Former Denver Police Chief Paul Pazen has joined Common Sense Institute as a public safety fellow, the group announced Friday. 

In a statement, Pazen said he is excited to join the Common Sense Institute.

“I believe in utilizing research, innovation, data, and evidence-based methods to improve the quality of life, vibrancy and public safety for the people of Colorado and CSI strives to do exactly that,” he said. 

Common Sense Institute Executive Director Kelly Caufield noted how rising crime rates have driven public safety to the top of public policy discussions in the state.

“Our charge and the focus of this fellowship is to quantify the economic impact of public safety issues and spark thoughtful debate centered on policies that keep Coloradans safe and prosperous,” she said. 

Caufield said Common Sense Institute will release a public safety study later this year on the economic benefits of increased law enforcement.

Pazen’s tenure as chief included helping launch the Support Team Assisted Response (STAR) program in 2020 in concert with community organizations. The program sends pairs of mental health clinicians and paramedics to low-level, non-violent calls that implicate behavioral health needs. And under his leadership, the agency was one of the first departments to adopt the Active Bystandership for Law Enforcement from Georgetown University Law Center, which trains officers on peer intervention to prevent situations from unnecessarily escalating.  

Pazen also helped oversee the adoption of new use-of-force policies in 2018, which included prohibiting officers from watching footage from their body cameras before they are interviewed by investigators, creating a chart to train officers on making split-second decisions and prohibiting deadly force if a person only poses a danger to themselves.  

During his tenure, the police department began a “hot spot” policing strategy, which concentrated resources around five intersections police say made up a disproportionate number of the city’s shootings and homicides. The department has since expanded the strategy to include three more areas. 

He led the department during a time of historic challenges: The agency has struggled with staffing shortages, an issue exacerbated by putting new recruit classes on hold in 2020 because of the pandemic; increased response times to calls for service; and, eroded public trust in policing. In addition, homicides began to increase in 2020, with 67 tallied this year as of Wednesday.

Last year, Pazen pointed to state policies that, he said, have made it difficult for law enforcement to go after criminals and keep them in jails. 

“What’s often is missing at the legislative level is any concern for the victims of crimes,” he said. “Auto theft — we think it’s not that big of a deal, but it is a big deal. Think of our marginalized communities, communities of color. That might be the only vehicle a family has. That might be the only way to get the kids to school, to get to a job, to get to the grocery store and that vehicle is gone.”

CSI describes itself as a “non-partisan research organization dedicated to the protection and promotion of Colorado’s economy.”

Reporter Julia Cardi contributed in this report. Julia can be reached at julia.cardi@gazette.com.