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Reject Permanent Limits on Low-Level Traffic Stops in Denver
Open Letter to Denver City Council: Please Reject the Proposal to Permanently Limit Low-Level Traffic Stops I wanted to share the email I sent to the Denver City Council regarding the proposal to permanently limit certain low-level traffic stops. 9NEWS Article: https://www.9news.com/article/news/local/denver-limits-low-level-police-traffic-stops-permanent-proposal/73-7d447e88-e467-444c-a063-36433681c9dc Dear Denver City Council Members, I am writing to express my strong opposition to the proposal to permanently limit police officers' ability to conduct certain low-level traffic stops. As someone who drives throughout Denver regularly, I have watched traffic conditions deteriorate significantly over the past several years. Speeding, distracted driving, vehicles without license plates or with obscured or expired plates, red-light violations, and other dangerous driving behaviors have become increasingly common. While the proposal states that dangerous violations like speeding and reckless driving would still be enforced, the reality on Denver's streets is that many residents already perceive a serious lack of traffic enforcement. Making it more difficult for officers to conduct traffic stops only reinforces that perception. This issue extends far beyond motorists. Every pedestrian crossing a street, every cyclist using a bike lane, every scooter rider, motorcyclist, transit rider, and every family walking through a neighborhood depends on drivers obeying the law. When traffic laws are not consistently enforced, everyone who uses Denver's streets is placed at greater risk. Traffic enforcement is not simply about issuing citations. It is about preventing crashes, discouraging dangerous behavior, and promoting accountability before someone is seriously injured or killed. One of the most frustrating issues for law-abiding citizens is the number of vehicles on Denver roads with no license plates, expired temporary tags, or unreadable registrations. It is an insult and a slap in the face to residents who take the time to register their vehicles, maintain insurance, and comply with Colorado law. When basic laws are ignored without meaningful enforcement, it creates the perception that following the rules is optional. The City continues to expand the use of red-light cameras and speed enforcement cameras while encouraging residents to report crimes and suspicious activity. Yet this proposal appears to move in the opposite direction by reducing proactive traffic enforcement. These approaches should complement one another, not replace one another. Cameras cannot stop an impaired driver, investigate suspicious circumstances, recover stolen vehicles, identify individuals committing other crimes, or intervene before dangerous behavior escalates. The City also encourages residents to report crimes and be active participants in keeping our neighborhoods safe. However, many residents increasingly feel that the underlying message has become, "Don't bother calling the police because nothing will happen." Whether that perception is entirely accurate or not, it is damaging to public confidence. If the Mayor is going to highlight that crime is down, then residents should also see visible enforcement and accountability on our streets, not policies that appear to reduce it. I understand the concerns regarding pretextual traffic stops and the importance of protecting civil rights. Those concerns deserve continued attention. However, I do not believe the solution is to permanently reduce officers' ability to enforce laws that help maintain accountability and public safety. Denver should instead invest in better training, improved oversight, transparent data collection, and meaningful accountability for misconduct while preserving officers' ability to enforce traffic laws appropriately. Traffic safety has become one of the most common concerns among Denver residents. Every day, law-abiding citizens witness speeding, distracted driving, red-light running, vehicles without plates, expired tags, and blatant disregard for traffic laws. These behaviors threaten not only drivers but everyone who shares our roads, sidewalks, bike lanes, and crosswalks. The growing perception that there is little concern for enforcing these laws undermines public confidence and encourages further disregard for the rules. Permanently limiting enforcement of these violations sends the wrong signal to those who already ignore the law while discouraging those who continue to do the right thing. Denver should strive to make its streets safer for everyone, regardless of how they travel. That means protecting pedestrians in crosswalks, cyclists in bike lanes, scooter riders, transit users, responsible drivers, and first responders. Reducing accountability on our roads is inconsistent with that goal. I respectfully urge you to reject this proposal and instead pursue policies that improve traffic safety, support responsible policing, and restore public confidence that traffic laws will be enforced fairly and consistently for everyone. Thank you for your time and consideration. If you have an opinion on this proposal, whether you support it or oppose it, I encourage you to contact the Denver City Council before any final vote. Civic engagement only works when residents speak up. 9NEWS Article https://www.9news.com/article/news/local/denver-limits-low-level-police-traffic-stops-permanent-proposal/73-7d447e88-e467-444c-a063-36433681c9dc Denver City Council Main Office Email: [ dencc@denvergov.org ](mailto: dencc@denvergov.org ) Phone: 720-337-2000 Council Member Emails [ Amanda.Sandoval@denvergov.org ](mailto: Amanda.Sandoval@denvergov.org ) (District 1) [ kevin.flynn@denvergov.org ](mailto: kevin.flynn@denvergov.org ) (District 2) [ Jamie.Torres@denvergov.org ](mailto: Jamie.Torres@denvergov.org ) (District 3) [ diana.romerocampbell@denvergov.org ](mailto: diana.romerocampbell@denvergov.org ) (District 4) [ Amanda.Sawyer@denvergov.org ](mailto: Amanda.Sawyer@denvergov.org ) (District 5) [ paul.kashmann@denvergov.org ](mailto: paul.kashmann@denvergov.org ) (District 6) [ flor.alvidrez@denvergov.org ](mailto: flor.alvidrez@denvergov.org ) (District 7) [ shontel.lewis@denvergov.org ](mailto: shontel.lewis@denvergov.org ) (District 8) [ darrell.watson@denvergov.org ](mailto: darrell.watson@denvergov.org ) (District 9) [ Chris.Hinds@denvergov.org ](mailto: Chris.Hinds@denvergov.org ) (District 10) [ stacie.gilmore@denvergov.org ](mailto: stacie.gilmore@denvergov.org ) (District 11) [ Serena.Gonzales-Gutierrez@denvergov.org ](mailto: Serena.Gonzales-Gutierrez@denvergov.org ) (At-Large) [ Sarah.Parady@denvergov.org ](mailto: Sarah.Parady@denvergov.org ) (At-Large) Please keep the discussion civil. Whether you drive, walk, bike, ride a scooter, or use public transit, this proposal affects all of us. I encourage everyone to read the proposal, consider its potential impacts, and let your elected representatives know where you stand.
This policy rejects permanent, inflexible limits that create a false choice between safety and equity. Denver's traffic deaths hit a record 98 in 2023, and pedestrian fatalities jumped from 30% to 40% of all deaths since 2019 — we can't afford to lose a key enforcement tool when the data shows unregistered vehicles have surged 30%.
Permanent limits on low-level stops abandon communities of color to dangerous streets without addressing the real problem of biased policing. The Stanford Open Policing Project shows only 1.5% of stops find weapons or contraband, so why not track officer behavior in real time instead of removing all stops?
History warns us that blanket bans can backfire — Philadelphia saw a 12% increase in hit-and-run crashes after its 2021 policy. But Berkeley's ban showed no change in serious crashes, proving the outcomes depend entirely on local context and implementation, not ideology.
What guarantees that a data-driven consent decree model won't just create new bureaucracy without actually changing officer behavior? Ferguson's consent decree took years and millions of dollars — Denver doesn't have that kind of time while traffic deaths climb.
A balanced enforcement model that tracks every stop and retrains biased officers can reduce disparities without sacrificing safety. This approach preserves officer discretion where it matters — like catching drunk drivers or stolen cars — while building the community trust that Vision Zero needs to succeed.
Both sides are right to be worried — advocates fear racial profiling, while pragmatists fear rising chaos on our streets. The real solution is a middle path: use data to target bad policing, not ban all stops, so we can protect both civil rights and pedestrian lives.