Veterans of law enforcement shared that recent directives from the Denver Police Department tie the hands of law enforcement who put their lives on the line for their communities.
Michael Letts, a 30-year police veteran and founder of InVest USA, a nonprofit that donates chest protection gear to state and local police departments, spoke to Fox News Digital about the Denver Police Department’s new directive.
Under the new policy, Denver police officers will not stop drivers for minor traffic violations that don’t pose an immediate threat to public safety, such as broken taillights or window tint or window tags.
“It can be frustrating for our members on the street to be told how to do their job by someone who has no idea how the job works or what they’re doing,” Letts said.
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Michael Letts, a 30-year police veteran and founder of InVest USA, said Denver’s decision to end low-level traffic enforcement came about because it was having problems recruiting and retaining officers. (Xinhua/Mark Piscotty via Getty Images/File)
Letts said Denver’s decision to eliminate low-level traffic enforcement came about because the city was having problems recruiting and retaining officers.
“We’ve had some great ideas come out of Denver that are hard to come by in terms of ordinances to ensure adequate police protection and public protection and the safety that comes with it,” he said, “but they’re not addressing the real problem.”
“Frankly, the real problem is we’re not paying our police officers in the first place. We’re struggling to pay them what they need,” he said. “We all know police officers aren’t going to retire as millionaires. We accept that. The reality is, the vast majority of police officers want to serve the public. They’re not going to make a dime out of it.”
“They get a lot of satisfaction, they get a lot of satisfaction out of it, so much so that they’re willing to put their lives on the line every day and that’s part of the job,” he said.
Republicans have doubled down on their election messaging about crime and support for law enforcement. (Getty Images/File)
Letts said events over the past few decades have created a “catastrophe” affecting law enforcement.
“Several factors have come together to create what I call a perfect storm. First of all, the mainstream media has created a perception that policing is a bad job,” he said. “The perception is that police are full of bad people, that they’re racists, that they’re bullies.”
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“This has been going on for a long time, but what’s changed in the last few decades is groups like Black Lives Matter have come together to create an image and then mainstream media has made that image popular,” he said. “It started with George Floyd. It started with Minneapolis.”
Police officers stand near the Colorado State Capitol during a protest in Denver on November 6, 2020. (Michael Ciaglo/Getty Images)
Letts said Denver politicians are trying to ease tensions that have arisen from the 2020 riots by discouraging minor traffic violations that are seen as “harassment.”
“Denver looked at what they could do to de-escalate the situation and make people feel safe. [police] “They’re not racists,” he said. “They came up with the bright idea of not issuing traffic tickets.”
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“It saves time, drivers don’t have to worry about being pulled over for minor infractions and members of the public won’t be ‘harassed’ by the police,” he said.
Letts said law enforcement agencies were never asked to comment on the new directive.
“So, do they put it through law enforcement first? No, the politicians know best,” he said. “They pass these ordinances and then expect law enforcement to enforce them.”
Many states conduct minor traffic stops for a variety of reasons, such as a broken tail light, tinted windows or expired license plates, which can sometimes uncover bigger issues. (iStock)
Veteran police officers said this latest move erodes respect and trust for Denver police to do their jobs.
“I think the message they’re sending to law enforcement is that they don’t respect your ability to do your job and you don’t know how to help deter crime,” he said.
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Letts said the news was “good news for criminals.”
“This is good for criminals because they can get away with more crimes,” he said. “For the cops, it’s just more crime. They don’t want to pay me, they don’t want to give me the right equipment, they don’t trust me to do my job.”
“At some point, police officers have to decide if it’s worth wearing the badge and really ask themselves if it’s worth putting their family through this for 20 to 25 years before they retire.”
“This is happening all across the country and it’s pretty shocking that a police officer who has been there for 18 years would leave because he felt he couldn’t do his job,” he said. “It’s a sad situation.”
Letts said officers are quitting in droves. (Michael Ciaglo/Getty Images/File)
Letts said officers are quitting in droves.
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“Right now, we’re seeing roughly 40 percent cuts across the country,” he said. “The NYPD went from 40,000 officers at its peak to 26,000 today and is projected to be down to 20,000 next year. This is happening in police agencies across the country.”
“We are heading towards a critical crossroads that nobody wants to go to because there will be no one to enforce law and order,” he said.
Fox News Digital has reached out to Denver Police for comment.
