Weekend Denver Area Crime Surge Brings New Questions About Law Enforcement Staffing Shortages
DENVER (CBS4) – After a weekend of violent crimes that peppered Denver and Aurora communities, and a recent surge in violent crimes nationwide, the White House has suggested using federal funding to try and increase the amount of police being hired throughout the country.
During a media briefing at The White House on Monday, President Joe Biden said he believed hiring more officers would help address the surge in crime that has taken place since the start of the pandemic.
"I made it clear we should use these funds to combat violent crime as well as hiring additional police officers, investing in community violence interventions and improving the working communities," Biden said.
Several Denver metro police departments are currently experiencing a staffing shortage. Some, like Aurora Police, have been strained so significantly that they are having to redirect some units back into patrol duties.
Stacey Hervey, an affiliate professor at Metropolitan State University of Denver, teaches criminal justice at both the collegiate and high school levels.
"There's a decrease in students who want to do what we think of when we think of criminal justice, which is a patrol officer," Hervey told CBS4's Dillon Thomas.
Hervey said the national narrative around policing in recent years, especially following the controversial murder of George Floyd, has made the job less attractive to many young people. The protests, as well as Colorado's police accountability law, also caused a spike in officers either quitting or retiring in fear that their spur-of-the-moment decisions would result in criminal punishments or lawsuits.
Hervey said the law had many positive attributes, but it also had a negative impact in that it scared away many experienced and reliable police officers.
"I love policing. I love criminal justice. I don't know if I would tell my own children to go into the field of patrol right now. It is a tough position to be in," Hervey said.
Hervey said the president's proposal to invest in hiring more officers won't completely address the issue. She said the nation also needs to invest in studies around recidivism, while also adjusting and revising accountability through the courts.
On top of that, Hervey said hiring more people from more diverse backgrounds is one of the greatest ways to even out the swing of the pendulum between crime control and due process.
"There are so many different reasons that crimes are committed. So, to think that you can put more patrol officers out there and crime will be reduced, it sounds good to the public. But, I don't think it really solves the problem of why crime is increasing."
Following the publication of this story, Lakewood police shared the following statement:
"There is no secret that over the last few years recruiting has been a challenge for almost all employers, but we still continue to see a lot of great people stepping up to be part of our agency. Would we like more? Of course. We are working to hire our "homegrown" Lakewood and Jefferson County based residents, as it is our residents who have that vested interest in protecting their city, serving their neighbors and being the enforcers who can hold criminals accountable."