By the time the next class of new officers graduates from the Denver Police Academy and hits the streets, the department could be short about 75 cops, thanks to budget constraints.
The last academy class was held in 2008, and the next isn’t expected to begin until January 2013.
There are 1,421 officers on Denver’s force, which has an authorized strength of 1,445. Attrition is trimming the ranks by about 40 a year.
“The number of uniformed officers estimated to be on the payroll when the next class graduates is 1,370,” said Detective John White, a spokesman for the Denver Police Department.
“However, we will reallocate our resources and redeploy officers currently in desk jobs to front-line jobs as attrition occurs. An estimated 69 officers have been identified as eligible for this redeployment.”
Though police are moving desk- bound officers onto patrol to ensure public safety, the dwindling force raises concerns about working conditions.
Sickness and other absences take a toll, said Sgt. John Bronson, a member of the Denver Police Protective Association’s executive board. “We run short of people every night,” he said.
Aging cars are spending more time in the shop than they were in better times, the union official added. “We have cars with 100,000 miles on them. They are constantly going back and forth to the garage. We are constantly car-short, and we make up for it a bit by being officer-short every day.”
The department is getting officers where they need to be, White said. “Patrol cars are staffed, and the department’s resources are redeployed when necessary around the city,” he said.
For young cops who have joined the force since 2008, the tight budget has resulted in fewer opportunities for advancement and for some, long stretches policing Lower Downtown, where late-night streets are flooded with people who have been drinking, and brawls are frequent.
“These guys are the lowest badge numbers. They have less opportunity to move out of positions and do things they normally would have done. They are being set up to fail because you are constantly dealing with drunk 20-somethings,” said Bronson.
Police spokesman Sonny Jackson said cops can ask to be transferred. But a transfer isn’t easy to get, said Bronson. “In order to transfer, somebody has to come in, and it’s not like anybody wants to come into that position,” he said.
Some fear that in the coming rush to replace veteran officers, the quest for diversity in the ranks will fall victim to the need to quickly staff up.
“Are we going to be true to our commitment to diversity or just hire cops?” said former Safety Manager Butch Montoya. “I think we really have to be careful about that because diversity is critical. People want to see themselves reflected in positions of authority and respect.”
Latinos make up about 20 percent of the officers on the police roster. About 10 percent are black, about 67 percent white, about 2 percent are Asian and 1 percent are American Indian, according to police statistics.
Sgt. Leonard Mares, president of the Colorado chapter of the National Latino Peace Officers Association, said the percentage of Latino police officers should be higher in Denver, where Latinos account for a large segment of the population. In 2010, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, Latinos made up about 31 percent of the city and county of Denver’s population.
“When they start hiring again, we will watch them with a skeptical eye.”
Earl Peterson, executive director of the Denver Civil Service Commission, said even before hiring starts, there will be a qualified group of applicants.
The percentage of Latinos may not match their numbers in the city’s population, but it is reasonable, and higher than the 14.25 percent called for in a court-ordered consent decree that governs the department, he said.
“One of the things we are always struggling with, if you look at Denver in particular, the graduation rate from high school for African-Americans and Latinos are very poor compared to the white Anglo population. When we are looking at the available work force, it has to be someone that has a high school diploma and is 21” years old, Peterson said.
The commission has scheduled tests for March and April and will have those who qualify processed by the fourth quarter of 2012. “We are going to test and process. We are better off getting them into the pipeline than waiting,” Peterson said.
The commission has about 80 candidates who tested in late 2009 and who could begin training now if there were classes available, he added.
Tom McGhee: 303-954-1671 or tmcghee@denverpost.com
