Denver Clerk and Recorder Stephanie O’Malley has deemed there were not enough valid signatures to approve a ballot initiative that would give sheriff’s deputies arrest powers before voters next year.
The deputies submitted 57,395 signatures in support of their initiative. O’Malley found only 22,229 of those signatures valid, meaning the effort fell far short of the 41,666 valid signatures required to get the measure on the ballot.
It would have cost the city between $700,000 to $1 million to hold a special election on the matter, as the deputies had planned.
The deputies have until Nov. 12 to submit a refiling that would attempt to cure the deficiencies.
Safety Manager Al LaCabe had said in the past that the administration of Mayor John Hickenlooper feared that if the initiative had passed it would be used in collective bargaining by the deputies to drive up their salaries. He also said the administration feared it could drive up liability costs and training costs.
The deputies denied it would increase costs for the city and claimed the initiative would make the city safer.
The union representing deputies hired a firm to conduct its signature-gathering effort.
Christopher N. Osher: 303-954-1747 or cosher@denverpost.com
