Former female Denver cops: Don’t enroll in police academy

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Former mayoral candidate Lisa Calderon joined former Denver policewomen Thursday to encourage potential recruits not to sign up for the upcoming Denver Police Academy for women.

“Despite the rhetoric they use to recruit women, the Denver Police Department has proven over and over that it is not a safe workplace for women,” said Lisa Calderón, now executive director of Women Uprising, an organization dedicated to increasing progressive women’s political power, in a news release. The news release also stated “former Sgt. Carla Havard, who was DPD’s highest-ranking Black woman officer, was forced to resign after raising concerns about a hostile work environment.”

Havard, Calderon and other women appeared in a video interview with independent journalist Jeff Fard that appears on his Facebook page. “The Department should not turn a blind eye to the racial and gender inequity occurring at all levels. Women are the future of law enforcement. DPD needs to change from a culture of discrimination and retaliation rooted in gender and racial bias,” Havard said in the news release. She recently filed a federal lawsuit against the City and County of Denver and the Denver Police Department, alleging First Amendment violations, discrimination, and retaliation, according to the Denver Gazette.

“DPD officials for years ignored a pattern of disturbing behavior by an officer who sexually harassed me after I reported a crime,” stated “TC” in the news release. She said she did not want her full name used out of fear for her safety. “After initially ignoring my complaint— and then mischaracterizing our relationship as consensual, they gave him a two-day suspension.”

Besides warning future female recruits to steer clear of the Denver Police Department, the women said institutional changes are needed in DPD, the public safety department, and the city attorney’s office to address “the systemic discrimination, retaliation, and sexual harassment against women,” the news release stated.

Denver Police issue statement

The Denver Police Department issued the following statement to the author of this article:

“The Denver Police Department remains unwaveringly committed to increasing diversity and equity within its ranks and supporting officers of all races and genders. The Department is disappointed to hear that there are efforts to dissuade women from joining DPD, thus making it less diverse. That message is counterintuitive to an inclusive and progressive department, and the community and DPD know that a law enforcement agency can best thrive and provide public safety services when it reflects those it serves. Attendance for the Women’s Community Academy is in high demand and allows for valuable connections, and the Department is looking forward to the positive engagement at their Women’s Community Academy this weekend.

“The Denver Police Department has implemented a great number of initiatives to improve internal and external equity practices. They include implementing many trainings and policies within the department. Those include:

1. The creation of the DPD Diversity and Support Bureau

2. Racial and Social Justice Academy

3. A number of community academies. These involve community members sharing their perspectives and experiences with DPD. This creates a learning environment and positive interaction for officers and residents. These academies include a Spanish-speaking Community Academy, Women’s Community Academy and Youth Community Academy. These community academies lead to several attendees joining DPD

4. Creation of the Women’s Collective

5. 30 by 30 – A nationwide recruiting initiative with the goal of having at least 30% of DPD officers be female by the year 2030.

6. Instituting respectful workplace training

7. Working with the Mayor’s Office of Social Equity and Innovation to develop an Equity Action Plan

8. Continuing the LGBTQ+ liaison program for internal and external outreach, which has received national accreditation

9. Creation of an Asian Community Outreach Hotline to help communicate issues within that community

10. Providing ABLE (Active Bystander for Law Enforcement) training to all officers.

11. Creating the Before the Blue and Beyond the Badge orientation program for new recruit officers with the goal of exposing the recruits to the experiences, concerns, and expectations of those whom they will serve and increasing productive connections with the community.

12. Created a mentorship program

13. Submitted and received a childcare stipend grant to assist with childcare challenges and better support employees.”

Calderon calls on council, mayor to take action

Calderon also called on the female-majority Denver City Council to act. “I’m speaking to you all,” she said. “The men who head these agencies already have proven that they are not going to address the institutional, systemic and pervasive misogyny within these departments. So, we’re asking you to do something to hold them accountable.”

She pleaded with Mayor Mike Johnston to “make it right,” saying, “You have the power and authority to resolve these cases instead of continuing to traumatize and persecute these women who are brave enough to talk about these situations. And again, it isn’t just the Denver Police Department, it is across all public safety agencies.”

Calderon said a famous saying of Denver Public Safety Director Armando Saldate “is that he’ll listen to anybody. We don’t need you to keep listening. We need you to do something and we need you to not continue to recruit women in knowing that when they complain they have a target on their back.”