Denver Police Department, Discrimination, Colorado 2024

Denver Police Department, Discrimination, Colorado 2024

The Denver Police Department has agreed to implement changes to its language access policies, procedures, and training after the Justice Department launched an investigation into allegations of discrimination against limited English proficient individuals.

According to the Justice Department, the investigation, which began after community members raised concerns about incidents involving Burmese and Rohingya-speaking residents living in the East Colfax area of Denver, revealed numerous instances where DPD officers failed to provide language assistance to LEP individuals or provided language assistance that was ineffective or inappropriate.

The investigation uncovered situations where children, family members, and bystanders were relied upon for language assistance, including in circumstances where more reliable and objective language assistance should have been provided.

As part of the settlement agreement, the DPD has agreed to implement a series of changes to its language access policies, procedures, and training, including:

– Updating its Language Access Policy and Plan in order to establish procedures for communicating with LEP individuals, including witnesses and suspects, and to prohibit the use of children, family members, or bystanders to communicate with LEP individuals, except in exigent circumstances;

– Appointing its first-ever LEP Coordinator and establish Language Access Points of Contact (LAPCs) in each district to ensure that LEP individuals have access to reliable and effective language assistance when interacting with DPD officers.

The agreement also includes a provision that the DPD will provide training to all officers on language access best practices and the importance of providing effective communication to LEP individuals.

The Justice Department’s investigation was led by the Civil Rights Division’s Federal Coordination and Compliance Section in partnership with U.S. Attorneys’ Offices.

Mandatory Facts:
Defendant: Denver Police Department
Crime: Discrimination against limited English proficient individuals
City, State: Denver, Colorado
Date: [No specific date mentioned]
Outcome: Settlement agreement with implementation of changes to language access policies, procedures, and training
Dollar Amounts: [No dollar amounts mentioned]

Related Federal Cases