Education

Denver Booted Police From Public Schools. Now, Many Want Them Back

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Several Denver mayoral candidates back returning police officers to Denver Public Schools after their removal in 2021, according to Axios Denver.

The Denver school board unanimously chose in 2020 to conclude the school district’s school resource officer contract with the Denver Police Department (DPD), transitioning such officers out of middle and high schools by June 2021, Chalkbeat Colorado reported. Four candidates in the Thursday Denver mayoral debate, including Democratic State Sen. Chris Hansen and City Council member Debbie Ortega, said they supported bringing back DPD officers as school resource officers, with candidates Kelly Brough and Mike Johnston saying they backed allowing schools to choose individually, according to Axios Denver.

#womenwholead #promiseofdenver #denvervotes #kellybroughformayor #mayorofdenver pic.twitter.com/55PUuIoFKp

— Kelly Brough (@KellyBroughDen) February 21, 2023

Colorado recorded roughly 15.4% more juvenile delinquency filings in fiscal year 2022 than during fiscal year 2021, its Division of Youth Services said. Two shootings happened close to Denver schools on Feb. 13, according to Chalkbeat Colorado.

The school board would have to reverse its previous reform, which Vice President Auon’tai “Tay” Anderson claimed he still stands by, according to the outlet. Denver Police Chief Ron Thomas would not argue that the district needs resource officers in schools again, saying, “I don’t know that that’s a place that we’ll ever go back to.”