We talked with The Colorado Sun editor David Krause this week about an anticipated new state report on police use of force.
Krause told KUNC the push for tracking use of force caught momentum on the heels of nationwide protests following the murder of George Floyd. Law enforcement agencies are now also required to have body-worn cameras on all officers.
“In 2020, and again in 2021, Governor Polis signed into law some new measures,” Krause said. “Under the reforms, there's going to be a new report that comes out every year on use of force.”
There will also be an online dashboard with details about police officers involved in use of force incidents.
“About 270 law enforcement agencies in Colorado are going to send in data on incidents where officers use force,” Krause said. “They'll include information on deadly police encounters and police officer resignations while under investigations for violations.”
Law enforcement agencies have already started submitting data to the state on a monthly basis.
“The agencies have got to send in an officer's name, along with any officers who are at the scene, even if they didn't use any kind of reportable force in the situation,” Krause said. “The state is going to publish a page that lists the police agency, the date, officers’ names and the type of force that was used.”
The new dashboard will be similar to the current police officer standards and training dashboard. The public can check officers’ certifications and any action that's been filed against them.
The state report on use of force that this new dashboard is supposed to be based on is past due, however, and the dashboard is also late to launch. The original deadline spelled out in the legislation was July 31.
Krause told KUNC The Colorado Sun spoke to the Department of Public Safety about the holdup. Officials cited “unexpected challenges” that have delayed the release of the report and dashboard, such as training needs, technology issues and "terminology education." The report and dashboard are now expected to be released this fall.
