Republican Leaders Respond to Rejection of Flawed Law Enforcement Bill
(Colorado State Capitol, May 3, 2024) -- Today, Representative Gabe Evans (R-Fort Lupton) and Representative Ryan Armagost (R-Berthoud) addressed HB24-1460, expressing their concern that this bill does not protect the victims who need to have their voices heard.
"As a former law enforcement officer and supervisor, I always fought to protect my rank and file officers," stated Rep. Evans. "In situations where those officers are subject to retaliation by a supervisor, it’s critical the officer has access to due process to defend themselves. That is why I vehemently opposed HB24-1460," added Evans.
“This bill was presented as increasing law enforcement whistleblower protections. As a police officer for over 10 years, this was a blatant act of false advertising,” continued Evans. “The original policies in HB24-1460, and a last-minute complete rewrite, were actually filled with poison pill attacks on law enforcement. For example, the bill would have required graphic body-worn camera footage of officers being killed in the line of duty, such as the Boulder King Soopers shooting, to be publicly available within 21 to 45 days after an officer-involved shooting. This footage is graphic and disturbing. Releasing it to the public is incredibly disrespectful to the grieving family and jeopardizes both victims and suspects by tainting jurors,” said Evans.
Creating a positive and healthy working environment for officers is always a timely conversation; the policies in this bill and the process by which it was brought accomplished neither.
“Work on this bill began in February 2024; however, the sponsors withheld information about it from law enforcement, local governments (which employ law enforcement), and district attorneys until it was introduced in April with less than three weeks left in the legislative session. Even the labor union that represents rank-and-file officers, frequently against Chiefs and Sheriffs, was unaware of this bill,” stated Rep. Armagost, a retired Deputy Sheriff.
Our law enforcement officers do an outstanding job of keeping us safe, and they do so with some of the heaviest liability and scrutiny anywhere in the country. They deserve to have their voices heard, and to have faith that legislation intended to protect them will have the desired result and not be saturated with a concealed agenda. HB24-1460 epitomized that hidden agenda.
“To all our brothers and sisters in blue—if you feel like you are a victim of unfair retaliation, remember that your voice is heard. You currently have whistleblower protections and you should never hesitate to speak with your HR department, the local elected leaders who oversee your agency, or your statewide elected representatives. We advocate for you and are committed to effective policies to ensure your safety,” Evans and Armagost concluded.
