Some Denver police officers are again initiating fewer investigations than their supervisors expect, and the police union says tough discipline meted out to cops is making some of them reluctant to establish additional contact, reports the Denver Post. Police statistics show the decline in productivity occurring at the same time a revised disciplinary system is being forcefully applied, resulting in the firing of nine officers since March.
The slide isn’t citywide, nor is it as dramatic as in September, when then-Safety Manager Ron Perea resigned after controversy erupted over light discipline he ordered for officers caught on tape beating a man, said David Edinger, special assistant to Mayor Guillermo “Bill” Vidal. In the first six months of 2011, police initiated 67,054 investigations or citizen contacts on their own, compared with 74,399 last year and 80,226 in 2009. John Bronson , a member of the Denver Police Protective Association’s executive board, said there is no organized work slowdown. However, some officers fear initiating contact because if the situation escalates, they could get in trouble, he added.