Aurora

A bill heralding landmark legislation for peace officers across Colorado has been introduced into the Colorado State Legislature this week on the Senate side. Senate Bill 10-084 which, if enacted, will provide each of you and your members the due process rights and basic protections we have all sought for many years. The majority of peace officers in Colorado do not have these rights. Some have a few of them. Very few have all of them. Each officer in Colorado needs them.

The “Colorado Peace Officers’ Bill of Rights” (SB-10-084) has been long overdue and much needed. Sixteen states have recognized the need for such law and have enacted similar legislation. Colorado will hopefully be the next. The bill is sponsored by Senator Lois Tochtrop on the Senate side, and Representative Sara Gagliardi on the House side. This Bill of Rights establishes minimum standards that all employing agencies must provide to municipal, county and state peace officers as part of their employment regarding:

· A peace officer’s ability to engage in political activity;

· Entry of adverse comments in a peace officer’s personnel records;

· Participation in employee organizations;

· Bringing suit arising out of the performance of a peace officer’s duties;

· Truth verification tests;

· Public statements regarding internal investigations;

· Tests of blood, breath, or urine;

· Full due process on matters of discipline;

· Right to representation during internal investigations;

· Pre-disciplinary administrative hearings required;

· Availability of a just cause hearing of major disciplinary actions;

This bill was written by the Colorado Fraternal Order of Police and we will be lobbying hard for its passage. Passage of this bill, and what it will take to make it a reality, extends to all representative law enforcement organizations across Colorado. As such we are asking each of you to make this happen.

We fully expect strong lobbying opposition from organizations representing Colorado counties and municipalities across the state. To counter this I am calling on each of you to begin contacting your elected state representatives to the Colorado Legislature and ask them for their support on SB-10-084. As elected leaders representing the interests and needs of your members it should be incumbent on you to make the calls, write the letters, and send the emails urging both co-sponsorship and support of this bill.

The bill has been assigned to the Senate Judiciary Committee. One of our co-sponsors chairs this committee. Hearings will begin in early February. Each Committee member listed below should be contacted in the next 2 weeks along with your other calls to representatives informing them of the need for passage of this key legislation. The Senate Judiciary Committee is as follows:

Ø Senator Morgan Carroll (D) District 29 Arapahoe County – Committee Chair

Ø Senator Pat Steadman (D) District 31 Adams County

Ø Senator Evie Hudak (D) District 19 Jefferson County

Ø Senator Linda Newell (D) District 26 Arapahoe & Jefferson Counties

Ø Senator Keith King ® District 12 El Paso County

Ø Senator Kevin Lundberg ® District 15 Larimer County

Ø Senator Scott Renfrow ® District 13 Weld County

I am asking you pass a copy of this bill to your members and ask them to join you in making those calls. I am asking you to urge your family members, community contacts, and friends to do the same. Ignoring this and believing that others elsewhere will take care of it would be a mistake that could make the difference between passage or defeat. We have many friends and supporters in the Legislature but regardless each needs to hear from you on this matter.

A copy of the Bill of Rights (SB-10-084) and contact info for the Colorado State Legislature is attached to this article for you to download. This is not the last request you will receive on this matter. It is the first. You will be reminded by email, and I will be contacting many of you by phone over the next several weeks. If any of you have questions please call.

Sincerely,

Michael Violette

Executive Director

State Labor Services Division

2701 West 84th Ave

Westminster, Colorado 80031

Phone: 303-591-3842

Email: COFOPLabor@FOP.Net