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Join Telegram ChannelA law enforcement veteran explained how a recent Denver Police Department directive ties the hands of law enforcement officers who risk their lives for their community.
Michael Letts, a 30-year veteran law enforcement officer and founder of InVest USA, a nonprofit that donates chest protectors to state and local police, spoke to Fox News Digital about the Denver Police Department's new directive.
Under the new policy, suggested to the Denver Police Department by the Denver City Council last year, Denver police officers in the Mile High City will not stop drivers for minor traffic violations, such as a broken taillight, window tint or window stickers, that do not pose an immediate threat to public safety.
“It’s frustrating for members on the street to be told how to do their job by someone who has no idea how the job works or what they do,” Letts said.
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Michael Letts, a 30-year veteran law enforcement officer and founder of InVest USA, said Denver's decision to eliminate low-level traffic stops was because they were having difficulty hiring and retaining officers. (Xinhua/Marc Piscotty via Getty Images/Archive)
A Denver police spokesperson told Fox News Digital that this year they implemented the policy, which emphasizes that officers should focus their attention on the most serious offenses, such as speeding, reckless driving and running traffic signals, all of which the department says can help prevent crashes and save lives.
The spokesperson also noted that there are exceptions to this policy, such as when police have reason to believe drivers are involved in other, more serious crimes. Drivers arrested for more serious offences may also be given secondary, lesser offences.
Letts said Denver's decision to eliminate low-level traffic stops was because they were having difficulty hiring and retaining officers.
“They came up with a great idea in Denver, from an ordinance standpoint, because they’re struggling to get adequate police protection and citizen protection and the safety that goes with that,” he said. “Well, they’re not addressing the real problem.”
“The real problem, quite frankly, is they’re not paying them anything. We’re having a hard time providing them with the pay they need,” he said. “Look, everybody knows that in law enforcement, you don’t retire a millionaire, OK? We accept that. And in fact, the vast majority of law enforcement officers want to serve the public. They don’t expect to make a dime doing it.”
“They get a lot of satisfaction out of it, so much satisfaction that they're willing to risk their lives every day. And that's part of the job,” he said.
Republicans are stepping up their campaign messages on crime and support for law enforcement. (Getty Images/File)
A Denver Police Department spokesperson told Fox News Digital that the department is at 93.7% staffing. The force’s total authorized strength is 1,639 officers. It currently employs 1,536 officers. The spokesperson also noted that Denver police officers are paid $74,176 per year after graduating from the training academy. The starting salary for those who begin the training academy is $68,878.
Letts said the events of the past few decades have created a “perfect storm” that has impacted law enforcement.
“A number of factors converged into what I call the perfect storm. First, we created an image in the mainstream media that law enforcement was a bad profession,” he said. “There were a lot of bad apples in the profession who were racist and tyrannical.”
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“It’s been around for a while, but what’s made the difference over the last few decades is that there’s been a concerted effort, like Black Lives Matter and others, that has created an image, and the mainstream media has played on that image,” he said. “It started with George Floyd. It started with Minneapolis.”
Police officers stand near the Colorado State Capitol during a protest on November 6, 2020, in Denver. (Michael Ciaglo/Getty Images)
Letts said Denver politicians are trying to ease tensions stemming from the 2020 riots by ending minor traffic violations that can feel like “harassment.”
“Denver thought about what they could do to improve the situation and make the public believe that they were [police] “They are not racist,” he said. “They had the brilliant idea of not enforcing traffic rules.”
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“It saves time, these guys don't have to worry about having to stop for minor infractions, and the public won't be 'harassed' by law enforcement,” he said.
Letts said law enforcement was never asked for input on the new directive.
“So do they take it to law enforcement first? No, they know best, and that's the politicians,” he said. “They pass these orders and then wait for law enforcement to implement them.”
Many states conduct low-level traffic stops for a variety of reasons, such as a broken tail light, tinted windows, or an expired sticker. These stops can sometimes reveal more serious problems. (iStock)
The veteran police officer said the recent decision diminishes respect and confidence in the Denver police's ability to do their jobs.
“The message they're sending to law enforcement is that they don't respect your ability to do your job and I don't think you know how to help deter crime,” he said.
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Letts said the news was a “good thing for criminals.”
“It’s a good thing for the criminals. It means they can get away with a lot more,” he said. “And for the police officer, it’s just another incident. They don’t want to pay, they don’t want to give me the proper equipment and they don’t trust me to do my job.”
“At some point, law enforcement has to decide whether it's worth wearing a badge. And they have to seriously consider whether it's worth putting my family through this for 20 to 25 years before I can retire.”
“It's happening all over the country and it's quite shocking to see police officers who have worked for 18 years resigning because they feel they're not capable of doing their job,” he said. “It's a deplorable situation.”
Letts said officers were leaving in droves. (Michael Ciaglo/Getty Images/Archive)
Letts said officers were leaving in droves.
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“Right now, we’re down about 40 percent of our force nationwide,” he said. “The NYPD operated with 40,000 officers at its peak, it’s down to 26,000 now and is projected to be down to 20,000 next year. This is happening in every agency in the country.”
“We are heading towards a path, towards a critical turning point that nobody wants to reach because there will be no one left to enforce law and order,” he said.