Wednesday, June 24, 2026, 10:30 a.m. (Denver time), City & County Building, Room 391
The Health and Safety Committee, chaired by Council Member Watson, received two briefings and took one consent item. Independent Monitor Castle presented the Office of the Independent Monitor's 2025 annual report, covering complaint, use-of-force, and discipline trends in DPD and DSD, timeliness problems in the disciplinary process, budget and staffing cuts, and concerns that recent Department of Safety directives (including the May 27 directive and the education-based discipline/development program) reduce accountability and were issued without consulting or notifying the OIM. Council members questioned the trends, asked what ordinance or charter language could strengthen the OIM's position, and pressed for more data and transparency. The newly elected chair of the Citizens Oversight Board then presented the COB's 2025 report, describing board activities, concerns about limited collaboration from the safety departments, OIM understaffing, and three requests of council: stay engaged, reinforce ordinance-mandated engagement, and require significant public safety changes to be discussed before implementation. No votes were read aloud in the transcript.
0:06 Welcome back to this weekly
0:08 meeting of the Health and
0:08 Safety Committee with Denver
0:14 City Council. Coverage of the
0:15 Health and Safety Committee.
0:18 This starts now.
0:24 Good morning and welcome to
0:25 Health and Safety Committee
0:28 meeting for Wednesday. JUNE
0:29 24th. My name is Daryl Watts.
0:31 I'm honored to be chair of the
0:31 Health and Safety Committee
0:32 has well as the city council
0:33 member representing all the
0:36 fine district 9 try one that's
0:37 biking to work today. Be with
0:41 the Safety Committee safety
0:43 first all I we 2 briefings
0:45 today and what I want consent.
0:47 Well, before we roll into the
0:48 agenda, don't we have
0:52 introductions? And sorry with
0:54 the gentleman to my left start
0:57 and finish focus on a good
0:59 morning. All cash from
0:59 something British Thanks for
1:00 being here, sir. And I didn't
1:05 morning. Diana Romero
1:05 PRESIDENT Protect. Good
1:06 Campbell, Southeast Denver
1:11 district 4. And right around
1:12 good morning. Jamie Torres was
1:16 Denver district All right.
1:18 Well, we have one chair. We
1:18 have 2 briefings this morning.
1:22 So want to turn over to
1:22 monitor castle for your
1:23 presentation on your annual
1:27 report. Thank you very much.
1:28 Good morning. Members of
1:31 council and community.
1:33 Different. Going to make a few
1:35 quick remarks. Thank you for
1:37 allowing and this opportunity
1:41 to review into are 2025 annual
1:45 report in 2025. And Chiefs,
1:46 several successes. The lamb
1:48 together with the ceo
1:50 community limited the scope of
1:51 the new program called
1:52 Education face discipline. But
1:55 later changed to development
1:56 which eliminates discipline
2:00 replaces it with training. In
2:02 2025. I am's hard work
2:03 together with director of
2:06 safety and most and outdated.
2:08 A directive was issued that
2:10 required an internal review
2:11 each suspected overdose
2:15 incident at the jail, allowing
2:17 the dsd the Department of
2:20 Safety and I to dig into facts
2:21 surrounding such overdoses,
2:25 including a review rounds.
2:27 Directive fortunately was
2:29 rescinded by Director Gardner
2:33 MAY 27th of this year. 2025 is
2:38 also challenging year for am.
2:39 Our budget continues to get
2:41 significantly cut and has been
2:43 pretty much so for the last 3
2:47 years and will continue to be
2:50 moving forward in 2027. We're
2:51 being asked to do more every
2:55 day with us. We had
2:57 significant turnover in 2025,
2:57 we were also subject city
3:02 audit. However, the biggest
3:03 challenge to oversight in
3:06 DECEMBER of 2024. With a
3:08 notice of a program called
3:11 ev-d and that continues
3:14 through today with the most
3:17 recent Department of Safety
3:18 Directive, 2, 2026 Dash, 0, 0,
3:23 1, Since DECEMBER of 2024, I
3:24 see a trend developing within
3:28 all branches of safety, which
3:30 minimizes or eliminates
3:30 accountability for officers
3:35 and deputies who violate
3:38 departmental rules. Eliminates
3:39 oversight and excludes the
3:39 transparency, eliminates
3:41 community for matters
3:42 regarding their safety at the
3:45 hands of law enforcement. This
3:48 trend potentially puts
3:49 community members, persons in
3:51 custody officers and deputies
3:53 at risk and maybe open the
3:54 city up to further liability
3:55 due to law enforcement
4:00 misconduct. After the death of
4:02 Paul tiles, the killing of
4:03 Paul Tiles, many promises were
4:06 made to the community. Those
4:07 promises were repeated again
4:10 after the deaths of Jessica
4:11 Hernandez, Michael Marshall,
4:13 victims of the George Floyd
4:18 Police police enforce and the
4:20 protests countless others. For
4:25 21 years now. Law enforcement
4:27 and the 00:01am, have worked
4:28 together to improve safety for
4:30 community members and
4:34 officers. These recent changes
4:37 from the Edd to Taser to the
4:39 new directive. But
4:40 specifically the most recent
4:43 to rectify Department of
4:45 Safety issued on MAY. 27
4:46 threatens to put Denver back
4:48 in the position it was in in
4:51 2003 with the killing of Paul
4:52 Childs and where the police
4:56 were policing themselves. And
4:57 will continue its commitment
4:59 oversight and work with the
5:01 department's to understand
5:03 their goals, collaborate and
5:06 consider changes that. Do not
5:07 minimize or eliminate the role
5:11 of for mandate. If we forget
5:13 the lessons of the past, we
5:15 are destined to repeat them.
5:18 Together. We must address this
5:20 recent trend and fight for the
5:21 oversight community demanded
5:28 and was promised. Moving on to
5:30 our 2025. The annual report on
5:31 MARCH 15th of 2020 for am
5:36 issued annual report. As a
5:38 reminder, the key ally
5:41 responsibilities include
5:42 monitor, make recommendations
5:43 on a complaint investigations
5:47 and disciplinary findings all
5:51 cases monitor officer-involved
5:53 shooting, an in-custody death
5:55 investigations make
5:56 recommendations for improving
5:57 policies, practices in
6:02 training, conduct outreach to
6:02 community and law enforcement
6:03 and cultivate community
6:04 member, officer dialogue
6:09 through mediation. There are 3
6:10 different sections the Office
6:14 of the Independent Monitor.
6:15 One is the monitoring section
6:17 that looks at the case is
6:19 individual living also
6:23 recommends a reviews
6:25 discipline, recommended
6:26 discipline. There is a policy,
6:26 section of our office and
6:29 there's an outreach section
6:32 regards to the monitoring
6:33 section the we're going to
6:35 talk about the number of
6:39 administrative complaint
6:40 investigations in 2025, there
6:44 were 415 dpd complaint
6:45 investigations and 623 d st
6:49 Complaint investigations. With
6:50 regards to critical incident
6:53 investigation monitored. There
6:55 were 11 tbt officer-involved
6:56 shooting. So whenever there's
6:57 a police shooting, we are
7:01 notified and we will
7:02 responding to interviews and
7:06 where the scene both. Actually
7:08 always attend the interviews
7:08 and sometimes tend go to the
7:14 scene as well. There were 3
7:15 during interactions with dpd
7:18 officers and 8 deaths while
7:20 ntsb custody or during
7:20 interactions. What do see?
7:23 Deputies outside the jails?
7:24 One of those as we know for
7:26 sure was of natural causes.
7:34 With regards to the goal
7:36 policy team, the policy team
7:38 conduct an analysis of trends
7:42 Regarding dpd complains dpd
7:42 and patterns in 2025.
7:47 uses of force dsd complains
7:47 and dst suspected overdoses in
7:53 the jails. In addition to
7:53 additional projects. Want to
7:55 talk a little bit right now
8:00 about pd complaint trends. One
8:01 trend that identify is
8:02 sustained community
8:04 complaints, complaints that
8:07 were sustained with at least
8:10 one specification fell from
8:17 18% in 2024. To 11% in 2025.
8:20 Specification duty to obey. It
8:24 was up to 68%. Which has
8:28 doubled over the last 4 years.
8:28 And that is significant
8:31 because particular
8:32 specifications on matter. And
8:33 it's like a charge that is a
8:40 violation of a rule. A through
8:41 f category. So runs the
8:42 complete cam and potential
8:48 discipline. Where the Matrix
8:50 was created, each rule
8:53 violation was assigned a
8:54 category, abc, and d all the
8:57 way up to half. And that was
9:00 tied in with the input of the
9:01 community, input of law
9:02 enforcement at team and all
9:04 the people 100 plus people who
9:06 came together to create the
9:07 Matrix, looked at every
9:09 violation unassigned in a
9:11 particular category. Most
9:12 categories are important
9:16 because they identify where in
9:18 the spectrum, the the
9:19 community law enforcement felt
9:21 that that violation should
9:24 fall by taking them out of
9:24 their specific category
9:27 violations and putting them
9:32 now duty to obey. They pay
9:35 sick leave reversed the Matrix
9:39 and allowed themselves now to
9:41 discipline officers however
9:46 they feel is appropriate. The
9:49 next thing is general or and
9:51 warrantless searches. General
9:53 rest directive specifications
9:58 are up to 12% in 2025. From 6%
10:02 in 2024, that's do warrantless
10:04 searches complaint,
10:07 warrantless searches complains
10:08 directive specifications, our
10:12 5% in 2025. From 0% in 2024.
10:15 And the reason that I
10:16 identified these 2 particular
10:16 trends is because these some
10:19 of the ones that are most
10:22 impactful on the community.
10:24 There are where you find
10:25 significant conflict with the
10:26 community and engagement with
10:30 the community and sometimes
10:31 instances can there can be
10:36 force. Both of specifications,
10:39 general arrest procedures
10:39 warrantless searches will be
10:40 eligible for education.
10:47 Development. With regards dpd
10:49 uses of force the trend that
10:52 we're seeing is in 2025. The
10:56 dpd recorded 73 use-of-force
10:58 policy directives. That's a
11:00 20% increase from the number
11:01 of use of force policy
11:04 directives recorded in 2024.
11:06 The number of community
11:07 complaints regarding the use
11:09 of force for tpd nearly
11:12 doubled from 34 in 2024 to 67
11:16 in 2025, even while internal
11:21 complaints for use of force
11:22 decreased significantly from
11:31 24 2. 2025, excuse me in 2024.
11:36 To 6 in 2025. So we're seeing
11:38 more complains about use of
11:39 force from communities, but
11:40 we're seeing less internal
11:45 complains about such force.
11:48 With regards to dsd complaints
11:51 the trends that we're seeing
11:54 our community persons in
11:55 custody, complaints for about
12:00 25% from 2024. Internal
12:01 complaints are up. 22 1% from
12:06 2024. Body-worn camera
12:07 directive violations remain
12:09 consistent with previous years
12:12 3 years. We have not seen the
12:13 body-worn camera numbers move
12:18 any significant way. Failure
12:22 to make required 3, 2, 3%, in
12:24 2025. From one percent in
12:27 2024. And 0% to 2 years
12:30 before. So we're seeing an
12:34 escalation and failure make
12:34 required grounds data and
12:36 technology governance
12:38 department border, which
12:41 covers phone's ringing in your
12:45 phone the jail, which is
12:47 misuse of the laptop or
12:49 computer violations. Is up to
12:55 80%, which is job from in
12:59 2022, they were at 3% in 23,
13:00 2% 24 6%. So we're seeing
13:05 we're seeing that escalation.
13:08 See complaints John Front to
13:12 3% in 25 from one percent. And
13:20 24 0% in 23. 22. The reason I
13:22 identify these particular
13:23 trends, especially is in light
13:26 of the Directv os directive
13:29 issued by direct Director
13:30 Gardner. Bringing attention to
13:32 them because they are all the
13:36 subject on new directive which
13:37 will eliminate accountability
13:42 for these offenses. Unless
13:46 maybe there's harm that is not
13:49 clear Indians instead of
13:50 addressing So instead of
13:51 addressing the body-worn
13:54 camera issue, the failure to
13:55 do rounds the bringing in the
13:58 cell phones, the Eels c
14:03 complains instead, what they
14:04 have is have put in the hands
14:08 of supervisors at the jail and
14:10 then the direct to further
14:10 eliminate notice to the ball
14:13 one of these offenses
14:15 preventing us from reviewing
14:16 them, giving them put on
14:18 investigations or discipline
14:19 and preventing us from
14:20 reporting to the community
14:26 about them. I cannot stress
14:28 You must reads and directed
14:30 the only way we might see some
14:31 of these is that harm occurs
14:34 Harlem, a curse. 2 inmates are
14:36 deputies. Is too late. That is
14:41 not the time to address it.
14:42 This will put persons in
14:45 custody. Deputies that risk
14:47 and the city risk a further
14:52 financial With regards to
14:54 suspected overdoses in the
14:55 jail suspected overdoses
14:57 continue to be a significant
14:57 issue within our jail with
15:02 many just wrong. The United
15:05 States there were recently in
15:06 2025. Us and the Cain and
15:07 deaths in jail. One was of
15:08 natural causes. But this this
15:13 number very concerning. The
15:18 only a m will is looking into
15:19 if there's any relation
15:19 between tribes in the jail and
15:22 that s in jail, investigations
15:23 usually take some time because
15:24 we need to wait for autopsy
15:27 reports to confirm whether or
15:32 not it was overdose. However,
15:35 the number overdoses continue
15:35 or alleged overdoses were
15:40 Narcan is he's continue to be
15:41 concerning. The land will
15:45 follow with the community. And
15:45 once we are able provide
15:49 further information. Research
15:52 into dpd education makes
15:53 development proposal in 2025.
16:00 People I am. Was advise that
16:02 the department was going to
16:02 move forward with education
16:04 based development without
16:09 notifying or informing I am.
16:13 And that that help was put to
16:14 that and Abd fundamentally
16:16 changes the current discipline
16:21 system in 2025. Policy
16:22 teamwork, predominantly on
16:24 education base disciplines.
16:25 Last development. This
16:27 research, this included
16:28 research presentation to city
16:32 Council and community and also
16:34 pro. We proposed 3 iterations
16:36 of recommendations to the
16:38 department as of yesterday, I
16:42 was notified. Ebd has begun.
16:46 With regards recommendations
16:50 about tpd esg policies.
16:52 Significant portion of I am's
16:53 policy related work is
16:56 dedicated to conducting
16:59 comprehensive reviews of dpd
17:00 and dst policies to identify
17:03 opportunities recommendations
17:08 in 2025. Policy team conducted
17:11 thorough line by line or use
17:14 28 policies including 17 dpd
17:18 policies and 11 tst policies.
17:19 Assistance to the Denver
17:23 honored her with I am audit I
17:26 the way I was on a hit by the
17:27 city auditor and 2025, it was
17:31 a yearlong process. The policy
17:32 team spent significant time
17:33 and effort assisting that
17:34 Denver auditor's office with
17:37 yearlong audit process, which
17:39 include preparation of over
17:41 500 documents, hours of
17:44 meetings with the team
17:45 preparing our response
17:48 creating a list policy
17:53 projects engaged in by I am
17:53 between 2018 2025 that list is
17:56 available in our report.
18:00 Appendix ii. And finally. In
18:04 addition to all of the policy
18:06 team put together published
18:07 our semi-annual and annual
18:09 reports.
18:20 I am an outreach. Well, as far
18:21 outreach, attended 222
18:23 meetings with community
18:25 members, 103 outreach with
18:27 members of law enforcement.
18:30 Our Youth Outreach Project,