DENVER – The Denver Police Department is continuing to update its performance and transparency dashboards with the latest data on crime, calls for service and officer-involved shootings.
“One of my priorities was to increase public trust, and I realized that one of the key pathways to earning that public trust is through transparency. And so, I really wanted to be much more transparent about our performance. Many of these dashboards, I think, relate to our specific performance,” said Denver Police Chief Ron Thomas. “I really think what's important to you, you measure. And so, again, we are judging and monitoring our own performance and progress. And I think it's appropriate for people to be able to see that as well.”
For more than a year, several community groups have called on Denver PD to improve transparency.
“All of us who are members of the Citizen Oversight Board are completely committed to making sure that not only the Denver Police Department, but the Denver Sheriff's Department works in a very open and transparent way,” said Terrance Carroll, Denver Citizens Oversight Board member and former police officer. “Denver is way ahead of most agencies, not only in Colorado but nationally in terms of making that type of data available.”
Dr. Robert Davis, a leader of the Denver Task Force to Reimagine Policing, said he appreciates the dashboard and believes more information should be added.
“I appreciated that they were intentional in trying to give a complete picture of the areas that community is most concerned about, especially use-of-force,” Davis said. “I am concerned that there are some aspects of the use-of-force and the nature of the use-of-force that has not been made available. I hope that the Department of Safety will come back to the table.”
Thomas said he is open to the suggestion.
“We actually have worked with Together Colorado. So that's a community group that has actually held us accountable. We've had some very tough conversations with this particular group,” Thomas said. “They gave us some suggestions of some other things that they'd like to see made available, and we are certainly willing to hear from other community groups as to things that they'd like to see us make available to them.”
