Police Operations and Staffing Follow-Up

The Denver Police Department fully implemented five recommendations made in the original audit report. However, the department partially implemented only four others and it has not taken steps to address the risks seven other recommendations had sought to resolve.

Remaining Risks

The recommendations the department did not fully implement present several lingering risks. Among them:

• The department’s strategic plan lacks critical elements to help effectively predict future needs, determine progress toward defined long-term goals, and ensure the department provides meaningful and efficient police services to the community.
  
  
• The lack of comprehensive strategies to understand and address staff retention could prevent the police department from identifying issues within their control that lead to officers leaving the department.

Auditor's Letter

January 2, 2025

In keeping with generally accepted government auditing standards and Auditor’s Office policy, as authorized by city ordinance, we have a responsibility to monitor and follow up on audit recommendations to ensure city agencies address audit findings through appropriate corrective action and to aid us in planning future audits.

In June 2023, we audited police operations and staffing and found risks involving strategic planning, community policing planning, the department’s recruiting strategies and performance management, and staffing models. The Denver Police Department agreed to implement all 16 recommendations. It should be noted that the department originally proposed several implementation dates before the original audit report was published. We subsequently gave the department clarifying information on the remaining work we identified that had not been completed under separate cover.

We recently followed up and found the department fully implemented five recommendations, partially implemented four, and did not implement seven recommendations.

Although the police department has made notable progress, it did not fully address all the risks associated with our original findings. Consequently, we may revisit these risk areas in future audits to ensure the city takes appropriate corrective action.

We appreciate the leaders and team members in Denver Police Department and the Department of Public Safety who shared their time and knowledge with us throughout the audit and the follow-up process. Please contact me at 720-913-5000 with any questions.

Denver Auditor's Office


Timothy O'Brien, CPA

AUDITOR TIMOTHY O'BRIEN, CPA
Denver Auditor

Denver Auditor's Office

201 W. Colfax Ave. #705 Denver, CO 80202
Email: auditor@denvergov.org
Call: 720-913-5000
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