🧭 My Vision
I believe that a safe community is one where everyone feels protected and valued. For Denver, this includes working with law enforcement to ensure transparency and accountability to our communities, as well as investing in community-based programs that address the root causes of crime.
In the long term, we need to address the systemic issues that contribute to crime, such as lack of affordable housing, wages that have not kept up with inflation, and lack of resources for youth. While property crime, substance abuse, and car theft are serious issues and residents are rightfully concerned, criminalization alone is not the answer. We need to work towards real solutions that address the root causes of crime and promote equity and justice for everyone in our community.
💡I Will Lead To Bring
🚓 Law Enforcement
- Increase police staffing to 100% from 90% by creating incentives to attract high-quality, diverse candidates with culture training effectively service Denver.
- Expand the Support Team Assisted Response (STAR) Program to deal with issues related to mental health, homelessness, and substance abuse without involving the police.
- Lobby the state to make car theft a felony again.
- Create a policy to increase the waiting period for gun purchases in the city.
🏘️ Community Engagement
- Work with neighborhoods, community organizers, and activists to increase awareness about crime prevention and participation in events.
- Expand access to services like rental assistance & low-cost legal representation in eviction cases by partnering with area nonprofits providing these services.
- Invest in after-school programs, mental health care, and job opportunities for our youth, prioritizing areas of Denver that have historically lacked this support.
🏫 Address Systemic Drivers of Crime
- Partner with housing and criminal justice agencies to connect formerly incarcerated people with housing and services and break the homelessness-jail cycle.
- End Denver’s costly and ineffective policy of encampment sweeps, reducing unnecessary interactions with the unhoused and freeing up resources to respond to property crimes and emergencies in progress.