CPC strongly condemns the decision by the Civil Service Commission board that reinstates Denver Police officers responsible for the beating and macing of women

Printer-friendly version

CPC Denounces Decision by Civil Service Commission to Uphold Decision Reinstatment of Denver Diner Police Officers
Calls on Law Enforcement to Call Blue Line

Denver -- Friday, Oct. 12, 2012

Colorado Progressive Coalition (CPC) strongly condemns the decision by the Civil Service Commission board that reinstates Denver Police officers responsible for the beating and macing of women at the Denver Diner as well as the incidents' subsequent cover up by those officers. The decision, like others before it, make it clear that Denver and its mayor have lost institutional control of its Law Enforcement System.

The decision of the Civil Service Commission board to uphold its hearing officers' ruling as binding due to their place as “fact finders” is, as the city attorney stated, “deeply disturbing.” However, that the panel can ignore Police Department investigations and the findings of the manager of safety is a clear indication of the loss of institutional control by the city of its police force under Mayor Michael Hancock.

“The city of Denver has yet again shown its inability to remove dangerous and lying officers from the streets,” said Mu Son Chi, Racial Justice and Civil Rights Director for Colorado Progressive Coalition. “Today’s decision is yet another example of the city’s lack of institutional control over its law enforcement agency. More than ever, we need outside intervention by the federal government. We are again calling on the United States Department of Justice to launch a patterns and practices of abuse investigation into Denver law enforcement.

“Additionally, we are calling on the Mayor to meet with us to talk about these issues. Many people in the community do not know that the mayor is refusing to meet with police accountability groups.”

CPC, survivors of police brutality and numerous members of the community are angered that officers Kevin Devine and Ricky Nixon will again be allowed to walk the streets as Denver police officers under the Commission's ruling.

Nixon along with Devine brutally assaulted five women at the Denver Diner in 2009, ultimately lying on their police reports in what CPC and then manager of safety, Charles Garcia, believe was an effort to cover up their actions. As a result, they were removed from the force by Garcia. However, that ruling was overturned by the Civil Service Commission hearing officers – hearing officers that have routinely reversed discipline handed out to dangerous officers. The Commission Board was asked to overturn the panels' ruling by the city. However, it chose to see their verdict as sacrosanct.

Nixon is still under investigation for his role in the near fatal beating of Alex Landau, a case that remains unresolved.

As a result of this decision, CPC will begin asking police officers to call its “Blue line” where they report the actions of officers on the force that are acting in a discriminatory or violent fashion towards members of our shared community. Officers can call anonymously at 720-245-7513.

“We know that many officers do their jobs with honesty and integrity. However, it is imperative that we remove violent officers from the streets,” said Miriam Peña, a survivor of the Denver Diner incident. “Today, we are calling on officers to step forward and speak out with their concerns about Denver law enforcement. Our 'Blue Line' offers a confidential way for officers to share concerns that exist within Denver Law Enforcement. We are asking officers who have been unable to address their concerns, because of fear of retribution or inadequate responses, to cross the blue line of silence and to begin working with us to begin making our community a safer place.”

CPC will continue to ask Denver residents to sign a petition (http://progressivecoalition.org/petition-calling-federal-investigation-denver-police-department) to the U.S. Department of Justice, asking them to begin an investigation into the patterns and practices of abuse by Denver's law enforcement system.