Denver voters will decide if noncitizens can apply for firefighter and police department jobs

On Monday, the Denver City Council, on a unanimous vote, decided to leave it up to voters in November to decide if the city will remove its citizenship requirement for police and fire department jobs. The proposed amendment to the Charter of the City and County of Denver to remove the requirement has been a conversation both city leaders and agencies have engaged in since last year. 

According to a 2022 national survey by the group Police Executive Research Forum, new officer hiring decreased by nearly 4% from year to year. At the same time, retirements and resignations surged.

The shortages have led to longer response times, burnout and even cutting back on patrols and other law enforcement strategies.

In Denver, non-citizens who qualify for the job can already apply and work for the Denver Sheriff Department and for other roles in the city and county.

This comes after the city settled a lawsuit in 2016 with the U.S. Justice Department regarding citizenship requirements for the Sheriff Department, finding it was in violation of the Immigration and Nationality Act.

Then, last year, a state law passed allowing DACA recipients in Colorado to possess firearms and serve as police officers, signifying a shift towards greater inclusivity. Cities like Aurora and Boulder have already been behind this effort. 

Denver City Councilwoman Jamie Torres of District 3 says this is an effort to diversify the agencies.

"This is not a lowering of the standard, it is actually one: erasing unemployment discrimination and two: diversifying our department," said Torres. 

It's all in the hands of voters come November, to allow noncitizen residents to apply for a job with the Denver Fire Department or the Denver Police Department.

Torres wants people to understand what non-citizen means.

"Noncitizen means legal permanent residents, green card holders, DACA recipients, it means folks who may be on long-term parole," said Torres. 

However, this does not apply to recent arrivals.

"If you are undocumented, if you are among those who recently arrived from Venezuela and you have not received asylum, then you don't qualify for this particular opportunity," said Torres. 

It all comes down to giving those who live and work in the country legally an equal opportunity.

Denver City Council President Amanda Sandoval says if this passes, it will be a great opportunity for many of those who desire to serve in their city.

"We worked on the bill forever, and that's a huge deal for DACA recipients. They're part of our community and we just want to make sure they feel welcomed in this space," said Sandoval. 

A list of nonprofits and agencies have been in support of the initiative since last year. That includes Denver's Civil Service Commission and a letter by both Fire Chief Desmond Fulton and Police Chief Ron Thomas.

"I am happy to see that this is going to the voters because I do think that it certainly has the potential to help us with our recruiting efforts and it will certainly help us be reflective of the community we serve," said Thomas.

Both the Denver Fire Department and Denver Police Department say they're near full employment, however, DPD is hoping this could be helpful in overall recruiting and retention efforts.

"Getting people to stay with us through the lengthy process has been a challenge and we are continuing to work ... to enhance our ability to get people through the process," said Thomas, "So they can serve their community." 

The goal overall goal remains to reduce employment discrimination, while also assisting with recruitment and retention issues.

Denver voters can expect this on their ballots on Nov. 5.