New state database will allow public access to information about police, other officers

By: Julia Fennell - January 4, 2022 1:08 pm

A line of Denver police officers blocks off a street in Denver on July 13, 2021 in order to deter a small group of protesters, citing safety concerns. (Moe Clark/Colorado Newsline)

A new database launched by the Colorado Peace Officer Standards and Training Board will allow the public to access information about state certification, compliance with training requirements and the employment status of peace officers, according to a Sunday statement from the attorney general’s office.

The database will contain information related to any of the following actions by a peace officer:

Revocation of a POST certification, including the basis of the revocation
Untruthfulness
Three or more failures to follow POST Board training requirements within 10 consecutive years
Termination for cause, unless the termination is overturned or reversed by an appellate process
Resignation or retirement while under investigation by the employing law enforcement agency, a district attorney, or the attorney general
Resignation or retirement following an incident that leads to the opening of an investigation within six months following the peace officer’s resignation or retirement
Being the subject of a investigation for a crime that could result in revocation or suspension of certification or the filing of criminal charges for such a crime
Credibility disclosure information reported by prosecutors that could impact an officer’s credibility as a witness in court.

According to a statement from the Office of the Attorney General

Peace officers include law enforcement, Colorado wildlife officers, public transit officers and community parole officers, according to the 2017 Colorado Revised Statutes.

“Building trust in law enforcement calls for greater levels of transparency and accountability,” Phil Weiser, the Colorado attorney general, who also serves as chair of the POST Board, said in the statement. “We are proud of the POST Board’s commitment to these values and this publicly accessible database will advance both.”

The public can access the database on the Colorado POST Board website. To find information regarding a specific officer, people can enter an officer’s name in the “check certification status” tab.

The public database is required under the law enforcement accountability legislation, which was enacted by the Colorado General Assembly in 2020 and 2021. The law — which went into effect on Saturday — requires the POST Board to create and maintain the database, according to the statement. The law allows an officer to request a review of their entry in the database.

Colorado POST staff update the database at least once a month, according to the statement.

The Colorado Peace Officer Standards and Training is part of the criminal justice section in the Colorado attorney general’s office and is used to create and maintain standards for peace officer training and certification in the state, according to its website.

To become a peace officer in Colorado, applicants must be certified by the POST Board, which requires applicants to complete a POST-approved Basic academy and pass a POST certification exam and background check, according to the Peace Officer Standards and Training website.

The database will allow the public access to an officer’s resignation or retirement following an incident that leads to an investigation.

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