On Monday, the Denver City Council, on a unanimous vote, decided to leave it up to voters in November to decide if the city will remove its citizenship requirement for police and fire department jobs. The proposed amendment to the Charter of the City and County of Denver to remove the requirement has been a conversation both city leaders and agencies have engaged in since last year.
According to a 2022 national survey by the group Police Executive Research Forum, new officer hiring decreased by nearly 4% from year to year. At the same time, retirements and resignations surged.
The shortages have led to longer response times, burnout and even cutting back on patrols and other law enforcement strategies.