Denver City Council OKs $2 million in contracts for police uniforms, accessories and cars

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One week after agreeing to spend $1.1 million on contracts for police uniforms and accessories, the Denver City Council approved further commitments in police funding on Monday.

During the regular Council meeting Monday night, council members passed two resolutions approving the purchase of over $2 million in uniforms, accessories and vehicles for the Denver Police Department.

The first resolution approved a purchase order between Denver and Galls, LLC for uniforms and accessories. The $1.4 million order will cover three years with two one-year renewal options.

This resolution passed in a 12-1 vote with Councilwoman Candi CdeBaca being the only council member to vote no.

CdeBaca called the spending a “really tone-deaf response to what communities are asking for.”

“I don’t believe this is the right place for us to be spending any dollars right now,” she said.

Last week, the Council also approved two contracts for $1.1 million of DPD uniforms and accessories, including riot gear such as forearm protectors, shin guards, mission-specific gear bags, face shields and ballistic helmets. Those contracts run through 2023.

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CdeBaca was also the only council member to vote no on the uniform spending last week.

“We are obligated to provide uniforms for our officers and my community is not asking me to send officers out on the street in their underwear,” Councilman Kevin Flynn said.

Flynn also pointed out that the order is a master purchase order that acquires the uniforms as needed up to $1.4 million, but will not necessarily spend all $1.4 million.

Though the funds for the two resolutions were already appropriated during the budget season, CdeBaca said the Council does not have to approve the contracts just because the budget was approved.

“There are several other careers where people are required to wear uniforms that they themselves are required to pay for,” CdeBaca said. “I think there needs to be a shift in responsibility eventually for cops to be paying for their own uniforms, especially the add-ons.”

During the public comment section of the meeting, multiple community members called in to oppose the contracts for police uniforms and accessories.

Tess Dougherty, a resident of Denver’s District 9, said the money would be better spent elsewhere, like in assisting the city’s homeless population.

Denver City Council approves $1.1 million agreements for uniforms, accessories and riot gear

“Wouldn’t this be the place that you say, ‘I’m going to divest money and put it into the people who are dying on the streets’?” Dougherty said. “Don’t you think the police can maybe wear the same uniforms for another year?”

The second resolution, passed in an 11-2 vote, approved a purchase order between Denver and EP Blazer, LLC, purchasing 18 Chevrolet Tahoe vehicles for the DPD at the total price of $694,764.

Those 18 vehicles will replace an existing DPD fleet, with the old vehicles set to be sold at auction.

CdeBaca, who voted no, pointed to the fact that the Council chose not to purchase the replacement vehicles last year, saying the purchase is still not warranted.

Flynn countered, saying “the fact that we did defer replacement of our fleet of the older vehicles to bring new vehicles in is exactly the reason that we should be voting yes on this.”

Councilwoman Jamie Torres also voted no on purchasing the new vehicles for DPD.

“After the recession, we didn’t purchase significant vehicles from 2008 to 2013 and then since then, we really haven’t stopped,” Torres said. “In response to the deep economic time we have right now, this is one of those times where hard costs have to be reevaluated.”

Note: This article has been updated to clarify that the council’s action was to approve contracts and not for additional funding.


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