Message from the Executive Director
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it’s already the end of September and with it came the 18th anniversary of the worst terror attack in the United States. For the many families and first responders who were impacted on that terrible day, we pause to remember and acknowledge their sacrifice. May we never forget.
As always, there has been a lot happening in the world of Public Safety. I’d like to start by thanking Sheriff Patrick Firman. After four years with the Denver Sheriff Department and almost 30 years in law enforcement, he has decided to move on to the next stage in his career. Under his leadership, DSD completed many reform efforts including implementing a new use of force policy centered on de-escalation, a new Data Science Unit and the creation of a citizen Sheriff Advisory Board. His last day with the Department will be October 14.
The Mayor has named Fran Gomez as the interim Sheriff. She is currently the Director of Professional Standards at DSD and has a long history in law enforcement. She began her career as a Denver Sheriff Deputy, and also served as the first female commander in the Aurora Police Department and deputy chief at Commerce City Police Department. Fran is currently working alongside Sheriff Firman and will assume all leadership responsibilities once she is sworn in. She has already been meeting with staff and collecting feedback on what they would like to see in their next leader. Combining feedback from staff with community input my office will help to collect, I will present the findings to the Mayor in January 2020.
Other Public Safety items making news include the upcoming changes to our Community Corrections program. As you might know, City Council voted to stop doing business with two of our halfway house providers, GEO Group and CoreCivic, due to their parent companies’ connections with ICE and immigrant detention. This decision will have a major impact on how the future of Community Corrections looks in Denver. An advisory group has been convened that includes experts in the industry on a state and local level, along with community members and former community corrections clients to address these issue and work towards alternate options. I’d like to recognize Greg Mauro, Director of Community Corrections, and his team for their tireless work on this effort and on behalf of the clients Community Corrections serves.
Finally, as I’ve mentioned in previous newsletters, the mental health and well-being of our staff is of utmost concern to me. All our safety staff work in a field where stress and anxiety are a routine part of every workday. We have a number of wellness resources in place to assist with these challenges including counselors, yoga classes and physical therapy. Keep an eye out for a survey in the coming weeks where we’ll be asking for your feedback on any additional services we can offer that will better support you to do your jobs. And, remember, if you find yourself or someone you care about in a crisis, please call or text the Colorado Crisis Line at 844-493-8255 or text TALK to 38255 for immediate and confidential assistance.
May God bless you and keep you safe.
Troy
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Public Safety Agencies Support National Night Out
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August 6 marked the annual celebration of National Night Out (NNO) and Denver’s Public Safety agencies were out in full force. Founded in 1984, NNO is celebrated across the nation to provide an opportunity for communities to stand together as a unified front to promote safety.
In Denver, NNO is a part of the city’s annual Denver Days – a citywide initiative designed to foster neighborhood camaraderie by providing tools and services that can be used to promote community gatherings.
Thank you to everyone who helped make this year’s NNO events a success!
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Department of Public Safety Graduations
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Denver Fire Celebrates Recruit Class 2019-2
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On August 8, Denver Fire welcomed 24 new recruits into the department with a continuation ceremony celebrating their transition from the academy into probationary firefighters.
Congratulations!
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Kevin Apuron
Jamal Bagley
Robert Bartlett
Steven Blickenstaff
Jairo Carrillo
Eric Daninger
Nick Di Annie
William Gates
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Sierra Green
Michael Guenther
Christian Herrera
Clinton Maas
Gabriel Mamigonian
Zachary Mamigonian
Bryson Marquez
Michael Milar
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Derrick Ross
Sarah Rossi
Austin Sorenson
Troy Spahn
Bradford Stone
Brandon Suazo
Steven Tafoya
Sean Urbshot
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Denver 9-1-1 Welcomes Five New Team Members
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Denver 9-1-1 celebrated the graduation of three emergency communication technicians and two police dispatchers on July 12. Welcome to the team!
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Josee Giron
Susan Ha
Cara McDearmont
Joshua Gropper
Anyssa Martinez
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DSD Preparing to Open Jail Specifically Designed for Female Inmates
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After a remodel of floors six and seven, the Denver Sheriff Department (DSD) is preparing to open Building 24 in the coming months. Located within the County Jail on Smith Road, females in our care will be housed in a space specifically designed for them.
Experts from within and outside of DSD worked together to ensure a gender-responsive and trauma-informed design for women spending time in jail. Some of the gender specific design includes side-by-side beds, furniture and exercise equipment geared towards women and softer color palettes.
Building 24 has 336 beds and will be fully operational 30 days after the building is turned over to the Sheriff Department. The women that are currently in long-term housing at the County Jail will relocate to Building 24 at that time. There are a small number of women that will remain at the Downtown Detention Center while moving through the intake process.
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Public Safety Partners with We Don’t Waste on Food Pilot Program
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As a part of the Denver Opportunity Index (DOI), we announced a new partnership with We Don’t Waste, a non-profit who collects unused food products and redistributes to those in need. They will provide non-perishable food products to DPD’s Citywide Impact Team and the Homeless Outreach Team, who will be able to distribute to residents they interact with who are experiencing food insecurity. The food will help meet the person’s immediate need and Denver Human Services provided information on how to access resources to meet their ongoing needs including food pantry locations and how to access SNAP benefits.
Click
here
to see the CBS4 story.
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Meet the Public Safety Finance Team
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The Department of Public Safety’s Financial Services team is charged with providing financial services and customer support to the Denver Sheriff Department, Denver 9-1-1, Community Corrections, Public Safety Youth Programs, GRID and the Executive Director’s office. Under the supervision of Mark Valentine, Financial Manager, the team of six manages a combined budget of $216M. Last year they paid more than 4,086 invoices and set up 322 purchase requisitions. Members of the financial services team include:
- Dale Noland, Senior Accountant
- Laura Brown, Senior Accountant
- Kathi Martinez, Senior Accountant and Team Lead
- Jennifer Guyer, Staff Accountant
- Thu Lee, Associate Accountant
- Angel Ortiz, Purchase Tech
The team recently used their Public Safety volunteer hours to work with Project Angel Heart, a non-profit organization that delivers meals to people who are home-bound. They decorated approximately 200 bags that are used to deliver these meals.
In addition to leading the finance team, Mark was recently selected to serve on the Advisory Board of the Denver Employee Retirement Plan (DERP). Congratulations!
We will be introducing some of our Public Safety teams in upcoming newsletters. If you’d like to see your team profiled, please send a note to
publicsafety@denvergov.org
.
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GRID Hosts Strategic Planning Workshop to Reduce Gang Violence in Denver
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GRID hosted a two-day summit in Denver earlier this month to bring together leaders across the state to discuss the successes and challenges in the city’s collective effort to reduce gang violence. Almost 200 people attended the workshop and heard from a number of speakers, including:
- Dr. David Pyrooz, University of Colorado, on effective gang intervention and the gang disengagement process
- Jeff Russell, ATF Supervising Special Agent, on innovation in addressing Denver gun violence
- Paul Callanan, GRID Director, on Denver’s violence reduction framework
- Sergeant Damon Bowser, Denver Police, on Denver’s gang trends
Participants were invited to participate in breakout sessions aimed at improving and updating the gang response in Denver. Participants worked with facilitators to discuss suppression, intervention, prevention, victim support and the role of faith-based organizations.
Recommendations from the breakout sessions will be compiled by GRID and presented to Public Safety leadership to help inform future efforts at reducing gang violence in Denver.
Thank you to everyone who participated in this important work and an extra special thank you to Public Safety's Senior Advisor Sherry Jackson, who worked tirelessly on planning and implementing this event.
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Open Enrollment for 2020 is October 7 – 31, 2019
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During open enrollment, employees can elect new benefits or make changes to existing benefits. All changes will be effective January 1, 2020. Benefits expos are happening across the city. Below are a few that are scheduled for Public Safety facilities. Additional expo locations and 2020 benefit options can be viewed on the benefits
webpage
.
Tuesday, October 1
- Denver County Jail, Staff Lounge, 9:00 – 11:30 AM
Thursday, October 3
- Denver Crime Lab, Community Room, 10:30 AM – 12:30 PM
- Downtown Detention Center – Muster Room, A Side. 1:00 – 3:00 PM
Friday, October 4
- Denver Police District 3, Community Room, 12:30 – 2:30 PM
Monday, October 7
- Denver 9-1-1 Lunch Room, 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Friday, October 11
- Denver 9-1-1 Lunch Room, 3:00 – 4:00 PM
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There has been an increase in
hepatitis A
(hep A) cases being diagnosed in Denver, including some in the Denver jails. Hep A is a disease of the liver that is associated with living in close quarters without access to sanitation and can be spread through contaminated food and water. The major impact of this illness is being seen in our Denver residents who have been or are currently experiencing homelessness or substance abuse issues. As we know many of our Public Safety staff work with this population and we want you to be aware of your options.
If you believe you have been exposed to Hep A or are experiencing symptoms such as fatigue, low appetite, abdominal pain/nausea, cola-colored urine, clay colored stool and/or yellowing of the skin and eyes, please contact the 24/7 OUCH line at 303-436-6824. A blood test will confirm a hep A diagnosis.
Practicing good hygiene such as thorough hand washing can help prevent the spread of the disease. There is also a two-part vaccine available that can protect you from contracting hep A. If you have not been previously vaccinated or you were vaccinated more than 20 years ago, it is available as a free preventative care benefit through the city’s health insurance plans. Any questions or concerns about the vaccines should be directed to your primary care physician.
For all plans:
Be prepared to show your insurance card prior to receiving your vaccine. There should be no co-payment or cost, and you should not need an appointment. If you have any questions or difficulties, Safety HR can assist you regarding insurance coverage and access.
For Kaiser members:
You can walk into any Kaiser facility and speak to the check-in desk to request a vaccine. You may want to reach out to your primary care provider or the
kp.org
text chat in advance to confirm the vaccine is available at your preferred location.
For United Healthcare members:
You can walk into any Walgreen’s clinic or King Soopers Little Clinic to receive a vaccine.
For DHMP members:
You can walk into any Denver Health facility or Walgreen’s clinic to receive a vaccine.
If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Safety HR at 720-913- 6741 or Rene Macias, our liaison with Risk Management at 720-913-6651.
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Mayor Michael Hancock submitted his 2020 spending plan to City Council on September 9. The $1.49 billion budget reflects years of fiscal strength, protects Denver’s prosperity and prepares the city as the economy begins to show signs of moderating. Each department has the opportunity to present the details of their budget to City Council through a series of budget hearings. Highlights from Public Safety’s 2020 budget proposal includes:
- Increased coverage for pretrial to ensure 24/7 coverage to ensure inmates are released from jail as quickly as possible
- Four outreach workers for GRID to continue a study with the University of Colorado on the effectiveness of the gang intervention case management model
- Increase in authorized strength in Denver Police to work towards reducing average response time to below 10 minutes.
- An expansion of Denver Fire’s med unit model to address low acuity medical calls within the downtown Denver corridor
- Body cameras for the Denver Sheriff Department in the intake area, one of the most dangerous areas of the Downtown Detention Center (DDC).
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Fire Service Behavioral Health Symposium Hosted by Denver Fire
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Denver Fire hosted the first of its kind symposium on behavioral health for firefighters in September. DFD is regarded as a leader in mental health awareness, services and developing best practices for firefighters and first responders.
More than 300 first responders attended the symposium to discuss what departments are doing to address struggles with depression, anxiety, suicidal thoughts and other issues prevalent in first responders across the country. The takeaways included placing a bigger emphasis on spotting symptoms of depression in firefighters early and giving them anonymous platforms to reach out for help.
While the symposium was specifically geared towards firefighters, any first responder can text “BADGE” to 741741 to talk to a crisis counselor. The Department of Public Safety also offers resources free of charge to all of our staff members who may need assistance managing the stress and anxiety of their work.
Click here for details
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We are excited to announce the formation of the new NCIC Division under Public Safety. The new division will unify the two existing units in DPD and DSD into one division. The goal of this unification will be to improve efficiencies and reduce redundancies to assist in improving processing times for jail admission and releases, which as of January 1, 2020, will be regulated by law. Everyone in these two units has worked hard for their agencies and we look forward to seeing how service delivery can be enhanced when they are joined into one division in November.
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Wellness: The Benefits of Yoga
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Yoga is an ancient practice and meditation technique that has become increasingly popular for its physical and mental health benefits. The goal during yoga practice is to challenge yourself physically and to use your breath to maintain focus. Some of the benefits of yoga include increased strength and flexibility, improved breathing and mental clarity and better balance and sleep habits.
Public Safety offers free yoga classes to staff in a few locations downtown. It’s a great way to manage stress and take a short break to focus on yourself. If you have suggestions for additional locations, please reach out to
Emily Lauck
, Public Safety’s wellness coordinator.
Denver Crime Lab
Tuesdays 3:45 – 4:30 PM
Thursdays 7:00 – 8:00 AM
Downtown Detention Center
Tuesdays 2 PM & 2:40 PM
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Our Safety Newsletter is distributed bi-monthly. If you have something you’d like to include in a future issue, please send an email to
PublicSafety@denvergov.org
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