Be safe. Stay Strong.
PAGE 6 | THE VILLAGER • July 16, 2020
GV bypassing part of police reform law Continued from page 1
I am totally comfortable betting on the officers and the leadership of the GV police department.” The resolution drew the attention of Colorado Governor Jared Polis, who said, about SB 20-217 which he signed into law on June 19, “it was designed to restore trust between communities and law enforcement…I’m confident communities across the state will follow it.” Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser weighed in on Twitter, saying, “This is wrong. We can’t let this stand.” State Rep. Leslie Herod, who sponsored Senate Bill 20217, said, “I’m wondering what message they’re sending to the citizens if they would allow an officer to act in bad faith and still have their back, no matter what. I think that’s completely inappropriate. I think it’s backwards looking and it’s not in the spirit of what we’re trying to do as a community moving forward.” Republican state Sen. Bob Gardner from Colorado Springs, who voted for the bill, is reported to have described the resolution as an “attempted end run” around the new law. State Rep. Meg Froelich, a former member of the GV city council, did not mince words. “Greenwood Village City Council could have passed
a resolution condemning racism, they could’ve passed a resolution supporting their police, they could’ve passed a resolution putting in additional training or bonuses for good policing. Instead GV City Council decided to void one of the most important parts of a bipartisan piece of legislation and make the statement that you can kneel on someone’s neck for 8 1/2 minutes in GV if you’re a police officer, the city’s taxpayers will pick up the tab,” she said. Even Cory Christensen, police chief of Steamboat Springs and president of the Colorado
ABOVE: GV had its parking lot and city hall building locked down tight with barricades and a snowplow truck, but that didn’t stop protesters from gathering there. No one from city government was visible or acknowledged the protesters. LEFT: Chris Coleman, a GV resident, came because he “thought it was outrageous to throw all the hard work to curb police violence in the trash” and he “wants people of color to feel safe in GV.”
Association of Chiefs of Police, told the Denver Post that GV’s resolution “doesn’t seem prudent to me, to be honest.” State Sen. Jeff Bridges, whose district includes Greenwood Village, spoke to The Villager after talking to GV City Manager John Jackson about the resolution. Said Bridges, “I understand that the GV city council had reason to believe that they’d lose officers if they didn’t do this, but the bill provides complete protec-
Protest organizer Cherry Creek High School (CCHS) senior Talia Richard-Lande (center), a GV resident, spoke to the crowd while fellow organizer and CCHS senior Ramsey Headrick (left) and Tay Anderson, Denver Public Schools Board of Education member looked on.
Photos by Freda Miklin
Protesters marched down Quebec Street.
to the community. We have had dash cameras for 20 years.” They explained the adoption of the resolution this way. “Seeing the lack of reasoned support by city councils throughout the country, one senior officer (in GV) has already determined that this risk in addition to his life was not one that he was willing to endure. Other officers who are also risking their lives on a day to day basis seeing municipalities who want to defund their efforts calls into question for them whether it is really worth protecting people who don’t want them. Other municipalities may have different cultures, training and problems that we do not face. We will not judge the efforts of other cities to do what they believe best for their citizens, but based on our workforce, our training and our culture, we do not believe
tion for officers who act legally. To overrule part of a bipartisan bill and say our police aren’t subject to the very same standard as every other officer in the state is deeply disturbing.” An official statement issued on July 9 by the city said that the This family came to protest “the GV city resolution was council’s decision to shield police liability not intended to from questionable activities,” though they “shield its police believe the police are “necessary for a safe from accountabil- society, but they must act properly.” ity,” since officers can be disciplined or terminated that the potential financial penat any time. They noted that alties of our police officers in “many of the items that the Greenwood Village will make state legislature included in SB any measurable difference in 20-217 have been in force for whether they will act in a proa long period of time in Green- fessional or criminal way.” wood Village. We already ban GV’s action continued to choke holds. We review every have repercussions a week after show of and use of force case it was taken. On July 13, the not only when deadly force is City of Westminster issued a used or there is a complaint but public statement clarifying that when any force is used even in- it intended to provide its officluding situations where a taser cers only the limited immunity may be drawn and not even prescribed under the police refired. We do not chase unless form law, after earlier stating it the chase involves a felony and would indemnify them “for any immediate threat to human life liability.” Fmiklin.villager@gmail.com that outweighs the greater risk
