(PUEBLO, Colo.) — The Colorado Association of Chiefs of Police (CACP) is urging Governor Jared Polis and the Colorado legislative leadership to take action against legislation that it claims has weakened the state’s criminal justice system and, in turn, puts public safety at risk.
The letter, written by CACP, claims that despite improvements to the legislation, Colorado still ranks eighth nationally in violent crimes and fourth in property crime rates.
“The blood of my officers’ lays at the steps of our Capitol and the reckless and soft-on-crime legislation,” said Pueblo Police Department Chief Chris Noeller following the incident that left three officers injured in March.
The incident, which occurred on Tuesday, March 18, left three officers injured and a suspect dead. According to the Pueblo Police Department, officers were originally responding to a shots fired call after reports that an officer had been shot. According to the letter, the police officer was ambushed while sitting in his patrol car by Billy Soto, a man who was out on bond for three felonies “despite 14 prior felony arrests.”
“The officer was shot in the head and left gravely injured. Two additional officers responding to the scene were also critically injured — one likewside suffering a devastating head wound — as the suspect unleashed a barrage of nearly 80 rounds from an AR-15.”
According to the Pueblo Police Department, two officers have been released, and the third officer is expected to be released over the weekend of April 11. The letter further explains that all three officers are facing long roads to recovery.
The letter also states different incidents where officers have been put in danger due to “soft-on-crime legislation.” Recently, according to the letter, Arvada officers were shot at by an offender who had been sentenced to 18 years in prison but was out after serving just six years. Three years prior, in 2022, an Arvada officer was killed by a repeat offender while responding to a domestic disturbance.
Another incident mentioned details how a suspect who attacked a special-needs individual was released on a $5,000 bond and was recently arrested again for harassment and threats in 2023.
“These are only a few examples among many where soft-on-crime legislation has adversely impacted public safety across our state,” the letter states. “Our officers could provide countless more instances where policies prioritizing leniency over accountability have endangered both law enforcement and the communities we serve.”
The letter asks Polis and lawmakers to make changes and even invites them to join CACP in creating safer communities. It asks Polis to stand with law enforcement by publicly opposing and committing to veto legislation. The letter asks legislative leadership to both enhance accountability for offenders and halt the advancement of any bills that would “further weaken public safety until they receive proper vetting through a comprehensive stakeholder process.”
The letter lists various actions impacting community safety, including:
Weakened sentencing
Ineffective Drug Policies
Rejected Public Safety and Accountability Measures
Furthermore, the letter continues to address current measures that it stated would further weaken community safety, such as HB25-1206, which would reduce penalties for attempted murder.
The Colorado Association of Chiefs of Police stands as your committed partners in public safety. Every day, our officers put their lives on the line to protect the citizens of Colorado — a mission we share with you as state leaders. While we appreicate, and stand with, Governor Polis’ commitmment to making Colorado one of the top ten safest states and the legislature’s desire to create a more just system, we need a streghtened collaborative approach that recognized the frontlife reality our officers face. The crisis require all of us — law enforcement, executive leadership, and legislative bodies — working in concert to restore the balance between rehabilitation and accounatbility that has been lost through a pattern of increasing leniency toward criminal behavior.
Colorado Association of Chiefs of Police
Measures that CACP supports include classifying theft of firearms as a felony regardless of value (HB25-1062) and addressing accountability in courts (HB25-1276). CACP also states that Colorado voters have “demonstrated their concern about public safety through measures like Proposition 130 and Proposition 128.”
To read the full letter:
Adrian Vasquez, Colorado Springs Police Department (CSPD) Chief of Police, also rallied behind CACP’s statement.
I stand in full support and applaud the remarks made by Pueblo Police Chief Chris Noeller. Chief Noeller’s comments highlight the importance of the letter submitted to Governor Polis and to our state legislators by the Colorado Association of Chiefs of Police. In recent years, legislative changes out of the Capitol have significantly limited law enforcement’s ability to hold prolific and violent repeat offenders accountable for serious crimes. These restrictions have impactful and ongoing consequences. The bottom line – poor legislation has made our city streets a more dangerous place for our citizens and officers, who are committed to doing whatever they are called to do to protect the Colorado Springs community every day. We need to provide officers with tools to make our cities safer, rather than provide a safe haven for prolific criminal offenders.
Adrian Vasquez, Chief of Police CSPD
“We share your commitment to a Colorado where all residents can feel safe,” the letter states. “As your partners in public safety, we stand ready to work together toward this goal. The time for collaborative action is now.”
FOX21 News has reached out to the Governor’s Office for comment and will update our article once we receive it.
