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Under Pressure

Under Pressure

Under Pressure

A three-part examination of how policing has changed in Boulder as communities push for reform.
Commander Vinnie Montez socializes during a recent block party, hosted by the Boulder County Sheriff’s Office. He says interacting with the public when there is no emergency is an important part of his job.
Leigh Paterson
/
KUNC
Policing — and how to reform it — has been in the spotlight in communities across the country this past year. From COVID-19 to protests and reform legislation, many officers in Colorado have been dealing with compounding stressors since the start of the pandemic. In part one of Under Pressure, KUNC's Leigh Paterson looks at how these issues are impacting law enforcement in Boulder County.

Luz Galicia, a housing organizer for 9 to 5 Colorado, has been working with San Juan Del Centro residents to create a new residents' council and address safety concerns.
Scott Franz
/
KUNC
The fate of a Boulder apartment complex police once labeled as a “haven for criminal activity” could soon be altered by a police chief with more faith in data than patrols, a mother tired of living in fear when the sun goes down and a Hispanic officer who says his heritage is helping him gain the trust of residents. In part two of Under Pressure, KUNC's Scott Franz explores the question: how much policing is the right amount?

Like many other departments, the Boulder County Sheriff’s Office lost a significant number of deputies last year through resignations and early retirements.
Leigh Paterson
/
KUNC
During the pandemic and amid a national push to reform policing, some departments have lost officers and struggled to hire more. In part three of Under Pressure, KUNC's Leigh Paterson and Scott Franz report on why so many officers are getting out of policing, and what's being done to fill these vacancies.