In the shadow of the Denver Police Department headquarters at 1331 Cherokee St., mayoral candidate Trinidad Rodriguez — just like several of his counterparts in previous weeks —announced his public safety plan Thursday.
Rodriguez is one of 17 candidates running for Denver Mayor in the April 4 election.
His plan focuses on expanding the Denver Police Department to more closely match the population growth Denver has seen. He said there are the same number of officers on DPD's payroll now as there were in 1997, when Denver's population was under 500,000. In the 2020 census, more than 730,000 people called Denver home.
And Rodriguez said public safety suffered as a result.
"Our city can make meaningful change and be the best place to start a family, but crime is scaring people away," he said at the Thursday morning press conference. "To move our city forward, we must make our streets and neighborhoods safe again."
Supporters of Trinidad Rodriguez pose for a photo after a press conference in Denver on Feb. 2, 2023.
Part of his plan is recruiting officers in Denver neighborhoods as part of an attempt to equitably and inclusively expand the ranks. He said there will be a place for everyone in DPD during his administration, regardless of race, sexual orientation or gender. The logic behind this, he said, is that officers from the community serve their home better.
This has another added benefit: Increasing the public's trust in the police department.
In the wake of the murder of several unarmed Black men and women nationwide, as well as other cases of police brutality, the legitimacy of police forces has been called into question, according to the Department of Justice.
Local recruitment can rebuild that trust in law enforcement, leading to a safer city, Rodriguez said. Other aspects of his plan include enhanced training standards that emphasize de-escalation tactics and non-lethal techniques to protect lives.
All of this may require an increase in funding — necessitating cuts elsewhere — but Rodriguez believes those temporary cuts and investments are worth it.
"That's what prioritizing is, it's tough decisions," he said after the press conference. "When we bring back our business and when we bring back our economic activity, then revenue solves all problems."
Rodriguez said some candidates may not be prepared to make statements like that and recognize some cuts must be made for Denver to move forward. He emphasized those cuts would be temporary.
Mayoral hopeful Trinidad Rodriguez speaks outside of the Denver Police headquarters building. Rodriguez is one of 17 candidates vying for the soon-to-be-vacant office of Denver mayor.
His position caught the attention of a local advocacy group called Citizens for a Safe and Clean Denver, who are dedicated to reversing what they see as the decline of the city. Several members attended the press conference and supported Rodriguez, saying he is one of several candidates that can move Denver forward.
"The public drug use on our streets is very concerning and the crime that goes along with that," Wendy Heath Santeramo said. "I used to live on 16th Street Mall and I feared for my safety as a retired law enforcement officer of 31 years."
Rodriguez's support of the police and his commitment to expand services like the Support Team Assisted Response program (STAR) resonated with Craig Arfsten, a member of the group.
Denver's policies in place that focus on housing first are not doing enough to help homeless Denverites, he said. Rodriguez's plan represents a departure from the status quo, which he said too many candidates seem content with.
"One of the points that Trinidad brings up is the aspect of recovery," Arfsten said. "The people that are living on the streets with addiction need help, they don't just need a house, they need a serious effort to help them with recovery."
