Rocky Mountain Voice

Tag: Public safety

Gazette editorial board: Veto HB 25-1147 to stop the soft-on-crime overreach
Approved, denvergazette.com, State

Gazette editorial board: Veto HB 25-1147 to stop the soft-on-crime overreach

The Gazette editorial board | Denver Gazette Our state was slammed by a crime wave a few years ago — aided and abetted by a notoriously offender- friendly, victims-be-damned Legislature — leaving it to hard-hit local governments to figure out how to respond. With state lawmakers abandoning the crime fight on every front — hard drugs, auto theft, illegal immigration, you name it — a number of Colorado cities, commendably, took the reins. Some municipalities imposed stiffer sentences than the state’s for shoplifting and motor vehicle theft. Some made clear they’d continue to cooperate with federal authorities seeking to catch lawbreakers who had entered the country illegally. Some cities also stepped up policing to bridge the gap in justice created by a Capitol that had gone...
Brauchler: SB25-276 is lawmakers’ latest mockery of immigration enforcement
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Brauchler: SB25-276 is lawmakers’ latest mockery of immigration enforcement

By George Brauchler | Commentary, Denver Gazette SB 25-276 is a Democrat-only sponsored bill that attacks the rule of law and will make Colorado less safe and less just. It contains a predictably steep, yet unquantified, unfunded mandate to counties, who fund the 23 district attorneys’ offices across Colorado. SB 276 expands the opportunity for “noncitizen defendants” to challenge every guilty plea they have entered to every class of misdemeanor, petty offense, and even municipal charges,” at any time following the entry of a guilty plea.” There is no time limitation for this challenge. Why? To protect noncitizens from the immigration consequences associated with convictions for their criminal conduct, of course. Previously, our left-leaning legislature changed the maximum sentenc...
18 flagged for deportation after Colorado Springs nightclub raid, 86 remain in ICE custody
Approved, denvergazette.com, Local

18 flagged for deportation after Colorado Springs nightclub raid, 86 remain in ICE custody

Denver Gazette A spokesperson with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has confirmed that 18 people who were taken into custody on April 27 as part of a major raid on an unlicensed Colorado Springs nightclub had previously been ordered to be deported. According to the ICE spokesperson Thursday, 18 of the 104 individuals detained in the raid were “subject to a final order of removal.” The ICE website states: Once an individual receives a final order, ERO facilitates the individual’s safe return to his or her country of origin in accordance with U.S. immigration laws, as well as international commitments and any bilateral agreements which may be in place. The ICE spokesperson declined to say whether the 18 had been deported, or if they had been sent to their country of origi...
Downtown Denver’s 16th Street Mall still mostly empty despite taxpayer-funded revitalization
Approved, kdvr.com, Local

Downtown Denver’s 16th Street Mall still mostly empty despite taxpayer-funded revitalization

By Carly Moore | Fox31 DENVER (KDVR) — According to a new annual report, the 16th Street Mall is still struggling to fill vacancies, and it’s also dealing with decreased foot traffic. This has been a spot that has struggled to keep businesses for several years, but as construction wraps up by the end of May, representatives at the Downtown Denver Partnership remain optimistic. The Downtown Denver Partnership said the retail vacancy rate is about 30%. Empty storefronts still line 16th Street Mall, and the vacancy rate is twice as much as the rest of downtown’s average of 15%. There are 45 spaces that are empty right now along the mall. “We’re working really closely with the City and County of Denver to provide incentives to provide things like facade and patio grant...
Michelle Chandler stopped a predator — and uncovered victims who may never know
Approved, Local, Rocky Mountain Voice, State, Top Stories

Michelle Chandler stopped a predator — and uncovered victims who may never know

By Jen Schumann | Rocky Mountain Voice On May 11, 2024, at Nordstrom Rack in Lakewood, Colorado, Michelle Chandler caught a man filming her inside a women’s fitting room. She didn’t freeze or panic. Instead, she confronted him, pinned him to the ground and held him until help arrived – or so she thought.  What happened next wasn’t the swift arrival of justice. It was abandonment: by store employees, by security and later, by a system more concerned with procedure than protection. Chandler’s story quickly gained attention when she posted about it on Instagram. Social media influencers – including David Harris Jr. posted about the video. Local radio and National news outlets reached out to cover the story. And strangers from Canada to Europe responded, showing their support.&nb...
Cole: Illegal driving, rising costs, and scarce patrols—welcome to Denver’s roads
Approved, Commentary, Local, Rocky Mountain Voice, Top Stories

Cole: Illegal driving, rising costs, and scarce patrols—welcome to Denver’s roads

By Shaina Cole | Guest Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice Each afternoon, my three-mile commute home in Denver’s metro area is a nerve-wrecking ordeal. Drivers speed through stop signs, ignore red lights, or stop inexplicably at unmarked intersections. Cars swerve across lanes, straddle the center line, or disrupt four-way stops.  Vehicles without plates, with expired tags, or overdue permits are all too common.  As a single-income earner with only liability insurance, I dread a crash with an uninsured driver.  One accident could destroy my car—my lifeline to work and rent.  Since 2020, Denver’s roads have descended into chaos. I believe the combination of unenforced traffic laws, a 25% rise in undocumented immigration, and soaring cost of living fuels this...
Six Colorado Springs nightclubs under police investigation for years, public just finding out
Approved, denvergazette.com, Local

Six Colorado Springs nightclubs under police investigation for years, public just finding out

The Denver Gazette Six nightclubs around Colorado Springs have been investigated for potential illegal activity since 2022, according to Colorado Springs police. Police said New Havana Bar and Grill off North Academy Boulevard, an unnamed after-hours club on Palmer Park Boulevard, and La Terraza on South Circle Drive were all shut down through the public nuisance process. Police said Babilonia Bar and Grill on East Platte Avenue, Nova Nightclub on South Nevada Avenue and El Huracán on South Academy Boulevard were evicted by their property owners. A Police Department spokesperson told The Gazette some of these clubs were licensed and some were unlicensed. The spokesperson said each of the locations had multiple calls for service, which started a police investigation an...
DOJ sues Colorado and Denver over sanctuary policies ‘tying hands of law enforcement’
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DOJ sues Colorado and Denver over sanctuary policies ‘tying hands of law enforcement’

By Heather Willard | Fox31 DENVER (KDVR) — The U.S. Department of Justice is suing the state of Colorado and the city of Denver for laws and statutes the federal government says are “sanctuary laws.” The federal government alleges in its lawsuit, filed in Colorado District Court on Friday, that the laws are designed to “interfere with and discriminate against the Federal Government’s enforcement of federal immigration law.” The lawsuit specifically mentions the troubled Aurora apartment complexes that went viral after a video showing armed men in a stairwell was first reported on by FOX31’s Vicente Arenas. The men in the video were later connected to Tren de Aragua, a Venezuelan gang that’s been publicized during recent immigration efforts under President Donald Trump. The laws...
Trump issues national flag-lowering order to honor fallen firefighters, Polis follows suit
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Trump issues national flag-lowering order to honor fallen firefighters, Polis follows suit

By Heather Willard | Fox31 DENVER (KDVR) — Flags in Colorado will fly at half-staff on Sunday to honor firefighters who risked their lives to protect fellow citizens as part of the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Weekend. The annual event is held in Emmitsburg, Maryland, and commemorates the lives of volunteer and professional firefighters who have died in the line of duty over the past year and beyond. “Across the country, brave men and women demonstrate heroism each day, willingly placing themselves in harm’s way for the benefit of others,” reads a proclamation made by President Donald Trump on May 1. “We are indebted to every American who chooses this noble profession — this solemn calling — in spite of the inherent risks.” The proclamation went on to note the heroic e...
John Fabbricatore details ICE detainee process as state pushes back against federal enforcement
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John Fabbricatore details ICE detainee process as state pushes back against federal enforcement

By Alliyah Sims | Fox31 DENVER (KDVR) — FOX31 is learning that 105 people were detained at an underground nightclub bust in Colorado Springs over the weekend. That’s down from the original reported count of 114. The Drug Enforcement Administration said nine people had previous contact with immigration officials. The Colorado Springs Police Department told FOX31 that two people were arrested on existing warrants. One was arrested for a warrant out of Denver for assault, criminal mischief and child abuse. The other was wanted in Adams County for a misdemeanor. John Fabbricatore, former ICE Regional Director, told FOX31 that when there are that many people in custody, the process can take a while, and it really matters where people are going. He said that processing one single ...