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House panel OKs police oversight bills

Would reform Colorado police procedures after national incidents
Demonstrators observe a moment of silence in Denver in November 2014, after a grand jury in Ferguson, Missouri, decided not to charge police officer Darren Wilson in the shooting death of Michael Brown. Colorado lawmakers are debating a package of bills aimed at bringing police reforms to the state.

DENVER – Colorado lawmakers Tuesday advanced part of a package of bills aimed at bringing police reforms to the state.

The measures come amid outcries and national turmoil after incidents in Ferguson, Missouri, and Staten Island, New York, where grand juries did not indict white police officers in the deaths of unarmed black men.

The bills run the gamut, including encouraging police departments to use body cameras, clarifying that officers are not allowed to stop the public from recording police incidents, requiring a court to dismiss charges that are based on an unlawful order and expanding police training across the state.

After nearly nine hours of testimony, the hearing ended with the body-camera and training bills passing unanimously. Both bills move to the Appropriations Committee.

The measure concerning unlawful orders just squeaked through, with a 7-6 vote that saw four Democrats and three Republicans supporting the measure.

The bill addressing recording police incidents was delayed after police interests raised concerns over punitive damages. Rep. Joe Salazar, D-Thornton, said he would work on a compromise.

“Public confidence in our police agencies is low,” said Rep. Angela Williams, D-Denver, a co-sponsor of the body cameras and training bills. “Without public support, the difficulty of the job of law enforcement becomes even harder. ... The state House of Representatives came together to rebuild trust between the community and law enforcement.”

Law enforcement seemed supportive of the reform effort when several of the bills were unveiled earlier this month. But after reviewing details, members of the law-enforcement community became concerned.

The Colorado Association of Chiefs of Police worries about punitive damages for prohibiting people from recording police incidents. They point out that the First Amendment already allows citizens to tape incidents occurring in a public space.

Law enforcement also expressed concerns with a study group that would be created to implement guidelines on using body cameras. Issues such as when the cameras would need to be on and how much information would need to be stored remains uncertain.

There is also anxiety from police officials on expanding training, suggesting that lawmakers should take additional input from the law-enforcement world. And on the unlawful orders proposal, police officials and district attorneys said sponsors were addressing an issue that already has a remedy through the courts, suggesting that there is not a problem that needs to be addressed.

Some people, however, offered emotional, tearful stories of frightening threats and actions stemming from police encounters. Some lawmakers sitting on the committee also told stories of having to grapple with unwarranted traffic stops simply for being black or Latino.

Lawmakers are addressing concerns through amendments, though the fate of several of the law-enforcement bills remains uncertain.

The bills debated Tuesday are part of a larger package of 10 bills aiming to address concerns amid a national wave.

Several of the reform bills have bipartisan support.

Three other bills already have seen support in the Senate, including measures that would allow law-enforcement agencies to access personnel information on an officer who is applying for a job, requiring agencies to provide demographic information in officer-involved shooting incidents and directing law-enforcement agencies to develop policies for reviewing officer-involved shootings.

Three additional measures in the package have not yet had hearings and are more controversial. Those measures include allowing a judge to require a special prosecutor to handle cases involving serious police misconduct, adding new categories to prohibit profiling and banning the use of chokeholds.

For now, community, civil-rights and police-watchdog groups are hopeful that positive steps are being taken.

“These issues are real and impact not only the person who is being stopped but also their families,” testified Lisa Calderón, co-chairwoman of the Colorado Latino Forum. “It’s refreshing to hear the acknowledgment that there is a problem that we are at a crossroads on and have an opportunity with addressing today.”

pmarcus@durangoherald.com



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