Four years after a frenzy to defund police departments across the country, Colorado voters approved a referendum that would dedicate $350 million of the state's budget to recruiting, training and retaining law enforcement officers.
Proposition No. 130 was passed with just under 53% of votes in favor, and resident taxes will not be increased. Instead, funding for the effort would come from other public services within the state's general fund.
State Police's victory comes as Aurora and Colorado Springs experience record murders in 2022, Denver's murder rate has doubled in the past decade, and Aurora has seen record murders in the cities of Aurora and Colorado Springs.・This victory comes after Aragua's apartment takeover incident made national headlines.
”[Proposition] “In Colorado, 130 is a huge comeback from defunding the police movement,” Aurora City Councilman Daniel Julinski, who has long been vocal about immigrant gangs in the city, told FOX News Digital. .
“We stand with Colorado Blue!”
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Colorado voters approved a referendum that dedicates $350 million in the state budget to hiring, training and retaining law enforcement officers. (Photo by John Moore/Getty Images)
Joe Gamaldi, national vice president of the Fraternal Order of Police, told Fox News Digital that the funding is “a very positive step to show law enforcement is supported.” It means they are funded and have the resources they need to do their work. This is a really big step because it really shows where the public stands with Colorado law enforcement. ”
Gamaldi criticized Denver's decision earlier this year to cut $8 million from police spending to help fund programs to deal with the surge of immigrants arriving in the city.
“That's Denver, where the murder rate has more than doubled in the last 10 years,” he said.
Fox News Digital was unable to reach Denver Mayor Michael Johnston's office for comment at the time of going to press.
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Suspected members of the Torren de Aragua gang raided an apartment in Aurora, Colorado, demanding rent in exchange for “protection.” (Edward Romero)
Critics of the funding initiative have expressed concern that money taken from the general fund would take money away from other public services, said Kyle Giddings of the Colorado Criminal Justice Reform Coalition. Communicate cardiopulmonary resuscitation This dollar amount is equivalent to “6,000 teacher salaries'' and “the entire school budget.'' [the] affordable housing programs; ”
But Gamaldi told Fox News Digital that “nothing works in our community without a foundation of public safety.”
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Boulder police officers stand out at a memorial service for slain Boulder police officer Eric Talley on March 22, 2022, in Boulder, Colorado. Officer Talley was killed a year ago after responding to a mass shooting that killed 10 people at a King Soopers grocery store in Boulder, Colorado. (Photo by Chet Strange/Getty Images)
“You can't have a good school if it's not safe. You can't have a thriving business if it's not safe,” Gamaldi said. “It all starts with public safety, and we need to invest in that first. And make no mistake, police officers across the country are hemorrhaging. Retirements are at record numbers; “The number of resignations has increased by 45%.''
“So this funding is needed not only to recruit the next generation of officers, but to maintain the experience that we currently have. If we don't invest in the law enforcement professionals that we currently have, , we could be losing all of this for a generation… Obviously, it's a lot of money, but it's certainly needed right now, and we really need it now more than ever. It is said that ”
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Ten members of the transnational gang Torren de Aragua have been arrested in Aurora, Colorado, in connection with “acts of violence against members of the immigrant community.” (Aurora Police Station)
Alex Rose, a public information officer for the Wheat Ridge Police Department, a city near Denver, told Fox News Digital that the funds have not yet been allocated and it is unclear whether his department will receive the funds, but he expects they will be allocated. spoke. “A useful tool to make sure you're motivating your executives and employees.” [that] Our best officers build their careers here and stay here for the long term. ”
“When you zoom out and look at the big picture, I think the pendulum is swinging back toward supporting law enforcement here in Colorado,” Rose said. “It's great to see the public supporting law enforcement in their state.”
While the Wheat Ridge Police Department currently has a sufficient number of officers, additional funding would help “establish that this is a great police department to start your career in…and a great police department to end your career in.” “It will help us prove something,” Rose said.
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Aurora, Colorado, a city of about 390,000 people, is home to the Torren de Aragua gang, officials said. (Keboke Jansezian/Getty Images)
“The job is getting harder and harder,” Rose said of police work. “The people who suit up every day and continue to keep Wheat Ridge one of the safest communities in Colorado deserve to work in a department that is motivated to make this region a great place to work.”
Proposition 130 was one of several measures aimed at enforcing ballots. Coloradans also voted to approve Proposition 128, which would require people convicted of violent crimes to serve 85% of their sentence before being eligible for parole.
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Colorado voters also restored state judges' authority to revoke bail for defendants charged with first-degree murder. When the state Legislature abolished the state's death penalty in 2020, it also removed an exception to the bail requirement for first-degree murder.
According to the proposed constitutional amendment, judges will once again be able to deny bail in such cases “if the evidence is clear or there is a strong presumption that the person has committed a crime.”
“It's no secret that Colorado voters continue to drift to the left. Colorado is one of the few states that voted more Democratic.” [in the 2024 election] “More than 2020,” Rose told FOX News Digital. “But just because the state is moving further to the left does not mean the state is moving further away from law enforcement to keep our communities safe.”
