Denver Mayor Mike Johnston, in a bid to build trust and prevent crime in Denver communities, announced the Denver Police Department will begin so-called “trust patrols” that can be requested by local businesses and events or sent to specific locations.
While the main goal of this effort is to build trust in communities by increasing officer presence, Johnston said officers will go a step beyond — getting out of their patrol cars and talking with people about what’s working and what’s not face-to-face.
The “Trust Patrols Initiative” has not been fully implemented as yet, according to a spokesperson at the Denver Police Department, but the department has been piloting the idea since June. As of Tuesday, a "Request a Cop - Trust Patrol" button has been added in the community engagement tab of the police department's webpage.
Police officers and officials took part in conversations with communities throughout the city in order to guide the development of the program, and this was taken in stride with feedback from legacy businesses. Results suggested that people want to see more foot patrols and “informal interactions."
“Survey results indicate most people want to see officers more frequently in their neighborhoods,” DPD's Director of Communications Doug Schepman said. “Trust Patrols will be 10-to-20 minute conversations with the goal of discussing safety, sharing crime prevention tips, and getting to better know one another.”
And while Denver police try to keep a presence in neighborhoods for familiarity, they don't have time for "proactive patrols," since so much time is spent on enforcement, Schepman said. The trust patrols will focus on community outreach and engagement and "align with community policing strategies that have been used for many years."
Survey results cited by Denver Police appear to fall in line with a poll previously reported by The Denver Gazette. The poll found a majority of Denverites want to see more officers on the streets and in the department.
Police staffing was also an issue on the campaign trail and in Johnston's 2024 budget he committed to hiring 167 police officers. However, a report by The Denver Gazette found DPD struggles to recruit police officers despite high salaries. The force had 1,515 officers, including new recruits, as of April 10 — which is 92% of its authorized strength, according to published reports.
And matters were not helped when Johnston sought $42 million in budget cuts to fund an ongoing response to an illegal immigration crisis. The Denver Police Department had to cut $8.4 million, less than 2% of its budget. City officials insisted there would be no impact to public-facing services, including no fewer officers on streets.
While recruitment is not the primary goal of the trust patrols, if someone chooses to serve with DPD after a positive interaction, “that would be a tremendous outcome,” Schepman said.
“The primary objective is to increase trust and connections with those we serve,” he said. “The department believes there could be benefits for officers with job satisfaction through having opportunities to engage with community members not only when the community members are experiencing a difficult or traumatic situation.”
Metrics, that is, measuring success of the patrols, are still being developed. The department already uses a SPIDR Tech survey for most interactions, and surveys appear to be a likely tool for patrols.
Regarding other public safety matters, Johnston said the city has “aggressively targeted auto theft” using license-plate readers and other measures. He also celebrated a new safety office which, despite having the support of Department of Public Safety Director Armando Saldate, was created without a strategic vision in place.
But the goal of trust patrols is to develop a sense of safety, something Denver residents sorely lacked according to a June survey. This is a not-so-subtle goal of the patrols, and part of a larger city strategy.
“Often when we talk about public safety people think of crime, but the opposite of crime is not safety, the opposite of crime is joy,” he said. “We have launched an ambitious plan to make Denver the safest big city in America. ... We have held community meetings in every council district to listen to residents about what our neighborhoods need, and the feedback is clear that safety is about more than police work.”
Major aspects of safety include social work, economic development, educational work, street lighting, “arts activation” and summer jobs for kids, Johnston said, citing the community meetings. The focus on children is especially urgent, as Denver’s kids are committing fewer, but more violent crimes, according to previous reporting by The Denver Gazette.
But Johnston has a plan in place involving two direct investments. One totals $1 million and the other offering a $500,000 grant to neighborhoods. The third program is a city-run service that gathers all youth serving programs and puts them under one roof, offering a “one stop shop” for parents citywide, Johnston said.
“We started by putting 700 young people to work this summer through our Mayor’s YouthWorks program,” he said, highlighting three programs he announced in May.
All told, the expected cost of the three programs is $1.7 million, according to the city of Denver. The city council later approved the spending in mid-June.
Beyond these efforts, the mayor announced 25 community events and "pop-ups" he said will “bring joy and vibrancy to streets that could otherwise be dark and dangerous.”
It is unclear how much they will cost or whether they will have the intended effects, but Johnston was optimistic at the State of the City address Monday at the Paramount Theatre.
“After a dark decade where Denver had the highest violent crime increases of any city in America, our strategies are already making a difference,” he said.
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