place during the pandemic are playing a role. These temporary standards limit who will go to jail in an attempt to reduce the spread of COVID-19. But it will take some time for criminal justice departments and data specialists to review and analyze the data in order to draw evidenced-based conclusions.
Yet, state lawmakers this legislative session are moving forward without this data and are considering numerous proposals that would make our communities and officers less safe. This legislation wrongly sends the message that there are no consequences for crimes and that we are not concerned with the safety of communities, crime victims, or our law enforcement officers.
Already bills have been introduced that would make it harder to arrest individuals for certain felonies and other offenses and would make school grounds and school activities a safe haven for all kinds of criminal and dangerous activities.
And reportedly, lawmakers also want to open up emergency radio communications to the public and limit law enforcement’s use of armored vehicles. This would fall on the heels not only of the Boulder shooting but also Colorado’s omnibus police reform bill passed last year, Senate Bill 20-217. SB 217 has not yet been fully implemented and still needs further clarification so law enforcement’s activities are uniform and aligned with the Legislature’s intent.
It is good and right to take an educated look to ensure our laws and policies are fair and just. But we can and should do that without sacrificing the safety of our communities and without creating more victims or re-victimizing those already affected by a crime.
Our communities are mourning. They want to feel safe. We want them to feel that way, too. After all, it’s our duty.
Steve Schulz is president of the Colorado Fraternal Order of Police. Larimer County Sheriff Justin Smith is chair of the County Sheriffs of Colorado’s legislative committee.
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April 01, 2021 at 07:08PM
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Opinion: Bills before legislature will make Coloradans less safe - The Denver Post
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