Denver District Attorney Mitch Morrissey will unveil a new proposal for staffing a gang task force tomorrow, says the Denver Post. Last month, Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper said he had secured a commitment for $150,000 from a private source for Morrissey’s gang plans. The two went back to the drawing board after Morrissey said it would take $460,000 over 18 months for him to tackle Denver’s gang issues fully. The $460,000 would allow Morrissey to devote two prosecutors and an investigator for 18 months to gang-related investigations.
Hickenlooper has said a private nonprofit foundation has pledged to contribute the $150,000, but the mayor has declined to reveal the source until the foundation’s board gives final approval. David Lane, a criminal defense lawyer, said it was the first time he had heard of the district attorney getting private funds for prosecutions. “This is a core function of the district attorney’s office, and they are going to get private funds for it,” he said. “It seems that is what tax dollars are for.”