DJP IS ADVOCATING TO STRENGTHEN THE OFFICE OF THE INDEPENDENT MONITOR
READ OUR COALITION LETTER TO MAYOR JOHNSTON
September 9, 2026
The Honorable Mike Johnston
Mayor of the City and County of Denver
Re: Preserving Denver’s Commitment to Independent Civilian Oversight
Dear Mayor Johnston,
Denver has reached an important crossroads in public safety. We, the undersigned, are deeply concerned that transparent accountability through civilian oversight for law enforcement is threatened. Recent public safety initiatives, including the Denver Police Department’s Education-Based Development (EBD) policy and Executive Director Directive 2026-001 governing the Denver Sheriff Department, threaten the system created and supported by the greater community.
Although different in design, the Denver Police Department’s EBD policy and Executive Director Directive 2026-001 move in the same direction: both create alternative processes for addressing misconduct that reduce independent oversight while concentrating greater discretion within the agencies being overseen.
We acknowledge Executive Director of Safety Al Gardner’s commitment to pause Directive 2026-001 following sustained concerns from the Office of the Independent Monitor (OIM), Citizen Oversight Board (COB), community organizations, and Denver residents. A pause, however, is meaningful only if it is used for genuine examination and community dialogue—not simply to delay implementation of a predetermined outcome.
Denver’s oversight system was built over decades through community advocacy, public leadership, and the votes of Denver residents Stakeholders united to create the Use of Force Policy, the Discipline Matrix, the OIM, and the COB. Time and again, voters have chosen to strengthen—not weaken—the OIM and COB. This history represents a clear public mandate for transparency and accountability and should guide how Denver addresses any proposed changes to law enforcement accountability, no matter the issues that a change is said to address….
THE PROBLEMS
WHAT CAN YOU DO?
We are at a critical moment in Denver. We have the opportunity to strengthen independent oversight of the Denver Police Department and Denver Sheriff’s Department or risk a significant rollback of years of community advocacy and policy wins that incorporated the Office of the Independent Monitor into the public safety ecosystem in Denver.
