Signatures submitted for Colorado initiative that would provide funding to law enforcement agencies

Advance Colorado Action submitted signatures to the secretary of state on July 31, 2024, for an initiative that would create a new law enforcement fund. If 124,238 signatures are found valid, the initiative will appear on the ballot on Nov. 5, 2024.

The initiative would direct the state legislature to appropriate $350 million to the newly created Peace Officer Training and Support Fund. This fund would provide money for law enforcement training, retention, and hiring, as well as for training surrounding the use of force. It would also provide death benefits for surviving spouses and children of officers or first responders killed in the line of duty.

The $350 million in funds would be distributed by the Colorado Department of Public Safety (CDPS). In Colorado, local law enforcement agencies are funded through county and municipal budgets, and the state legislature also appropriates funds within the Colorado State Patrol and Colorado Bureau of Investigation in the CDPS. The CDPS also provides grants and technical assistance to local law enforcement agencies.

In a state legislature analysis of the measure, a supporting argument of the initiative says, “Law enforcement is a critical and underfunded public need. This proposition funds law enforcement without raising taxes. The state has a vested interest in ensuring that local governments can recruit and retain the best police officers possible to protect Coloradans and their property. Recent legislation has increased costs to local police departments without providing any new funding to cover these costs. With additional funding, local governments can supplement current resources, which helps to improve public safety and foster trust within the community.”

An argument opposing the measure says, “No evidence exists to demonstrate that increased funding to law enforcement agencies has made communities safer. [The Proposition] directs the legislature to spend millions without considering local decisions about public safety needs or the state’s broader public safety obligations, such as funding for courts and correctional facilities. The proposition only funds law enforcement and does not fund alternatives to traditional policing, such as social workers or behavioral health professionals. The direction to spend more than 10 times the amount of recent state funding on traditional policing is an irresponsible use of taxpayer dollars.”

If at least 124,238 valid signatures were submitted for the initiative, it will appear on the ballot in November. Currently, there are 10 statewide measures on the 2024 ballot in Colorado. Three citizen initiatives were certified for the ballot, and six measures were referred by the state legislature.

Advance Colorado Action submitted signatures for three other initiatives targeting the November ballot. One initiative, which would limit property tax revenue to 4% growth annually and require voter approval to increase the revenue, has been certified for the ballot. Two other initiatives are pending signature verification— an initiative to reduce property tax rates and an initiative that would establish a constitutional right to school choice. The group describes its mission as “supporting policies that increase economic opportunity and greater government transparency.”