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Today on Colorado Edition: We take a look at the mental health struggles often faced by law enforcement officers in Boulder County, and learn how the pandemic has exacerbated these problems. Then, we hear from Larimer County’s public heath director about the latest push to encourage residents to get vaccinated in light of a recent resurgence in COVID-19 cases.

According to a new FBI analysis, hate crimes across Colorado have reached their highest level in at least 30 years. And while this rise in hate crimes follows a national trend, Colorado saw an increase that far outpaced the rest of the country. Today on Colorado Edition, we spoke to Jeremy Shaver of the Mountain States Anti-Defamation League, a national group that aims to combat hate crimes. He helped us to understand the rise bias-motivated crimes and advised us on how to address this growing problem.

At schools across the state, everyone from students to administrators are dealing with the statewide rise in COVID-19 cases amid mask debates and a wide range of community vaccination rates.

Colorado hospitals are filling with COVID-19 patients again, and medical staff are feeling the stress. Some hospitals are seeing more COVID-19 patients now than this time last year. Dr. Michelle Barron is the senior medical director of infection prevention for UC Health, overseeing 13 hospitals across the state. Dr. Steven Loecke is the chief medical officer for Banner Fort Collins Medical Center and McKee Medical Center. We spoke with them about how staff are adjusting treatment plans to manage the latest surge.

Today on Colorado Edition: As the 20-year war in Afghanistan came to a close this week, American troops weren’t the only ones leaving. We hear about evacuations for Afghans who are escaping the ever-growing Taliban presence — specifically the effort to get one Colorado State University graduate out of the country. Then, we hear about the excess of patients filing into Colorado hospitals, and how doctors are navigating the delta variant surge.

In Larimer County, hospitals are hitting max capacity as COVID-19 and the Delta variant surge through the community. As a result, Public Health Director Tom Gonzales is encouraging residents to get vaccinated. He joins Colorado Edition to talk about what the pandemic is looking like there, and how his approach to combating the virus has evolved.

Today on Colorado Edition: We learn about the push for changes in policing — everything from sweeping reforms to the system, new ways officers can address their mental health, and steps residents are taking to feel safer in their communities. Then, we hear how Colorado renters and landlords are preparing for the first month in almost a year without a federal moratorium on evictions. Plus, we learn how the regional Anti-Defamation League is addressing an increase in hate crimes across the state.

Hiking can be daunting for Coloradans whose bodies are not thin, white or cisgender. Rachael Gareri of Broomfield felt like an outsider when she first started hiking in Colorado. So, she started the hiking group Fat Babes In The Wild to create a community for people who felt the same way.

On today’s episode of Colorado Edition, we hear about the city of Aurora’s new crisis intervention program. We also learn about new efforts to help plants and wildlife thrive in western Colorado’s wetlands, and we talk to a member of a hiking group that advocates for body diversity in the outdoors.

The city of Aurora launched a new crisis intervention program last month. The Aurora Mobile Response Team, under the city’s Division of Housing and Community, is sending unarmed, trained mental health professionals to respond to some emergency calls.