DENVER — In an open letter to metropolis leaders, a citizen oversight board is looking for extra accountability and transparency to verify the Metropolis of Denver is honoring all elements of its settlement agreements in police-related lawsuits.
This week marks eight years for the reason that demise of 50-year-old Michael Marshall.
“Michael Marshall was a person who was experiencing a psychological well being disaster within the Denver Sheriff’s Division custody,” stated Julia Richman, who chairs the Denver Citizen Oversight Board, a nine-member board that critiques police hiring, coaching and disciplinary practices.
Video obtained by Denver7 after the incident reveals deputies holding Marshall face down for a number of minutes. A medical expert stated this prompted Marshall to choke on his vomit and dominated his demise a murder.
Town settled out of court docket with the household for $4.6 million.
“So, in fascinated by the demise of Michael Marshall, our board administrator actually began to look into the settlement that surrounded his demise,” stated Richman.
In reviewing high-profile settlements like Marshall’s, Richman stated the board found town was not complying with its guarantees to implement change.
“The non-financial components of those circumstances are the issues that stop hurt sooner or later for members of the general public, members of town, and that is actually the place the change is meant to happen,” stated Richman.
The board stated town has accomplished a poor job of monitoring data and sharing essential data that may present its progress.
“In a single case, we discovered an actual lack of documentation. No person appeared to have possession of them. They weren’t in metropolis data anymore,” stated Richman. “And so, issues like that lead us to consider that town wasn’t actually taking these components critically.”
The board issued an open letter Friday detailing its findings and considerations to Denver Mayor Mike Johnston and different metropolis leaders.
“We wished to lift consciousness round that and wished town to start to take these critically with a brand new mayor and new council. We felt like that is the time to begin to have this dialog,” stated Richman. “We are able to do that otherwise going ahead.”
In an announcement, Johnston stated town and his administration are “dedicated to accountability.
“The Metropolis and County of Denver and the Johnston Administration are dedicated to accountability all through town, and we’re all the time open to assembly with the Citizen Oversight Board to debate alternative for enhancements,” Johnston stated in an announcement. “Residents’ belief that the Metropolis will implement and observe via with settlement agreements is essential, and we’ll proceed to work diligently to make sure we meet Denverites’ expectations.”
The Denver Division of Public Security, which incorporates the police and sheriff’s departments, stated it has complied with its settlement agreements and took problem with the oversight board’s conclusions.
“The Division of Public Security meets usually with the Citizen Oversight Board and all the time makes ourselves accessible to deal with their considerations. Whereas the COB could maintain opinions that the settlement agreements ought to have been negotiated otherwise, the division has complied with the phrases that had been agreed upon and can proceed to be clear and share enhancements with the general public to reinforce belief in public security,” stated Armando Saldate, the chief director of the Denver Division of Security.
The Denver Police Division deferred to the Division of Public Security’s assertion.
The citizen oversight board stated town has paid out greater than $17 million {dollars} in police-related settlements since 2022, together with $9.5 million since July of this 12 months.
The board holds public conferences on the primary and third Friday of every month and sometimes questions regulation enforcement officers, equivalent to Saldate and Denver Police Division Chief Ron Thomas about a wide range of issues.
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