Denver mayoral candidate Kelly Brough unveils public safety plan
Alayna Alvarez Axios | Published on 1/13/2023
Denver mayoral candidate Kelly Brough unveils public safety plan
Kelly Brough delivers her safety plan in front of the Denver Justice Center on Wednesday. Photo: Alayna Alvarez/Axios
Denver mayoral candidate Kelly Brough unveiled a plan Wednesday to combat crime that largely echoes the current mayor.
On the controversial topic of police spending, she dodged the issue altogether. "I think it's hard to know now have we overfunded or underfunded police," she told 9News after a press briefing.
Why it matters: Brough, a longtime business leader, is the first prominent candidate to put forward a plan to tackle one of the defining issues of the April election. But she left plenty unanswered.
Details: Standing in front of the Denver Justice Center, she reiterated strategies from Mayor Michael Hancock's administration, despite his approach drawing scrutiny.
Like Hancock, she wants to invest in the city's police alternative programs while bolstering law enforcement agencies, which continue to struggle with vacancies.
Yes, but: The lack of clear commitment to law enforcement spending is where she strays from Denver's current chief executive, who has adamantly opposed cuts to police budgets.
What she's saying: The main differences between her strategy and the current mayor are culture and transparency, she told Axios Denver.
Brough said her administration would ensure the public has "information earlier about what we've done right and wrong" and would "ask our officers to take accountability to improve."
Of note: Denise Maes, the former public policy director of ACLU of Colorado and a prominent voice in the police accountability community, is backing Brough.
What to watch: Brough told Axios Denver she was "very impressed" by Denver's new police chief Ron Thomas, but hasn't decided whether to keep him at the helm.
The former head of the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce told 9News she will stop city sweeps of homeless encampments. She expects to release her plan to address Denver's homeless crisis by the end of January, she told Axios.