Evan Semón
Audio By Carbonatix
Denver is at a crossroads. Mayor Mike Johnston’s nomination of Al Gardner as Executive Director of Public Safety comes at a pivotal moment when our city is deciding what kind of public-safety system it wants for the future. The choice before us is simple: Will we settle for a political appointment lacking the qualifications to lead, or will we insist on experienced, accountable leadership capable of protecting both safety and civil liberties?
The Department of Public Safety is not an ordinary agency. It oversees the police, sheriff (jails), fire, 9-1-1, community corrections, and violence-prevention offices. These institutions touch nearly every Denver resident, often in the most urgent and vulnerable moments of their lives. This work demands someone with proven operational command experience in law enforcement, fire or corrections — not someone whose background is in technology and business operations.
Mr. Gardner’s service on oversight and advisory boards — the Citizens Oversight Board, Civil Service Commission, and police and sheriff advisory committees — has value, but it is no substitute for operational leadership. Offering recommendations is not the same as commanding officers in a crisis, overseeing a correctional facility, or leading first responders in an emergency. Denver deserves more than boardroom experience when lives are on the line.
We need only look to Gardner’s predecessor, Armando Saldate III, to understand what’s at stake. Saldate came to Denver with a wealth of experience from the Phoenix Police Department, the FBI and the Denver Sheriff Department. Yet even with that background, the Department of Public Safety faced serious challenges under his leadership. If someone with decades of law enforcement experience struggled, how much more tumultuous will things become under someone with none?
This concern extends beyond Denver. At the national level, the Trump administration is rolling back civil liberties, promoting aggressive surveillance, and advancing policies that resemble a police state. At the same time, here in Denver, the City has shown a troubling willingness to reduce accountability for police misconduct and to weaken the role of the Independent Monitor through Education-Based Development. The Mayor has rolled back psychological evaluation requirements for new police recruits, and the adoption of FLOCK surveillance technology — continued in opposition to Denver City Council’s vote —threatens to hand sensitive data about Denver residents to federal agencies and law enforcement in other states. In this climate, cities like ours cannot afford untested and inexperienced leadership. We need someone strong enough to stand up to federal overreach and local rollbacks alike—someone who can both ensure safety and defend the rights of our residents.
The path forward is clear. City council should reject this nomination and insist on a transparent, community-inclusive process to select a qualified leader. Denver deserves an Executive Director of Public Safety with both the technical knowledge and lived expertise to guide these critical institutions responsibly. Our city must not only protect its people — it must also protect the freedoms and values that make Denver strong.
The stakes could not be higher. Competent, experienced leadership is not optional; it is essential. Denver must demand nothing less.
Dr. Robert L. Davis is chair of the Denver Task Force to Reimagine Policing and Public Safety.