Coronavirus: 21 Members of Denver Public Safety Have Tested Positive

The city isn't revealing agency names for the individuals in question.

April 2, 2020

The Denver Police Department, the Denver Fire Department and the Denver Sheriff Department are three major agencies within the city's Department of Public Safety. denvergov.org

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Another indication of how quickly COVID-19 is spreading in the Mile High City: According to the Joint Information Center, which has been handling communication about the ongoing outbreak, 21 people working for Denver's Department of Public Safety have tested positive for the virus.

This information was shared by the JIC's Kelli Christensen in response to email questions from Westword about whether any members of the Denver Police Department, Denver Fire Department or Denver Sheriff Department, all of which operate under the Department of Public Safety umbrella, have confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus.

We also inquired as to whether any sheriff's office personnel who may have tested positive work in Denver jails, where fears about COVID-19 infections are high given the close living conditions typical of incarcerated individuals. In recent days, Governor Jared Polis issued a list of safety recommendations related to such facilities.

Christensen's response: "As of yesterday, the Department of Public Safety had 21 staff members who have tested positive for COVID-19. Due to patient privacy, we are not releasing breakdowns by department or by work location."

In a followup, we asked if any of the 21 infected staffers were in isolation, hospitalized or in critical condition. To that, Christensen wrote, "They are all following the advice of the medical professionals caring for them. We will not be releasing any additional information at this time."

Michael Roberts began his career with Westword in 1990 as music editor. In 1999, he took on a new role, full-time media reporter, as author of a column called The Message. In 2008, he became the lead writer for Westword's news blog, The Latest Word, a position he held until January 2023. Michael continues to freelance for Westword, covering everything from business to sports and the media; he also contributes to Jazziz, a national music magazine. He holds a bachelor's degree from what is now Colorado Mesa University and master's degrees from the University of California, Los Angeles, and Northwestern University.

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