Today Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper unveiled an overhaul of the police department that he pledged would give officers the data they need to identify crime hotspots.
The mayor announced he is hiring the New Jersey-based Hanover Justice Group, led by noted crime control strategist George Kelling, to coordinate the effort.
The city also is hiring Jeremy Bronson, the former strategic planning manager at Sun Microsystems in Broomfield, to fill a new $90,000-a-year post of special assistant to the mayor for public safety. Bronson is charged with coordinating a more data-oriented approach to public safety.
The initiative follows months of debate over the effectiveness of the police department sparked by news of declining arrest rates. It also comes after the mayor’s first serious challenge by the City Council, which in November revamped the mayor’s police budget plans.
“Rather than simply accepting the status quo or blindly throwing money at perceived problems, we are bringing in outside credentialed experts to analyze our systems and needs and create an action plan for immediate improvements,” the mayor said
“These strategists have a proven track record in reducing crime and reducing citizen complaints,” Hickenlooper said of the Hanover consultants.
Denver has logged 59 homicides so far this year, down from 84 at this time last year. For all of 2004, there were 94 homicides.
The department said it could not immediately provide data on assaults.
Council President Rosemary Rodriguez welcomed the mayor’s announcement, saying that every meeting she goes to she hears from citizens who are worried about public safety. Last month, the council overrode the mayor’s budget and voted to hire 19 more police officers than he had proposed. The mayor had urged the council to wait to see if new reforms would make police more effective.
The Denver Police Foundation agreed to pay the $75,000, six-month contract for the Hanover Justice Group, sparing the city the use of any tax funds.
Staff writer Christopher N. Osher can be reached at 303-820-1747 or at cosher@denverpost.com.
