Denver Police Department Releases Revised Use-of-Force Policy

Today, August 3, the Denver Police Department emailed its new use of force policy to the committee that has spent countless hours revising it, and Westword received a copy.

By Ana Campbell

August 3, 2018

Image: DPD Chief Paul Pazen will implement the new use-of-force policy.

DPD Chief Paul Pazen will implement the new use-of-force policy. Kenzie Bruce

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Today, August 3, the Denver Police Department emailed its new use-of-force policy to the committee that has spent countless hours revising it. Chief Paul Pazen, who will oversee its implementation, sent the document to members before a meeting on Monday in which the department will formally present it to the committee. Westword received a copy of the new policy, which is attached below.

"Thank you all for your efforts to assist the Denver Police Department with the new Use of Force policy," Pazen wrote in the email to committee members. "Attached is a lot of hard work designed to create a strong and progressive UOF policy.

"I believe we found common ground on some of the unresolved issues i.e. 'officers must use only the amount of force reasonable and necessary under the totality of the circumstances to safely accomplish a lawful purpose,'” he continued.

The document, which will instruct police officers on how to use force, has been the subject of much debate since Chief Robert White, Pazen's predecessor, released his version of the revised policy last January. But White quickly rescinded it after the Office of the Independent Monitor publicly coerced him into involving more community input and more clearly defining certain aspects of the policy. Heated community meetings and White's retirement further delayed its June release.

Check back at westword.com/news next week for more on the the policy.

UOF Files - 8-3-18 - Watermark3 by Ana Campbell on Scribd

Ana Campbell has been Westword's managing editor since 2016. She has worked at magazines and newspapers around the country, picking up a few awards along the way for her writing and editing. She grew up in south Texas.

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