Press releases are provided to Yellow Scene Magazine. In an effort to keep our community informed, we publish some press releases in whole. 

Monday, June 15, 2026

Media Contact:

Dionne Waugh, Police PIO, 303-518-1894

WaughD@bouldercolorado.gov

bouldercolorado.gov

Boulder Police Officer Arrested

BOULDER, Colo. – This afternoon, the Boulder Police Department learned that Erie Police were investigating a domestic violence incident involving one of our officers.

The Erie Police Department developed criminal charges against Boulder Police Officer Matthew Herkalo for misdemeanor charges of domestic violence harassment and official misconduct. The incidents are alleged to have occurred when he was off duty. Herkalo turned himself in to Erie Police this afternoon and was arrested.

The Boulder Police Department has placed Herkalo on paid administrative leave per department policy. He has been a Boulder Police officer since July 2024.

The City of Boulder is sharing information about these allegations with our community in the spirit of transparency and integrity. As in every criminal case, these charges are an accusation, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless or until proven guilty.

–CITY–

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Press releases are provided to Yellow Scene Magazine. In an effort to keep our community informed, we publish some press releases in whole.

NEWS

Tuesday, June 2, 2026

Media Contact:

Dionne Waugh, Boulder Police PIO,

WaughD@bouldercolorado.gov

bouldercolorado.gov

New Boulder Police K9 Team Hits the Street to Enhance Public Safety

BOULDER, Colo. – The Boulder Police Department is proud to announce its second K9 team has been officially certified and is now on Patrol, keeping the community safe.

Officer Taylor and K9 Knox have spent hundreds of hours training to obtain certifications in both patrol work and narcotics detection to be able to find illegal drugs, missing persons, and suspects. This extensive handler and canine training included months of classroom work, practical application, scenarios, legal updates, report writing (more for Officer Taylor since K9 Knox prefers to bark or sniff than write), deployment standards, canine behavior, and real-world problem solving.

Much of the training is intentionally conducted in unpredictable and changing environments so the dog can remain reliable in public settings, around distractions, and during rapidly evolving incidents.

“One of the most important things for the community to understand is that Knox is trained to locate the odor of illegal narcotics as well as human odor. Knox is not used to randomly search people or property without justification. Every deployment will comply with constitutional standards, department policy, and ongoing legal training,” Officer Taylor said.

“Additionally, Knox’s capabilities go far beyond enforcement. His ability to quickly locate suspects, clear buildings, apprehend fleeing individuals, or locate hidden narcotics often helps resolve incidents more safely for officers, community members, and suspects themselves. In many situations, the presence of a trained police dog leads to voluntary surrender and reduces the likelihood of force being used. The level of training, accountability, and continual evaluation involved in K9 work is significant, and maintaining that standard is a major part of our daily responsibility to the Boulder community.”

K9 Knox is a 2-year-old Dutch Shepherd and lives with Officer Taylor, who describes his personality as curious and playful when training, but all business when it’s time to work. K9 Knox was sworn in by the police chief in January, and the team is excited to be serving Boulder.

“Having a full-time drug, tracking, and apprehension K9 team in Boulder is long overdue. Previously, when we had a situation that required a specialized K9 team, we might have to wait an extended period of time for another agency to respond to help, delaying our response and investigation,” Boulder Police Chief Steve Redfearn said. “Having Knox and Officer Taylor in Boulder will keep everyone safer, from officers to community members, and will allow for faster resolutions to dangerous situations.”

Thank you to the Boulder Police Foundation for their tremendous support and relaunch of our K9 program. We also appreciate Fort Collins Police Services, which has both a similar community and a well-established K9 program, for their assistance in helping to train Knox and Officer Taylor.

This K9 team joins Officer Donahue and K9 Astro, who were sworn in together in June 2023. Their focus is on explosives and firearms detection and community engagement.

As Officer Taylor and K9 Knox enter their next phase of field training, they’re unavailable for interviews, so we’re sharing these photos and video.

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The post New Boulder Police K9 Team Hits the Street to Enhance Public Safety appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

Press releases are provided to Yellow Scene Magazine. In an effort to keep our community informed, we publish some press releases in whole.

Wednesday, June 3, 2026

Media Contact:

Dionne Waugh, Police PIO, 303-518-1894

WaughD@bouldercolorado.gov

bouldercolorado.gov

BPD Unveils New Spanish Traffic Form to Help Community Members & Better Serve the Public

BOULDER, Colo. – To better serve the evolving needs of our diverse community, the Boulder Police Department is proud to announce the official launch of a companion Spanish-language traffic citation and resource form.

This initiative is designed to bridge communication gaps, enhance officer and community member safety, and increase department efficiency.

The idea started within BPD’s Traffic Unit, which identified a significant hurdle during traffic stops: even when roadside interpretation services were used, drivers often left the scene with a physical citation printed exclusively in English. This disconnect frequently led to:

• Missed court dates due to a lack of translated procedural instructions.
• Unpaid fines resulting from confusion regarding payment methods.
• Safety risks to everyone caused by increased time at the traffic stop, given the nature of interpretation services delays.

Beyond the legal implications for drivers, language barriers have historically strained city resources. On average, a traffic stop involving a language barrier takes three times longer to resolve and often requires the dispatch of additional officers to assist with translation. That also results in fewer officers available for other calls and slower response times to other calls.

By providing citations and resource documents in Spanish, the department expects to see a marked improvement in roadside efficiency, allowing officers to return to patrol more quickly while ensuring the driver fully understands their rights and responsibilities.

“Our goal is to ensure every interaction between an officer and a community member is clear, fair, and professional,” Chief of Staff Alastair McNiven said. “By providing these resources in Spanish, we are removing a significant obstacle to compliance and ensuring that everyone in our community has the tools they need to navigate the legal process successfully. I’m grateful for the input and contributions from our Community Connectors in Residence and other community members with lived experience who helped in the creation of this form.”

The new forms include translated information on how to pay fines, how to contest a citation in court, and where to find additional legal resources such as a court interpreter, information on driver’s licenses and license plate requirements, as well as contact information for Spanish-speaking BPD liaison officers.

–CITY–

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The post Boulder Police Department Unveils New Spanish Traffic Form appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

There were two big events in April that have helped to illustrate our goals as local journalists. We hosted our annual SuperKids Expo (more on that next issue), where we celebrated who we are as a community today, and we see in the eyes of our youngest residents who our community is going to be.

But it was something else that created a reason to celebrate, not just for us, but for the community — we won an appellate court case in a 3-0 decision (in baseball terms, a shutout). Back in 2024, we requested all of the police body camera footage from the City of Boulder related to the officer-involved shooting of Jeanette Alatorre on December 17, 2023. Sure, the city said, only it will cost you around three thousand dollars. (That number would later inexplicably triple.)

Here’s the thing. There is a law in Colorado known as ELEIA or the Enhance Law Enforcement Integrity Act. That law does not permit agencies from charging fees before releasing certain types of footage. In fact, they can only slightly delay releasing video clips if there is an active investigation that the footage would be relevant to. The Boulder police department did not relent and so we took them to court in 2024. We won the case. The city appealed. And this month we won again. 

The Colorado Court of Appeals found that the Boulder police department in fact can not charge for this type of footage. As Yellow Scene attorney Matt Simonsen said in his arguments before the court “I would certainly hope that when there is a complaint of police misconduct that there are public employees reviewing this video for other purposes than just to blur it.” 

To say that we were overjoyed at winning the appeal would be an understatement. It’s also important to understand that when we say “we won this case” we mean it as what is often called the “Royal We.” Yes, this case was spurred by our desire to find the truth in a tragedy but the ruling will affect all of us. It’s a win for accountability, for equality, and for truth. And those are three things that sorely need a mark in the Win column now. It means that misdeeds can’t be hidden behind a paywall, that family members can regain a little faith in the follow-up of an incident, and that we can collectively watch for the truth, not settle for the official version of what they want that truth to be. You can follow that thought a little deeper with John Oliver in his Last Week Tonight segment on Bodycams.

When the verdict was announced we celebrated a victory for all of us. And then we got back to work because that’s what we do. And we do it best when we do it together so please keep reading, share the stories that matter to you with friends and family and become a sustaining member to keep those stories coming.

If that win does anything, it shows the power of local journalists who will scrape and fight for the truth.

Like journalism like this? Consider becoming a sustaining supporter — and get our print edition delivered to your home each month.

Democracy needs journalism more than ever. For 25 years, we’ve told the truth — your support helps us keep doing it for the next four and beyond. Administrations come and go. Our team stays ready to lead, no matter who’s in charge.

The post Editor’s Note: A Victory for the Community appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

Some members of Boulder’s Police Oversight Panel are sounding the alarm that structural changes may be quietly eroding the panel’s independence.

At the panel’s November 10 meeting, Police Monitor Sherry Daun announced that the panel would no longer review every internal investigation into complaints of officer misconduct. Going forward, Daun said she would close certain cases without panel input if she and the department’s Professional Standards Unit (PSU) determine that complaints are unfounded or that officers should be exonerated. Daun added that the ordinance grants her “sole authority to classify those complaints” — a claim the panel has contested.

That dispute over authority is part of a broader pattern. In recent months, the city has narrowed the number of cases the panel can review, denied its request to hire independent counsel, and told members they cannot meet privately to discuss these disputes. The panel was created in 2020 specifically to provide independent civilian oversight after an officer drew his weapon on Zayd Atkinson, a Black student picking up trash outside his own home. The cumulative effect of these changes has raised serious concerns about whether the panel retains any meaningful independence at all.

Those concerns are not unfounded. According to data released by the Boulder Police Department and analyzed by Boulder Progressives, disproportionate stops of Hispanic and Black residents have increased despite years of reform efforts: including the creation of the oversight panel itself, the installation of the Office of Police Monitor, and the adoption of a training protocol known as ICAT (Integrating Communications, Assessment and Tactics). Some evidence suggests there is an ongoing trend in use-of-force incidents by the Boulder Police Department. Officers drew firearms on people 240 times in 2024: roughly 20 times per month. Taser use rose from approximately 1.2 incidents per month between 2019 and 2021 to 1.5 per month in 2024.

“The new data from the BPD shows that the police are continuing to move in the wrong direction despite the recent reforms implemented by the Boulder City Council,” said Dan Williams, Executive Committee member of Boulder Progressives. The reforms, in other words, are not working at the same time many worry that the panel charged with holding the department accountable is being systematically weakened.

Since its founding, the panel has faced persistent obstacles. It struggled to keep seats filled due to the sheer volume of cases. In 2022, a founding member resigned in protest after city officials advised her not to speak publicly about a high-profile misconduct case. The dispute was rooted in deep disagreements about transparency and what information panelists were permitted to share with the community.

The tension escalated in 2023, when the city council voted to remove panelist Lisa Sweeney-Miran. Sweeney-Miran was a vocal advocate for police reform and had been involved in a lawsuit seeking to overturn the city’s camping ban that named the police chief. City officials argued that her documented history of activism constituted a bias that could render the panel’s decisions vulnerable to legal challenge and appeal. There was no allegation that she had behaved improperly in her role on the panel, only that her public record made her a liability. Many observers feared this set a dangerous precedent: that any criticism of police, even if expressed outside the panel, in the form of civic participation, could be grounds for disqualification.

That precedent is now being applied more broadly.

The Boulder Police Officers Association (BPOA) recently filed a formal complaint, which was obtained by Yellow Scene through a CORA request, against panelist Maria Soledad-Diaz, who also serves as co-chair of the oversight panel. The complaint accused her of a “clear biased approach” to her role and claimed her statements were “damaging” and “divisive.”

To understand what actually prompted those accusations, it helps to look at the two cases cited in the complaint.

In the first, the panel disagreed with both the department’s internal investigation and the independent police monitor, finding the officers involved in a complaint regarding investigation MI2025-023 may have taken discriminatory actions. Diaz was one of three panelists who reached that conclusion. An external review was subsequently conducted and sided with the department. The complaint characterizes this disagreement as evidence of a compromised process, stating that it raises “serious concerns regarding the integrity of the panel’s review process and suggest a departure from a fact-based approach to police oversight.” But no specific procedural failure is identified. The complaint offers no evidence that the panel mishandled testimony, ignored evidence, or violated protocol. The argument, stripped down, is that reaching a different conclusion than the department is itself proof of bias. That seems to be a standard that would make independent oversight structurally impossible.

In the second case, Ms. Diaz acknowledged that an officer’s actions were within department policy. But nonetheless described the encounter as involving “racial undertones” and a “power imbalance.” The complaint treats this as contradictory behavior. It isn’t. Whether conduct is technically within policy and whether it reflects racial dynamics or imbalanced power are entirely separate questions. Whether Diaz’s assertions were correct is a different question, but they do not appear to be in themselves disqualifying.

The third basis for the complaint involves public statements Diaz made outside of panel proceedings. She told community members she had limited faith in the complaint process and would not encourage people to file complaints. The BPOA characterized this statement as a breach of impartiality. 

A separate complaint was filed by a private citizen, Aaron Brooks, against panelist Mylene Vialard, for “public misconduct and loss of impartiality.” The complaint alleged that Vialard had participated in and led chants at a public protest related to issues the Boulder Police Department manages, that this conduct demonstrated “clear advocacy behavior,” and that it created an “unavoidable appearance of bias.”

What the complaint does not include is any allegation about Vialard’s conduct during panel proceedings. There are no alleged, nor disputed cases, no improper ruling, no procedural violation. The entire complaint rests on the fact that she attended a protest. This raises a serious question about scope: are panelists now subject to removal based on their off-duty exercise of free speech and freedom of assembly? And if so, who decides which protests constitute bias, and against whom?

The Sweeney-Miran case established that prior advocacy against police could disqualify a panelist. That precedent now appears to be extending to the statements of a sitting co-chair and the protest attendance of another member. The effect, intended or not, is to define “impartiality” as the absence of any public skepticism toward law enforcement. Some panelists argue that these moves are producing a system that is structurally biased towards protecting the department from scrutiny.

Communities of color, who are disproportionately subject to use-of-force and disproportionate stops, are statistically more likely to have direct experience with or public opinions about policing. Under the standard being applied, the city may label their lived experience and civic participation as liabilities. Imagine a Black panelist who has attended a community meeting on police brutality, or liked a post in support of Black Lives Matter, or expressed frustration with a complaint process they have personally navigated — each of these experiences could now be framed as evidence of disqualifying bias. 

The communication between the panel, the independent police monitor, and the city attorney’s office has also grown strained.

Diaz told Yellow Scene Magazine, “It has been hard to land in a place of understanding. The panel has been through a couple of changes in the interpretation of the ordinance by the city attorney’s office, and this has impacted its authority and its ability to review cases.”

The disputes have brought panel meetings to a near-standstill and prompted the city to reexamine the panel’s scope. The panel is entering its five-year review, which will determine whether its mandate should be expanded, narrowed, or restructured. Concurrently, the City Manager will launch an independent review of the oversight system to evaluate what is working and identify potential improvements.

Under the new regulations, cases that do not advance to a full administrative investigation are no longer eligible for full panel review, though the panel will continue to receive case summaries, which the city describes as “preserving a level of oversight.” The city has explained these changes as necessary because the system was overwhelmed and the ordinance was always intended to focus the panel on cases where full investigations were already underway, not lower-level complaints.

There is a legitimate argument to be made about workload and efficiency. But the question is whether reducing the panel’s caseload, restricting its ability to hire independent counsel, prohibiting private deliberations, and using complaints to remove members who publicly question the system are all happening in service of a more effective panel — or a more compliant one.

“I think right now, we are in a position where this input is viewed and perceived as a challenge, rather than something that should complement the system,” Diaz said. “The panel is not challenging the system; we want to work and build on the system together.”

With the five-year review underway, there is a real decision point ahead. The city can use it to strengthen the panel, allow it to continue to languish, or dismantle it altogether. All paths have major implications for the evolving relationship between Boulder residents and their police department.

The post Complaints Against Boulder Police Oversight Panel Spark Debate appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

Press releases are provided to Yellow Scene Magazine. In an effort to keep our community informed, we publish some press releases in whole.

Thursday, March 5, 2026

Media Contact:

Jamie Barker, Public Information Officer, 720-545-6012

Barkerj@bouldercolorado.gov

bouldercolorado.gov

Boulder, Colo. — By 6:30 p.m. on Saturday, crews from over 10 different agencies had the Bluebell Fire, just southwest of Chautauqua, 100% contained. The swift and coordinated response included air resources as well as hand crews on the ground. The cause of the fire remains undetermined though weather and powerlines can be ruled out as a cause, foul play has also been ruled out.

Open Space and Mountain Parks (OSMP) Rangers were the first on scene and immediately began evacuating the heavily trafficked trail system, clearing hundreds of hikers, climbers, and outdoor visitors from the area before fire crews arrived. Boulder Fire-Rescue quickly took command, and wildland firefighters then stopped the fire’s forward progress within hours, limiting it to approximately 1.5 acres with no injuries and no structures impacted. Wildland firefighters and OSMP Rangers returned to the scene of the fire on Sunday and Monday of this week to monitor the area and conduct an investigation.

More than 100 firefighters from across the region and over a dozen assisting agencies responded to the incident. The Firehawk helicopter from the Colorado Division of Fire Prevention and Control also played a key role in suppression efforts. It completed seven targeted water drops on the fire, each estimated at approximately 560 gallons. The helicopter retrieved water from South Boulder Campus Lake, allowing crews to quickly cool hotspots and support firefighters working on the ground.

“This response demonstrated the strength of our regional partnerships,” said Fire Chief Michael Calderazzo. “Our OSMP Rangers were first on scene and immediately began evacuating people from the trail system; wildland firefighters quickly moved into the area to limit the fire’s spread, and law enforcement supported evacuation efforts and traffic control, to only name a few things. This collaborative work is what allowed us to so efficiently contain the fire and protect the community.”

Wildland firefighters and OSMP Rangers returned to the scene of the fire on Sunday and Monday of this week to monitor the area and conduct an investigation. The Bluebell trail and area closures remain in effect through this weekend to continue monitoring burned areas but are expected to reopen by Tuesday, Mar. 10. Trail updates can be found on the OSMP webpage.

Boulder Fire-Rescue and the City of Boulder are grateful for the assistance of the following agencies in the Bluebell Fire: Mountain View Fire Rescue, Louisville Fire Protection District, Boulder Emergency Squad, Boulder County Sheriff’s Office and Boulder County Sheriff’s Office Fire Management, Boulder Police Department, Boulder Rural Fire Protection District, Sunshine Fire Protection District, Four Mile Fire Protection District, Boulder Mountain Fire Protection District, Lefthand Fire Protection District, Lyons Fire Protection District, the Colorado Division of Fire Prevention and Control, and Boulder Open Space and Mountain Parks Rangers.

The quick containment of the Bluebell Fire highlights the effectiveness of coordinated wildfire response and the critical role of early detection and evacuation in protecting the Boulder community and its open spaces.

While this fire only enacted an evacuation warning, events like these are a good reminder to sign up for emergency alerts if you haven’t already. Visit bocoalert.org to opt into the Boulder County emergency alert system. Please text BOCOINFO to 888777 to receive informational texts during large-scale incidents when the Emergency Operations Center is activated.

–CITY–

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The post Bluebell Fire Cause Remains Undetermined After Saturday’s Multi-Agency Response appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

Press releases are provided to Yellow Scene Magazine. In an effort to keep our community informed, we publish some press releases in whole.

Thursday, Feb. 19, 2026

Media Contact: Dionne Waugh, Police PIO, 303-518-1894

WaughD@bouldercolorado.gov

bouldercolorado.gov

BOULDER, Co — Just after 5 p.m. on Feb. 9, officers were called to an apartment complex in the 1800 block of 22nd Street for a report of an adult male threatening another man and possibly possessing a gun. The first officer arrived on scene and began speaking with the suspect. The suspect then began to walk away and refused to listen to the officer’s commands.

When the officer tried to stop the suspect, he began to fight with the officer, who called for backup. During the struggle, the pair fell to the ground, and the officer was knocked unconscious after his head hit a rock. The suspect landed on top of the officer and proceeded to twice punch him in the head. The officer fought back, and the suspect then began choking the officer. After dispatchers were unable to reach the officer on his radio, they quickly sent additional officers who arrived, tased the suspect, and took him into custody. The officer, who has been a police officer for almost eight years, was transported to the hospital for treatment and is now recovering at home with a torn ACL, bruises, and a concussion.

“Crimes like this show exactly how quickly and unpredictably calls for service can evolve and highlight the risks our officers face each day while keeping our community safe,” Boulder Police Chief Steve Redfearn said. “I am thankful that our officer will be okay and so grateful to his fellow officers and dispatchers who immediately recognized his need for help. Without their swift response, immediate apprehension of the suspect, and quick call for medical aid for our downed officer, this incident could have been so much worse. I am grateful to all who responded.”

The Boulder County District Attorney’s Office upgraded the charges against the suspect, Justin Lyle Radley-Sharpe (date of birth 1/13/1990), to:

• two counts of Criminal Attempt to Commit Murder in the First Degree (F2),
• two counts of Crime of Violence (SE),
• First Degree Assault (F3),
• three counts of Second Degree Assault (F4),
• Menacing (M1), Harassment (M2),
• Obstructing a Peace Officer (M2) and
• Resisting Arrest (M2).

District Attorney Michael Dougherty stated, “I want to recognize the Boulder Police Department for their quick and courageous response to this call of threats and a possible gun. It became an incredibly serious attack on a police officer. I commend the other officers who quickly came to his aid and kept this incident from ending even worse. For the victim and his family, I am relieved to know that he is recovering and receiving a lot of support. Acts of violence against law enforcement are unacceptable. This incident illustrates the possible dangers that they face every day. We will prosecute this attempted murder case to the full extent and ensure that this defendant is held responsible for his actions.”

As in every criminal case, these charges are an accusation, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless or until proven guilty.

–CITY–

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The post Suspect Charged with Attempted Murder of a Peace Officer appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

Press releases are provided to Yellow Scene Magazine. In an effort to keep our community informed, we publish some press releases in whole.

Thursday, Feb. 12, 2026

BOULDER, CO – The Boulder Police Department and Boulder Fire-Rescue responded to a reported structure fire in the 3700 block of Canfield Street at approximately 8:30 a.m. on February 12, 2026.

Upon arrival, officers and fire personnel worked together to evacuate occupants from the building while fire crews located and quickly extinguished the fire. Crews remained on scene for some time to finish the investigation of the fire and ventilation of the building.

A Boulder Fire-Rescue firefighter was transported to a local hospital with suspected minor injuries – a reminder that first responders routinely place themselves in harm’s way to protect the safety of the community.

The building’s automatic fire sprinkler system activated and contained the fire to a single unit, although two units sustained smoke and water damage. The incident has displaced the residents of the two damaged units for the time being. Other residents have been cleared to reenter the building.

Following a preliminary investigation, officers arrested Ranita Ezeonu (DOB 12/7/1988) at the scene. She was medically cleared prior to being taken into custody. The investigation indicates that the fire was intentionally set, with evidence suggesting multiple items were ignited within the suspect’s apartment unit. The specific method used to start the fire remains under investigation.

Ranita Ezeonu was booked into the Boulder County Jail on the following charges:

• First Degree Arson
• Reckless Endangerment
• Harassment

As in every criminal case, these charges are an accusation, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless or until proven guilty.

Media Contact:

Jamie Barker, Public Information Officer, 720-545-6012

Barkerj@bouldercolorado.gov

bouldercolorado.gov

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The post Arrest Made in Canfield Street Fire This Morning appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

Press releases are provided to Yellow Scene Magazine. In an effort to keep our community informed, we publish some press releases in whole.

Featured Photo Courtesy of City of Boulder and Community Cycles

Boulder, Colorado – The Boulder Chamber and Boulder Chamber Transportation Connections (BCTC) are excited to announce that they will once again host a breakfast superstation for this year’s Winter Bike To Work Day (WBTWD) on Friday, February 13th.

Bringing together cyclists across the globe, Winter Bike To Work Day encourages seasoned and new cyclists alike to brave the elements and ride to work (or wherever) on their bikes. This station has become one of the must-attend stops in Boulder, last year hosting over 200 riders. Don your warmest winter biking gear and join in on the fun while also improving your physical and mental health and doing your part to reduce traffic congestion and improve air quality!

Event Details

• Date: Friday, February 13
• Time: 7:00 – 9:00 AM
• Location: Boulder Chamber | 2440 Pearl St., Boulder, CO 80302

Breakfast Station Information

The BCTC Team will host a Breakfast Station at the Boulder Chamber, complete with music, free schwag, burritos, coffee, hot chocolate, and more! Lime Scooter will offer scooter demos. Via Mobility will be on hand to share their wealth of commute options. The Boulder Police Department will be sharing bicycle safety tips and information on properly locking your bicycle, plus get a free U Lock when you register on-site. And we’ll have information on the new speed enforcement happening along CO 119/Diagonal Highway. We’ll also have information about local chocolatier Dar Chocolate.

For more information on Winter Bike to Work Day and Boulder Chamber Transportation Connections, please contact Elaine C. Erb at elaine.erb@boulderchamber.com, and don’t forget to pledge to ride at Bike To Work Day Colorado!

About Boulder Chamber Transportation Connections

Boulder Transportation Connections (BTC) is a non-profit Transportation Management Organization (TMO) that serves businesses and residents within the City of Boulder. BCTC helps connect individuals, businesses, schools, and neighborhoods with their regional mobility options to encourage eco-friendly commutes, including vanpools, carpools, transit, bicycling, telework, and walking. BCTC’s goal is for people to choose commute options other than driving alone to reduce traffic congestion and improve air quality. BCTC also collaborates with local governments, transit agencies, and businesses on new approaches to support transportation efficiency in Boulder. For more information, visit bouldertc.org.

About Boulder Chamber

The Boulder Chamber is a leader that strengthens business and advances economic vitality to cultivate strong communities in the Boulder region. With over 120 years of dedicated service to its members and the Boulder community, the Boulder Chamber’s flagship programs work together on behalf of members and the community to holistically elevate the region’s vitality. Whether you’re looking for economic data, help navigating—or advocating—local policy, or something else entirely, Your Chamber does that. For more information, visit boulderchamber.com.

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COURTNEY WARFORD (she/her)

Senior Marketing & Communications Manager

Ph. 660.605.2739

Your Chamber does that.

Register for the Economic Forecast to hear from top experts, understand the numbers behind the news, and make informed decisions for 2026 and beyond.

The post Boulder Chamber Transportation Connections to Host Winter Bike To Work Day Festivities appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

Press releases are provided to Yellow Scene Magazine. In an effort to keep our community informed, we publish some press releases in whole.

BOULDER, Colo. – The Boulder Police Department detectives are asking for the public’s help to identify two men who intentionally shot into an apartment in the San Juan neighborhood early Monday morning.

Just after 3:30 a.m. on Jan. 12, multiple calls started coming in about gunshots in the 3100 block of 34th Street. According to the surveillance video seen here, two unknown individuals walked up and intentionally fired guns into the building.

Thankfully no one was hit by the gunfire, but the bullets went through windows and walls just above beds with sleeping children.

Detectives do not believe this was random and are asking for tips from the public. Anyone with information is asked to contact Detective Snyder at SnyderJ@bouldercolorado.gov or 303-441-3386 or Metro Denver Crime Stoppers at 720-913-7867 reference case 26-00297. You can remain anonymous and are eligible to earn a cash reward if your information leads to an arrest.

Video: https://vimeo.com/1154073401?share=copy&fl=sv&fe=ci

Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2026

Media Contact:

Dionne Waugh, Police PIO, 303-518-1894

WaughD@bouldercolorado.gov

bouldercolorado.gov

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The post Boulder Police Seeking Information in Shots Fired Call appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

The post 39-Year-Old Colorado Teacher Arrested for Sexual Exploitation of a Child appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

Press releases are provided to Yellow Scene Magazine. In an effort to keep our community informed, we publish some press releases in whole.

Around 11:57 p.m. Boulder Fire-Rescue responded to a fire at a 55+ housing facility in the 4800 block of Baseline Road. While conducting their preliminary search of the units, firefighters found an adult male and quickly removed him from the structure and began performing life saving measures. Unfortunately, the adult male died at the scene.

Firefighters and police officers continued to evacuate the impacted and surrounding buildings. The fire was contained to a single unit which has sustained fire, smoke, and water damage. Other nearby units sustained some smoke and water damage, but no other injuries were reported. The cause of the fire is still under investigation; foul play was ruled out as a cause. Approximately 12 people were evacuated, none were displaced, and American Red Cross was on scene to assist. Information regarding the victim and the cause of their death will be released by the Boulder County Coroner’s Office.

Boulder Fire-Rescue extends our deepest condolences to the individual’s family and loved ones – as well as those impacted by this fire,” said Michael Calderazzo, Boulder Fire-Rescue Chief. “Our firefighters and first responders performed well last night – responding quickly and attentively to the fire scene. It is never an easy thing to lose a member of the community, our thoughts are with those involved.”

Boulder Fire-Rescue appreciates our local partners who assisted during this incident: Boulder Police Department, Mountain View Fire Rescue, Falck Rocky Mountain, and American Red Cross.

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Monday, Jan. 5, 2025

Media Contact: 

Jamie Barker, Public Information Officer, 720-545-6012

Barkerj@bouldercolorado.gov

bouldercolorado.gov

The post One person dies in structure fire on Baseline Rd. appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

Press releases are provided to Yellow Scene Magazine. In an effort to keep our community informed, we publish some press releases in whole.

Media Contact:

Dionne Waugh, Police PIO, 303-518-1894

WaughD@bouldercolorado.gov

bouldercolorado.gov

Boulder Police Officer Arrested

BOULDER, Colo. – This morning the Boulder Police Department was notified that one of its officers had been arrested in a neighboring city.

At approximately 9:24 a.m. today, Dec. 16, Arvada Police were called to a location for a report of a domestic dispute between a couple. After investigating they arrested Jon Hill on a misdemeanor charge of domestic violence harassment.

The Boulder Police Department has placed Hill on paid administrative leave per department policy. He has been a Boulder Police officer since April 2025.

As in every criminal case, these charges are an accusation, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless or until proven guilty.

The post Press Release: Boulder Police Officer Arrested appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

When the Boulder Police Department (BPD) quietly completed its switch to fully encrypted radio channels in late October, the announcement landed with a familiar thud among Colorado journalists and transparency advocates. To the department, the change was a long-planned technical upgrade meant to prevent outages during critical incidents. However, to many in the press, it represented yet another barrier between the public and real-time information about police activity.

Public Information Officer Dionne Waugh told Yellow Scene Magazine that the department “has been working on this transition for over two years.”

The shift has reignited concerns from reporters and open-records advocates who rely on police radio traffic to understand breaking events as they unfold.

Those concerns are in part driven by the BPD’s history. The department has a documented history of transparency disputes, including Yellow Scene’s own lawsuit to secure access to body-camera footage after the city attempted to charge thousands of dollars for the footage. For many local journalists, the promise of “new tools” and dashboards doesn’t outweigh the loss of a decades-old source of real-time situational awareness.

On November 21, BPD Chief Stephen Redfearn released the department’s first formal statement about the transition. Redfearn opened by reaffirming his earlier commitment to transparency upon becoming interim chief in January 2024. He characterized the change as key to ensuring safety and reliability, saying aging equipment had raised concerns about potential failures during emergency responses.

Colorado lawmakers have debated radio encryption for years. Statewide attempts to restrict or regulate encryption, including HB18-1061 and HB19-1235, failed to pass. HB21-1250, a broader police-accountability bill, requires agencies that encrypt their communications to create a policy allowing media access to unencrypted transmissions. But the law doesn’t prescribe how that access must work, leaving departments to craft their own rules.

Across the state, encryption has become the norm. Aurora encrypted its channels in 2016 with Denver following their lead in 2019.

When the encryption went live, BPD offered encrypted radios to three Boulder news organizations. The offer came with a contract outlining rules for usage and penalties for violations, including the possibility of losing access.

The Daily Camera declined the offer. Editor John Vahlenkamp stated that the outlet does not sign agreements to gain access to public safety communications. This stance is shared by many newsrooms who are weary of how relying on police-controlled terms for access to information could unduly influence reporting.

“These radios are tools that news organizations have used for many, many decades to find out, in real time, what is going on with police in their communities,” said Jeffrey A. Roberts, executive director of the Colorado Freedom of Information Coalition. Encrypted radios controlled by police agreements, he warned, risk giving departments the power to decide which reporters get the full picture.

Without real-time updates, breaking-news coverage of major incidents — traffic fatalities, fires, shootings, missing-persons calls — often becomes slower, more fragmented, and more dependent on the department’s willingness to provide timely information.

In his latest statement, Redfearn argued the shift “is not a step backward in transparency,” describing it instead as a “necessary evolution” aligned with statewide practices. He pointed to a growing list of publicly available resources, including more than a dozen dashboards, a critical-incidents webpage, Flock Safety data, and ongoing community engagement efforts with liaison officers.

Critics argue that dashboards and summaries, by nature, do not replicate the immediacy of police radio, nor do they allow reporters to independently verify information during high-stakes or fast-moving events.

As Boulder joins the growing list of fully encrypted departments, the debate over access is likely to intensify. For police, encryption offers control and reliability. For journalists and transparency advocates, it closes a key window into how policing happens in real time in a city where trust between the community and the department is already strained.

The ones who dared to fight City Hall.

 When Boulder denied public access to police body-cam footage, we took it to court. Our fight for transparency is now before the Colorado Supreme Court — because accountability doesn’t stop at the city line.

 Through December 31, every gift to Yellow Scene will be matched — dollar for dollar — through the Colorado Media Project’s Matching Grant.Give & Get Democracy this Holiday Season. Your $8 recurring monthly support not only gets you YS delivered to your house, but it’s matched for the entire year, bringing that $8/month to $192. 

Because Independent journalism isn’t just about telling stories. It’s about protecting your right to know, holding power accountable, and keeping democracy in the light. This is #newsCOneeds Becoming a sustaining supporter today for $8 a month!

The post BPD’s Move to Encrypted Radio Raises Transparency Concerns appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

Earlier this year, the Boulder Police Department released data on its stops and use of force practices by race, but the picture it paints is incomplete. 

The dashboard released by the Boulder PD includes reports on use-of-force-by-race and stops-by-race starting in 2024, with annual overviews shown for the years 2021 to 2023. This limited data does not compare to the in-depth information dashboards released by other Colorado police departments, and it does not reflect the thorough data sets that advocacy groups have been asking the city to share.  

“We are committed to being more transparent, and as part of that transparency, we are working diligently to find additional ways to share data with our community,” Boulder PD Chief Stephen Redfearn and Chief Data Analyst Dr. Daniel Reinhard said in an email to Yellow Scene Magazine. “Due to requests from the community, we now have 13 dashboards, including the new use of force and contacts dashboards.”

The dashboard shows that use-of-force was used 266 times in 2024, which was down from 320 instances in 2023. In 2021, use-of-force was used in 239 cases. In 2024, 84% of subjects in use-of-force instances were white, compared to 11% who were Black. 

Redfearn and Reinhard say earlier data isn’t available because of changes in the police department’s technology systems.

“Police department technology is constantly evolving. 2024 is the first complete year of our adoption of an improved records management system that we are using to update this dashboard,” they said.

According to Dan Williams of Boulder Progressives, the lack of complete and consistent data from prior years prevents meaningful analysis of use-of-force trends.

“Boulder did a pretty comprehensive study in 2018 of police stops by race, and then committed to doing a better job, and didn’t publish any data,” he said. 

When the city was asked to release data again in 2021, the information didn’t align with the 2018 study, making it impossible to compare the two years.

“What they said at that time was that the city had just implemented new training on de-escalation techniques, and even though it looked like the city police were using force quite a bit against people, the number should get better over time,” Williams said. “They never updated the data, until this most recent data release earlier this year. There was no way to tell if what the police department was saying was accurate or inaccurate, whether this training was effective or ineffective.”

Still, Williams noted that some patterns are clear despite the gaps.

“Use of force, in general, has increased in Boulder since this training was implemented,” Williams said. “It would be helpful to have the police department explain why that is. Was the training that they chose ineffective, or were officers not following it? What happened?”

The dashboard left the Boulder Progressives with more questions than answers.

“Why are ten percent of the use-of-force incidents in Boulder against Black people, when Black people make up one percent of the city’s population?” Williams shared. “Those are questions that the police department should explain. By producing this data in ways that don’t match their prior data releases, they make it hard to hold them to account. There’s no real way to say definitively what the trends are here.”

Redfearn and Reinhard shared that many factors contribute to the use-of-force data, but denied that police training played a role.

“Over the past five years, there have been increases in suspects resisting arrest and obstructing police operations, assaults against first responders, and calls for police service to address criminal circumstances,” they told Yellow Scene.

Many argue that compared to departments in nearby cities, Boulder’s data offerings fall short.

The Denver Police Department, for example, released a report detailing use-of-force incidents from 2019 to 2022. The report includes variables like the subject’s race, the officer’s race, and the level of force used. Aurora Police Department also maintains an interactive dashboard covering incidents from 2020 through 2024, with updates already available for 2025. Their data includes the race of both officer and subject, as well as the type of call involved. This kind of accessible, comprehensive dataset is what Boulder Progressives say they’d like to see from Boulder PD.

The Boulder Police Department says it’s hearing the criticism loud and clear and responding accordingly.

“We have had great feedback from the community and have made changes to the dashboards based upon community feedback,” Redfearn and Reinhard said. “We appreciate the input of our police oversight panel and other groups that have helped us improve the dashboards.”

The department has another kind of dashboard in the works that will display the feedback the police department receives, though no exact timeline for release has been confirmed.

Advocates say meaningful reform starts with meaningful data. Without consistent, detailed reporting on use-of-force incidents, it’s difficult for the public to hold police accountable or to measure whether changes are working. Updating the dashboard to include comprehensive demographic information would be a step toward the transparency Boulder officials have promised.

The post The Missing Pieces in Boulder’s Police Force Data appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

Editor’s Note: Press Releases are provided to Yellow Scene. In an effort to keep our community informed, we publish some press releases in whole. We will add to this press release that we are optimistic that no one was killed. 

Friday, May 9, 2025

Suspect Arrested on New Charges Regarding Menacing of Children

BOULDER, Colo. – Boulder Police found and arrested a woman for the second time this week related to the menacing of a group of schoolchildren and teachers on Monday.

Alyiah Faith Vega, 52, initially gave another family member’s information when being arrested and due to the fact that she’s used numerous aliases through the years, this name is different than what was previously released.

Late last night, Boulder Police found Vega and she was booked into the jail on 35 new charges. She also had active warrants out of Boulder County, Lakewood and Edgewater related to dangerous drugs, criminal impersonation and DUI charges.

The Boulder incident occurred just before 11 a.m. on Monday, May 5, when a woman holding a knife began following two teachers and children in the 1700 block of Broadway. The woman got within 10 feet of the group and threatened to kill them, waving the knife around, according to witnesses. The teachers and students walked away and were uninjured.

Thanks to good police work, officers were able to find and identify the suspect a short time later and she was booked into the Boulder County jail on one count of felony menacing. On Tuesday, May 6, the suspect was released from jail on a personal recognizance bond after seeing a judge. The District Attorney’s Office had argued for a secured bond.

On Thursday, May 8, the District Attorney’s Office filed 18 new charges of felony menacing and 17 counts of misdemeanor child abuse against the suspect, Vega, who did not appear. Because she failed to appear in court as required, the judge revoked her bond and issued a warrant for her arrest for failure to appear.

Anyone with any information about this case is asked to contact Detective Jonah Snyder at SnyderJ@bouldercolorado.gov or 303-441-3386 regarding case 25-04126.

As in every criminal case, these charges are an accusation, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless or until proven guilty.

Media Contact:?

Dionne Waugh, Police PIO, 303-518-1894

WaughD@bouldercolorado.gov

bouldercolorado.gov

The post Suspect Arrested on New Charges Regarding Menacing of Children appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

Boulder NAACP, which announced its dissolution earlier this month, has been at odds with the City of Boulder and its new Chief of Police, Stephen Redfearn. In a recently filed civil lawsuit, former Boulder NAACP member Darren O’Connor alleges that Redfearn, the City of Boulder, and City Manager Nuria Rivera-Vandermyde violated his rights to free speech through retaliatory actions.

For a more comprehensive look into the dissolution of the Boulder NAACP and its members’ battle with the city thus far, see our previous coverage. The abbreviated version goes like this: due to Redfearn’s less-than-favorable history as a captain of the Aurora Police Department, specifically his post-mordum involvement with the wrongful death of Elijah McClain, members of the community spoke out against him taking the role of the Boulder Chief of Police.

Many formal complaints were made to the city of Boulder, specifically the city manager, Rivera-Vandermyde, urging them to reconsider his appointment in light of already deep-seated mistrust of the police. After much back and forth, which is covered in detail in our previous article, a mediated meeting was held between the Boulder NAACP and Redfearn in July 2024.

While the city of Boulder and Redfearn attempted to make members sign a confidentiality clause, they refused. Though the meeting did little to ease the minds of either party, things really began to escalate when Redfearn and Rivera-Vandermyde became aware that a member of the NAACP had recorded the meeting.

From there, according to O’Connor, Redfearn, and Rivera-Vandermyde began a smear campaign against him, leading to the Boulder NAACP’s falling out with the national organization, and other personal harm. Which brings us to the most recent lawsuit, filed April 29, 2025.

The suit alleges that Darren O’Connor faced retaliation after publicly opposing the appointment of Defendant Redfearn as Chief of Police for the Boulder Police Department. The complaint outlines seven claims of relief, asserting violations of both the Colorado and U.S. Constitutions.

The seven key allegations are as follows:

1. Retaliation for Freedom of Speech: Plaintiff contends that after voicing concerns about Redfearn’s appointment, Redfearn retaliated by disseminating false information about O’Connor, targeting his NAACP membership, filing complaints with the Office of Attorney Regulation Counsel (OARC), and seeking criminal charges against him.
2. Retaliation for the Right to Association: The lawsuit claims that Redfearn’s actions led to the revocation of O’Connor’s NAACP membership, which infringes upon his constitutional right to free association.
3. Civil Conspiracy: It also alleges that Redfearn and Boulder City Manager Rivera-Vandermyde collaborated to discredit him through media misinformation, complaints to the NAACP, and attempts to initiate criminal proceedings, all in response to his protected speech and association.
4. First Amendment Retaliation (42 U.S.C. § 1983): The complaint asserts that Rivera-Vandermyde, acting under color of law, retaliated against Plaintiff’s free speech by spreading misinformation, targeting his NAACP membership, and seeking criminal charges.
5. Retaliation for Right to Association (42 U.S.C. § 1983): It is alleged that Rivera-Vandermyde’s actions, including filing complaints with the NAACP, led to the revocation of O’Connor’s membership, violating his right to free association.
6. Civil Conspiracy (42 U.S.C. § 1983): O’Connor claims that both Redfearn and Rivera-Vandermyde conspired to retaliate against him for exercising his First Amendment rights, resulting in harm to his reputation and associations.
7. Failure to Train: The lawsuit alleges that the City of Boulder failed to adequately train its officials, particularly Redfearn, on constitutional rights, leading to the violations experienced by O’Connor.

O’Connor seeks compensatory damages for physical, emotional, and mental injuries, as well as other relief deemed appropriate by the court.

Yellow Scene Magazine is no stranger to litigious battles with the city of Boulder, having won a civil suit concerning the timely and unedited release of body camera footage after an officer-involved shooting that left 51-year-old Jeannette Alartorre dead. These types of legal battles, though not as electrifying as the marches in the streets, are equally crucial in holding those who are charged to “protect and serve” accountable.

The post City of Boulder Faces Yet Another Lawsuit appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

On March 28, the executive committee of the Boulder NAACP branch announced that it was dissolving. The message landed as both unexpected and, in some ways, inevitable. Tensions between the branch, city officials, and the police department had been building for years, culminating in disputes that left many relationships strained. While some community members were aware of ongoing disagreements, few anticipated the abrupt shuttering of the organization. 

In recent years, the City of Boulder has taken visible steps to align itself with marginalized communities, including the creation of a racial equity department and the launch of a “Reimagine Policing” initiative. Despite these efforts, the city now finds itself navigating a rupture with one of its most prominent civil rights organizations. The breakdown raises difficult questions: What went wrong? And how did efforts at collaboration give way to mutual distrust? 

Adding to the confusion was the way the local NAACP branch made its announcement, with no clear coordination or communication with state or national leadership. Within days, higher-level NAACP officials entered the public conversation to push back. In a March 31 Instagram Live, Colorado NAACP President Portia Prescott stated, “We have a Boulder branch that actually is thriving,” and emphasized that “the only body with authority to dissolve a chapter is the national board.” The public contradiction left many uncertain about the branch’s status and marked a rare instance of open disagreement between local and national leadership.

What is clear is that, within a matter of days, Boulder’s NAACP went from being a key player in the city’s civic landscape to being at odds with both the local government and the national organization. Through exclusive interviews, Yellow Scene Magazine is unpacking what led to this breakdown and what’s at stake for the community moving forward.

The Shadow of Elijah McClain

Any effort to understand this conflict must begin with the legacy of Elijah McClain.

In 2019, McClain died after being violently detained by Aurora police and injected with ketamine by paramedics. The incident sparked national outrage and led to lawsuits, criminal charges, and renewed demands for police reform.

At the time, Stephen Redfearn was a captain in the Aurora Police Department. Although he was not involved in the physical confrontation that led to Elijah McClain’s death, he was present during its aftermath and played a role in the administrative decisions that followed. Among those actions was the reclassification of the incident report—from “suspicious person” to “assault on officer.” While the change drew little attention at the time, it would become a focal point of controversy years later.

In October 2024, the Boulder NAACP published a press release criticizing City Manager Nuria Rivera-Vandermyde’s decision to promote Redfearn to Chief of Police. They described his alteration of the call log as tantamount to a “cover-up” and emphasized his connection to the McClain case:

“He was the Nightshift Duty Commander overseeing the officers responsible for Elijah McClain’s death, as well as the leader of a brutal assault with chemical weapons against violin vigil participants honoring Elijah McClain’s memory.”

By that point, Redfearn had served three years in Boulder and had acted as interim chief. To city officials, he was a seasoned candidate with local experience, and they continued to support him despite the criticism. Redfearn defended his reclassification of the logs as a procedural decision made after speaking with the officers involved in the incident. According to him, the change aligned with department policy. But to members of the Boulder NAACP, it reflected a deeper cultural concern: a willingness to adjust official records in ways that could obscure or minimize misconduct.

Their concern extended beyond a single form or call log. Redfearn’s tenure in a department with a well-documented history of excessive force raised broader questions about the values and priorities he might bring to leadership. For the Boulder NAACP, this was not just a matter of personnel. It was a matter of trust, transparency, and the kind of leadership the city was choosing to endorse.

The Meeting That Changed Everything

In July 2024, before the press release, Boulder’s NAACP hosted a public town hall on criminal justice, where they publicly discussed their concerns about Redfearn. City officials responded by proposing a private mediated conversation to repair trust and build a collaborative relationship.

It didn’t go as planned.

According to those present, what began as a cautious conversation quickly unraveled after Redfearn commented on the NAACP president’s facial expression. She pushed back, asserting her right to respond and process information in whatever way came naturally. Other members jumped in, calling the comment a form of hyper-surveillance and an example of racial policing in interpersonal spaces.

The exchange derailed the meeting. Criminal Justice Chair Darren O’Connor, who attended, later described Redfearn’s reaction: “It seemed like Redfearn lost it and refused to talk for a while. A mediator actually told him, ‘This is the kind of thing that gets people killed.’”

In the aftermath, NAACP members left the meeting convinced Redfearn lacked the temperament and perspective to lead. Redfearn, by contrast, was reportedly frustrated and blindsided by the confrontation.

The Fallout

Unbeknownst to city officials, a member of the NAACP had recorded the meeting. Shortly after, the group informed the city: if Redfearn was promoted, they would consider releasing the video. To the NAACP, this was a matter of accountability. They felt a responsibility to the community to release evidence they believed demonstrated that Redfearn was unfit to act as the Chief of Police. However, the city viewed the move as an underhanded threat to use a private conversation as leverage. What began as a chance to rebuild trust now appeared, to some officials, as bad faith.

From that point forward, collaboration gave way to confrontation. City leaders began referring to the Boulder NAACP as uncooperative and untrustworthy—no longer a partner but a problem.

In a public statement, city manager Rivera-Vandermyde wrote:

“What I cannot tolerate is unethical behavior by people who purport to stand for progressive community values but then act in intentional ways that break trust, undermine public processes, and distract us from our collective mission.”

The NAACP did not back down. In an interview with the Denver Post,  O’Connor responded:

“It’s very troubling that the city manager is more upset that we recorded her than about what her now-selected police chief had to say. She’s more worried about the fact we’re sharing that information than about what she heard, which was disqualifying.”

In the weeks that followed, Rivera-Vandermyde would file a formal complaint with national NAACP leadership. As a result, the Boulder branch was required to submit all public communications for pre-approval to avoid what national leaders called “inflammatory or unsubstantiated rhetoric.” Local leaders rejected the characterization that their communications were unsubstantiated but agreed to comply. As national leadership became more hands-on, city officials allegedly became openly hostile.

Chief Redfearn allegedly made disparaging remarks about NAACP members and reportedly targeted O’Connor’s law license.

“He claimed I had gone to the media, that I was acting as an attorney, and that I was asserting privilege and confidentiality about who recorded the meeting—or whether I did it myself,” O’Connor told Yellow Scene. “He provided a link to a completely unrelated article from two years ago,[…] where I wasn’t mentioned at all. […] He submitted that as proof to get my bar license revoked or sanctioned.”

He continued:

“He may have done it willfully and maliciously to try and get my life taken away […] in retaliation for our First Amendment activities.”

O’Connor also recounted a separate incident in which Redfearn reportedly told others he had flipped him off at a candidate forum, an accusation he said he only heard secondhand but came across to him as needlessly petty and directed. Both incidents pushed O’Connor to file complaints with the city manager. Both, he said, were dismissed as unactionable.

To the NAACP members, these attempts to undermine his legal standing were more than personal. They represented a dangerous trend: the normalization of silencing dissent not through dialogue but through institutional retaliation. 

NAACP President Annett James told Yellow Scene, 

“We were systematically undermined by city officials. I think that’s what we want our community to understand. […] This community just does not allow one to disagree and have that discussion in the public sphere.”

In the weeks following the failed mediation, the situation only continued to unravel. Darren O’Connor was suspended by national leadership after publishing an op-ed criticizing the city’s policing transparency dashboard. The official reason: the piece was not cleared by the national office and was considered “inflammatory and unsubstantiated.”

O’Connor disagreed with that characterization.

“You know, I had listened directly to Redfearn,” he told Yellow Scene. “What I wrote about was true. And I think the NAACP had just decided that, despite them saying the restrictions were narrow, pretty much anything we were going to put out was going to be flagged.”

O’Connor, President James, and VP Jude Landsman all said the national restrictions went far beyond avoiding defamation. To them, it felt like silencing.

Following O’Connor’s suspension, the Boulder branch entered a series of tense meetings with national leadership. According to members, the message was unmistakable: the national office had no intention of supporting the Boulder branch in its fight for transparency or in defending it against retaliation from the city.

“Everyone was completely dismayed and in disbelief,”  said President James. 

“ think that it was the straw that led the Executive Committee of the NAACP, the county branch, to see for themselves that basically, we had no rights, no opportunity to express ourselves. […] There was just no due process.”

No one from the national office, members said, reached out to hear Boulder’s side.

“There was absolutely zero effort to say, ‘Okay, what’s going on in Boulder? Tell us what happened.’ There was nothing.”

Instead of mediating or cooling tensions, the national office seemed focused solely on controlling the branch’s messaging. In the aforementioned Instagram Live session, Prescott dismissed news of the Boulder branch’s possible dissolution as “fake news.” The legal or administrative questions surrounding the branch’s future were arguably less urgent than the pragmatic ones: Why wasn’t the national NAACP standing up for its local leaders, and what guidance did it have for the community?

The Boulder branch told Yellow Scene they felt the national office had been weaponized by the city to paint them as uncredible and unruly. They argued that the assertion of control from above failed to grasp that the decision to dissolve came not just from pressure but from disillusionment. After meeting after meeting with national leadership, it became clear there was no real support system in place, no path forward where their advocacy would be protected.

The NAACP is an organization that has experienced growing pains as it transitions into the modern era. Reports of declining membership and struggles to remain relevant have plagued it in recent years. Likewise, past issues with local coordination and support have led to public and destructive episodes similar to what we’re now seeing in Boulder. In 2013, NAACP members in Connecticut criticized national leadership for caring more about “brand names and fundraising” than about the health of its local chapters. That comment followed a series of branch seizures, forced resignations, and restructurings—many of which, critics argued, could have been avoided with proper support.

As recently as last May, D.C. broadcaster Roland Martin interviewed half a dozen former NAACP local leaders, each describing their own experiences with what they saw as mistreatment and villainization by the national office.

Former NAACP president Betty Williams recalled:

“My branch was threatened. […] If they said anything in support of me, the entire branch would be shut down. So there are these bully tactics meant to silence people.”

These stories don’t amount to bulletproof evidence of wrongdoing, but they do offer context. They position Boulder’s experience not as an isolated incident but as part of a pattern of national leadership failing to lead and protect its grassroots advocates.

Are Boulder branch members beyond critique? Of course not. At times, they may have overplayed their hand, and the decision to record and later threaten to release footage of the mediated conversation warrants scrutiny. But that’s not the full story. So far, little attention has been paid to how leadership at both the city and national level contributed to the escalation and, ultimately, the implosion of this conflict. 

National leadership offered little in the way of guidance, focusing instead on punitive measures. They seemed uninterested in the specifics of the branch’s concerns about Redfearn or transparency in community policing. The city, meanwhile, allegedly responded to dissent with retaliation verbal harassment, threats against legal licenses, and what branch members described as a concerted attempt to delegitimize them entirely. These incidents were brought to the city’s attention and brushed off as unactionable.

City Manager Nuria Vandermyde has said it was never the city’s desire to see the branch close. But intentions aside, it’s hard to ignore the throughline between the city’s actions and the current situation. When it became clear that the branch would not be easily controlled, both the city and national office took steps that, intentionally or not, undermined the branch’s ability to function.

This is the crux of why Boulder leaders told Yellow Scene they felt dissolution was necessary. They feared the city’s endgame was to turn them into a symbolic entity, something that bore the name of the NAACP but had none of the autonomy or power to challenge real systems of harm. Given the city’s hostility and the national office’s dismissiveness, it’s hard not to see where that concern came from.

What’s Been Lost

Amid the political battle between the city, the local branch, and the national office, the biggest loss may be to the community itself.

The Boulder NAACP organized voter registration drives, legal aid workshops, and educational forums. In a political climate where DEI efforts are increasingly under attack, the collapse of a local civil rights institution leaves a visible and painful gap. Beyond their political advocacy, the branch hosted annual Freedom Fund celebrations, supported Black-owned businesses, and threw graduation parties for Black students. They were more than just activists—they were community builders.

Still, President James and her peers insist their work is far from finished.

“We’re not quitting,” she said. “We intend to continue, with or without the NAACP name.”

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The post Inside the Collapse of Boulder NAACP appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

The process of going through all of our stories from the past 25 years of Yellow Scene Magazine (YS) to find the 25 stories best suited for a sort of “Where are they now?” segment proved to be a little more overwhelming than I expected. That’s even when you consider the fact that our first several years aren’t well documented on our website, with the earliest being 2007, which is itself incomplete, and all the rest of YS’ early years only exist in physical form, collecting dust somewhere in the home of our publisher and founder, Shavonne Blades. Even if you take away those years, that’s still a mountain of articles to go through.

While some were absolutely fascinating, did all of them reflect the time that had passed and demonstrate something significant that changed over time? In the past 25 years, our coverage area of East Boulder County and the surrounding metro area has gone through significant changes. So has Colorado as a whole. So has the country, with Colorado often along for the ride while the country has bounced from one right-wing extremist presidency, to eight years of Obama, to another right-wing extremist presidency. In fact, what I found was that seemingly insignificant stories look very different through the lens of history.

Take, for example, “Bare Necessities” — which we’ll count as the first of our 25 stories — a strange 2012 story about North Boulder nudist couple Bob and Cathy Pierce who attempted to sue the city for harassing them but found it difficult when Cathy tried to enter the county courthouse topless. The unusual story raised some interesting issues at the time about personal freedom and the ability of police to enforce laws they don’t understand, considering that baring breasts is actually legal in Boulder. We didn’t follow up on the Pierces afterwards — it’s hard to imagine that story having an interesting follow-up, but boy would you be wrong. The following year, the couple was arrested in Marblehead, Ohio after a waitress overheard what she thought was Bob threatening then-President Barack Obama. Bob insisted he was talking about killing Obama in a debate and that he wanted to go to Washington to set the politician straight. The Pierces once again made headlines in the Daily Camera in 2016 after Cathy was convicted of felony theft and criminal exploitation of an at-risk elder for allegedly tricking a 73-year-old, half-blind man into signing away his trailer home for $1.

While the Pierces’ sordid exploits weren’t something we wanted to make front page news, it demonstrates that almost every story, no matter how inconsequential it may seem at the time, could have an interesting follow-up if you take the time to look into it. So how could I narrow it down to just 25 stories that demonstrate the inevitable passage of time? In some ways, the articles I chose were somewhat arbitrary, as almost any article could have fit this piece. But I think I found a series of articles that truly do reflect the important changes in local history.

Fighting Words (2008)

Riding the blue wave that the 2008 election brought, Colorado’s first all-Democratic leadership in the legislature looked to use their newfound majority status to get affordable healthcare passed in the state, with one phrase on everyone’s lips: “single payer.” As the article pointed out, “single payer” is the other term for one of the most terrifying concepts in American politics: universal healthcare. Why it remains such a divisive issue when most other countries in the First World have long since instituted a single-payer healthcare system is somewhat of a mystery, but for whatever reason, there’s always a completely unjustified pushback on the topic in American legislatures. But at this unique moment in 2008, Democrats finally thought they could get it pushed through. Spoiler alert: They didn’t.

Single-payer healthcare in Colorado is much like the proverbial football that Lucy always holds out for Charlie Brown, promising she won’t pull it away at the last moment, only for poor Chuck to land flat on his back when Lucy inevitably does so anyway. In 2017, Colorado attempted to pass a single-payer healthcare system by ballot initiative, but there was a problem: Colorado’s constitution bans public funding for abortion, so the ballot initiative, the way it was worded, would have meant that everyone who currently has abortions covered by private insurance would be forced to pay out of pocket, a situation that drew opposition from major abortion advocates. As recently as February of this year, a new bill was proposed to study the potential impact of single-payer healthcare, a bill that’s similar to one that failed in the last few years, but this version of the bill wouldn’t be funded by taxpayers, giving it a fighting chance of getting passed. Still, a lot has changed since 2008 when Democrats thought they could get single payer passed. Now they’re fighting just to explore the possibility.

An Education in Luring Top Minds (2008)

In 2008, Colorado State Sen. Brandon Shaffer was trying to get more people to go into teaching, particularly in districts and subject areas that are significantly understaffed, by instituting a $500,000 scholarship fund to get kids to go to Colorado public colleges and take teacher prep courses. Well, it seems he succeeded and created what became known as the Teach Colorado Grant, and in 2009 he introduced the “Troops to Teachers” bill which sought to bring more military veterans into the program.

Well, Schaffer went on to become President of the Colorado State Senate from 2009-2013, and, even though he’s no longer involved in politics, his dream of scholarships for teaching lives on. Today, the Educator Recruitment and Retention Program (ERR) offers up to $10,000 in one-time assistance to towards teacher prep courses, as long as the recipient signs on to work for three years in a “shortage area” for Colorado Public Schools. Still, education has a long way to go in Colorado, a state that was recently ranked 45th in the nation for education by USA Today, with teachers making less than the state median salary. It seems like we need more than just scholarships, we need to pay teachers more to incentivize better performance.

The Most Expensive Seat in the Country (2008)

In 2008, YS stopped in to a fundraiser for a “non-descript” man self-financing his campaign for the second U.S. Congressional District seat in what was being called the most expensive seat in the country (or at least one of the most expensive), predicting at the time that it would take $10 million or more to settle the seat. That non-descript man was none other than Jared Polis who, in 2019, was sworn in as Colorado’s first openly gay governor as well as our first Jewish governor.

Polis not only made CD2 one of the most expensive in the country, ten years later, he helped make that election the most expensive in Colorado history up to that point, with more than $200 million spent on Colorado campaigns and with Polis pumping more than $23 million into his own campaign. In 2022, he won re-election with a bit less of his own money financing campaign but still pumped $12.6 million into his own campaign that year. And, while we had a hard time picking Polis as our endorsement for the CD2 election in 2008, we had a little bit of an easier time in 2022 picking him for governor against the too-extreme Trump supporter Heidi Ganahl.

Far From the Party: A Republican Fights for Her Political Life (2008)

In 2008, we checked in on Betsy Markey, the Democratic challenger for Colorado’s 4th Congressional District against incumbent Marilyn Musgrave. The seat had traditionally been held by Republicans in this district, but Musgrave saw her lead in each election dwindling more and more, making it seem possible that, in 2008, Markey might overtake the Republican and win the seat.

Well, she did. In the 2008 election, Markey’s 11-point win was more than even her own staff had hoped for. The victory was short-lived, though, as Republican Cory Gardner won the seat back for his party in 2010, which he kept until 2015 when he moved from the House to the Senate. Markey’s political career didn’t end there, though, as she was then appointed to be secretary for intergovernmental affairs in the Department of Homeland Security under the Obama administration, a post she held until 2013.

Who Killed The Rocky (2009)

The closure of Rocky Mountain News, one of Colorado’s major newspapers, in February 2009 was a seismic shift in the local news industry that we look at in more depth in this issue titled, “The History of Independent Media in Boulder County,” which discusses how the 300 reporters at Rocky Mountain News (nicknamed “The Rocky”) competed with the same number of reporters from The Denver Post, resulting in too much competition for the same leads. In our 2009 piece, former Rocky writer Dave Flomberg explained the flaws of The Rocky’s parent corporation, E.W. Scripps Company, and how they failed to let The Rocky find a niche by focusing on local news while also failing to grow their digital content to reduce print costs.

Nearly 10 years later, in 2018, The Rocky’s biggest competitor, The Denver Post, nearly met the same demise. Learning lessons from the past, the staff of The Post launched what became known as The Denver Post Rebellion where its writers printed a series of articles protesting against the leadership of its hedge fund owners, Alden Global Capital, with the headline “News Matters” and the subheading “Colo. should demand the newspaper it deserves.” While Alden Global kept to their gameplan rather than following The Post’s call for them sell to better owners, Coloradans demonstrated that local news mattered to them, and The Denver Post Rebellion is often cited as part of the reason the newspaper didn’t fall the way The Rocky did.

Graduation: Now What? (2015)

In 2015, we examined how difficult it was for college students to find jobs in the wake of the then-recent recession. At the time, 44% of college graduates were underemployed, meaning they took jobs that didn’t require their college degree. According to an article in Forbes last year, the situation hasn’t improved in the past decade. 52% of college graduates — more than half — are now working in jobs that don’t require higher education and 75% of them remain in this situation for a full decade after college.

Down the Road: Ten Transportation Issues Impacting You in the Next 10 Years (2011) and Derailed (2016)

In this 2011 article, writer James Burrus talked about the transportation issues that would define the next decade. Now that it’s 14 years later, how much of what Burrus talked about has been realized? The Boulder BCycle bike-sharing program that he mentioned continues to this day, but now it competes with e-scooters from Lime, Lyft, and other major companies. Still, other transportation options that Burrus talked about in 2011, like FasTracks, have not fared as well over the years. In our 2016 article “Derailed” talked about a modified FasTracks proposal that was being put to voters.

The 2004 FasTracks program ran into funding difficulties in the 2010s that pushed their projection to build a commuter rail between Denver and Boulder/Longmont to the 2040s. As recently as February 2025, RTD has been talking about a revised plan to have a train from Denver to Fort. Collins with stops in between, such as Boulder and Longmont, by January 1, 2029. At this point, we’ll believe it when we see it.

Frack Attack (2012)

The concept of “fracking” or hydraulic fracturing is a familiar one in 2025, especially for those living in the oil-rich areas of Colorado such as Erie. But, in 2012, the concept was still somewhat of a new one to our readers, enough so that we had to explain what it was. According to the Natural Resources Defense Council, fracking dates back to an idea from 1862, although the modern concept of hydraulic fracturing started in the 1940s. Still, the boom in fracking is largely a 21st century phenomenon and, of the approximately 1 million wells that have been fracked from 1940 to 2014, about one-third of them were fracked after the year 2000.

In 2025, fracking and horizontal drilling have become more commonplace, and the results are becoming more and more catastrophic. EnvironmentAmerica estimates that 57,000 acres of land in Colorado have already been damaged by fracking, a number it says is equivalent to one-third of the acres of land in the state’s park system. Our latest fracking controversy happened just last year when the Draco Oil and Gas Development Plan proposed by Extraction Oil & Gas Inc./Civitas Resources was set to start drilling underneath residential areas and schools in Erie but was halted by a unanimous vote of the Colorado Energy & Carbon Management Commission. The Draco Pad has sparked significant controversy due to its plan to drill 26 horizontal wells extending five miles beneath residential areas and schools in Erie. This would mark the longest lateral drilling ever attempted in Colorado, surpassing the previous maximum of four miles. Initially, the Colorado Energy & Carbon Management Commission (ECMC) unanimously halted the project. However, on March 26, 2025, the ECMC reversed its decision, approving the plan with a 4–1 vote.

Notables: The New Guy (2012)

In 2012, we sat down with Longmont’s “New Guy,” the new city manager Harold Dominguez who had just uprooted himself from San Angelo, Texas to manage the Boulder County city. “Considering we had over 100 days of over 100-degree weather in San Angelo, I think we will enjoy it,” he said at the time about making the move from the sweltering Texas heat to the more temperate climate in Colorado. Well, he seems to enjoy it pretty well, because Dominguez isn’t the new guy anymore. He continues to serve as Longmont’s city manager to this day. In 2023, his base salary was raised to $305,620 by a unanimous vote  from Longmont City Council due to his exceptional competency at the job and the council’s desire to hold onto him in that position.

Breaking out of the cubicle (2012) and The Rise of Flexible Jobs (2012)

In 2012’s “Breaking out of the cubicle,” we checked in with Avery Brewing Company and explained how they’re considered one of the most fun places to work in Colorado, largely because of the fact that they let employees grab a free beer from the taproom at any time, even during work hours. We also dipped into some other fun workplaces such as Louisville’s Natural Habitat Adventures, which was sending employees on annual trips and holding ping-pong tournaments, and Training Peaks in Lafayette which gave employees a $600 per year stipend to spend on fitness. In “The Rise of Flexible Jobs,” we talked to Sara Sutton, who started FlexJobs to help people in the then-difficult task of finding flexible jobs that allowed work from home.

Of course, we all know how the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the standard workplace, forcing companies to allow more employees to work from home. At the height of the pandemic, 61.5% of all work in the U.S. was remote. Today, hybrid and remote work is still popular, with the average American worker spending 1.4 days of the week working from home. So getting a free beer during work hours doesn’t quite hold a candle to being able to work out of your own home.

Kiss the Ring (2012) and Lucky Stars (2012)

We did two articles on Brad Feld in 2012, the man who was one of the pioneers of Boulder becoming a hub for tech start up companies. As managing director of venture capital firm Foundry Group and founder of Techstars, Feld was quickly becoming one of the rockstars of the venture capital field.

13 years later, and Feld still lives in Boulder with his wife, Amy Batchelor, who he started the Anchor Point Foundation. Foundry Group and Techstars are still up and running. Meanwhile, Feld spends his time writing books about venture capital and startups, running marathons, and sponsoring documentaries about topics he’s passionate about. Meanwhile, Boulder is still listed amongst the top cities in the U.S. for tech startups, recently making the lists from Crowdspring and Yahoo! Finance.

Smoke Signals: Q&A with Mason Tvert (2012)

Anyone who enjoys cannabis legally in Colorado has Mason Tvert to thank for it. He led successful campaigns to decriminalize cannabis possession on CU and CSU campuses, passed an initiative to legalize the possession of small amounts of cannabis for adults in Denver and, in 2012, we interviewed him about his efforts to pass Amendment 64: The Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol Act, which, at the time, looked likely to pass.

It’s little secret what happened after that. About a month after our article ran, Colorado voters approved Amendment 64 and Colorado and Washington became the first two states to legalize recreational cannabis use. Other states caught on, and recreational cannabis use is now fully legal in 25 states as well as the District of Columbia. Taking it a step further, Colorado has just started issuing licenses for “healing centers” where people can ingest psychedelic mushrooms under supervision.

Small Space, Big Idea (2013) and Resurrecting a Village: Tiny Homes for the Homeless (2016)

In 2013, we profiled Jay Shafer, founder of Tumbleweed Tiny House Co. and the movement to live more simply in homes built to be under 150 square feet. In 2016, we looked into how tiny homes could be a better solution for solving homelessness than jail-like temporary shelters which are undignified for the people living in them as well as more expensive in a comparative analysis of costs compared to Dignity Village, (a Tiny Home community in Portland, OR). Flash forward to 2025, and the tiny home market is expanding very rapidly. Yahoo Finance! Predicts that the size of the tiny homes market is estimated to grow by $3.71 billion from 2025-2029.

The Privatization of Colorado’s Public Education (2014)

If we thought that education was overly privatized in 2014, we had no idea what we were in for in the years to come. In our 2014 article, we looked at the increasing use of private corporations to dictate standardized tests in an attempt to cut costs and, by adopting a consistent, objective measure of student knowledge and skills, qualify for No Child Left Behind funding. Over reliance on companies such as Pearson went hand in hand with the introduction of Common Core State Standards.

In the years since this story ran, public education has become even more privatized nationwide with the sudden boom in charter schools, independently managed schools that somehow still qualify as a public school option for kids. According to pro-charter school advocacy group National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, the five years from 2019 to 2024 saw an increase in enrollment in charter schools of 400,000 students nationwide in the 46 states that allow charter schools. Colorado is, of course, one of those 46 states. So, while the use of private companies to handle day-to-day operations in a public school was problematic, the move to make public education more privatized has become a sort of horrifying mutation of the existing problem.

Net Neutrality (2015)

In 2015, we looked at the decision by the FCC to classify the Internet under Title II of the 1996 Telecommunications act to ensure that service providers would treat every website equally and not charge fees to certain sites, like Netflix, to ensure the fastest possible speeds. The issue has gone back and forth over the years, being repealed during the Trump administration, then reinstated last year under the Biden administration. But then, in January of this year, a federal appeals court struck down the FCC’s net neutrality rules, arguing that the FCC did not have the legal authority to enact such rules. Interestingly enough, our article predicted that the net neutrality rules would make the Time Warner/Comcast merger more likely, but that merger never happened.

Hard-partying brothers Mike (Adam Devine) and Dave (Zac Efron) plan to turn their sister’s wedding into a wild getaway. Photo Credit: Gemma LaMana.

Spotlight on Adam Devine (2016)

In 2016, we got a chance to sit down with actor Adam Devine to talk about his new comedy Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates, a movie you might not have heard of before despite its all-star cast featuring Zac Efron, Anna Kendrick, and Aubrey Plaza. That might have something to do with the abysmal reviews of the movie, which currently holds a score of 38% on Rotten Tomatoes with the critic’s consensus reading “Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates benefits from the screwball premise and the efforts of a game cast, even if the sporadically hilarious results don’t quite live up to either.”

Meanwhile, Devine’s family has had a new addition, as last year he and his wife Chloe Bridges welcomed their son Beau into the world. Devine said of the experience of being a new dad that “Every day is like a new adventure.” Fatherhood seems to suit him pretty well.

Graphic image by De La Vaca

The ORR v. Abortion | Duly Noted (2019)

In this 2019 piece, we looked at Scott Lloyd, the Trump appointee who was then running the Office of Refugee Resettlement and denied a refugee the right to an abortion, even going so far as to say that he has never granted permission for a detainee to receive an abortion for any reason. Thankfully, the refugee sued through the ACLU and won her right to an abortion, but the incident demonstrated the Trump administration’s real agenda on abortion: They wanted to end it at all costs.

Sadly, we all know where this story goes: In 2022, the Supreme Court, in the case of Dobbs v. Jackson, overturned the landmark case of Roe v. Wade which declared a legal right to abortion. The decision reversing Roe v. Wade, spearheaded by all three of Trump’s Supreme Court appointees — Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh, and Amy Coney Barrett — found that “The Constitution makes no reference to abortion, and no such right is implicitly protected by any constitutional provision,” setting the battle for reproductive freedom back decades. The result has been that the decision on abortion rights was thrown back to the states, with many now finding their access to abortion to be severely restricted. Make no mistake, the Trump administration always wanted its appointees to stand in the way of any and all rights to abortion.

Time After Time… (2019)

Sadly, our 2019 article entitled “Time After Time…” was not a tribute to longtime pop star and LGBTQ+ advocate Cyndi Lauper. Instead, it talked about how time after time Donald Trump chose the dishonorable, disreputable, and immoral path and asked if the Republican Party had the fortitude to break ranks and vote to impeach one of their own amidst the strict party-line votes that are so common for Congress in the 21st century.

As we now know, Trump’s first impeachment trial in 2019 brought forth charges against him  for improperly seeking help from a foreign power to boost his chances of re-election. In fact, in 2021, Trump became the first president to be impeached twice, having faced another impeachment over his role in the January 6 insurrection. But he was acquitted of all charges in both cases by the Senate, keeping him from being removed from office and being barred from running again. Thus, he ran again in 2024 and became the second president to serve two non-consecutive terms as well as the first convicted felon to be elected to the Presidency.

“…Unmarried, straight white dudes who couldn’t get laid.” (2019)

In 2019, we discussed the Newsweek interview by Tareq Haddad with Cambridge Analytica whistleblower Christopher Wylie that explained that Steve Bannon, former White House Chief Strategist, targeted incels and other insecure white men with a message of xenophobia and racism because of how easy they are to manipulate. In essence, we learned that Bannon knew exactly what he was doing the entire time, using hatred and frustration as fuel for the fire that skyrocketed Trump into an unlikely presidency in 2016.

When Trump was re-elected in 2024, Bannon was no longer a member of the inner circle, and yet he still communicates with Trump and his team from time to time. However, Bannon recently told Chris Cuomo on NewsNation that he is part of an effort to win Trump a third term in 2028, despite the fact that presidents are term limited by the 22nd Amendment to the Constitution. Short of a violent overthrow of the government, a third Trump term seems unlikely.

Fatal police shooting in Boulder over the weekend (2023)

Despite being one of the most recent stories on our list, this might be the story with the most significant developments in the time since the original article was posted. In 2023, we reported on the erratic behavior of a then-unidentified woman, who was later identified as 51-year-old Jeannette Alatorre. After officers responded to reports of a woman at the North Boulder Recreation Center refusing to leave the bathroom, less than an hour later they received another call about the same woman pointing a gun at the people trying to exit the recreation center. The gun was later determined to be an airsoft gun with the orange tip removed, but officers say they were unaware of that at the time. The police claim to have taken the proper steps necessary to de-escalate the situation non-violently before ultimately using lethal force, resulting in Alatorre’s death.

It’s possible that the police used every means available to them to avoid the death of Alatorre, but in the wake of officer-related shootings that could have been easily prevented, it was important to make absolutely certain that the right actions were taken in Alatorre’s case. This is where YS entered the story. When YS requested the officer’s body-worn camera (BWC) footage, Boulder Police Department demanded an exorbitant fee of $2,857.50 for locating and redacting the footage. YS, attorney Dan Williams, and Alatorre’s daughter entered into a lawsuit alleging that the fee violated Colorado’s Law Enforcement Integrity and Transparency Act of 2020, which restricts such fees. The city of Boulder argued that the broader Colorado Criminal Justice Records Act allowed them to charge reasonable fees of requesters. A district court ruled in YS’ favor in April 2024, but the City of Boulder filed an appeal in January of this year that has yet to be heard by a court. So, while the tragic story of Jeannette Alatorre is heartbreaking, it may change the way police are held accountable for such incidents in the future.

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The post 25 Stories Then and Now appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

Erie continues to grow, passing 40K mark

Erie is rapidly growing, reaching a population of over 40,000. Perfectly nestled between Denver and Boulder, Erie has become a hot hub for many multi-family households to raise their children. Last year, the city saw a 9.1% increase in population, with over 3,000 new residents.

While Erie’s increase in residents is a promising sign for the city’s future development, its endless infrastructure and lack of affordable housing and accessible transportation have made things difficult for its residents. A prominent issue that has raised some concern amongst residents is the need for affordable housing units for these multi-family households, who are increasingly moving to Erie yearly. The Erie Board of Trustees made it the city’s goal to reach a 12% increase in affordable housing by 2035.

I spoke with a recent engineering graduate and resident of Erie about their opinion on the future of Erie’s development and population growth; they expressed concerns about Erie’s dedication to new construction projects that have overcrowded the city. 

They stated, “I have mixed feelings about Erie’s rapid growth. On the one hand, it has been nice to get more stores and city conveniences. It also allowed more housing opportunities; on the other hand, Erie has lost some of its small city charm due to the high number of new construction projects and has also caused more traffic and congestion.” 

Multiple infrastructure projects are taking place throughout the city. Prominent projects such as the Coal Creek Expansion Project and the County Line Corridor Project are just a few examples of the continuous cycle of congestion on Erie’s roads. This has manifested in road closures, detours, and extended construction phases.

When asked what significant challenges he sees in Erie’s increasing population growth, they said, “I think the main challenge facing this growth is the city’s ability to keep up with it. Infrastructure is beginning to be overcrowded because of how many people are here.” Infrastructure is the leading pioneer behind 90% of artificial greenhouse emissions. Weld County is one of the most drilled areas for oil and gas developments in the state of Colorado. 

The Mayor of Erie, Andrew Moore, claimed that local town municipalities can’t do much regarding climate change, perceiving it as a more widespread global issue in a retreat and while on the campaign trail. The most recent study session last Tuesday is a good insight into how Mayor Moore will lead. We reached out to get a comment on what his plans are for Erie’s continuous growth; Moore explained, “The current plan is to send a comprehensive survey to help understand the desire for the type of growth Erie collectively wants and the tradeoffs.” He used the term “urban/suburban” to describe the potential directions for growth, adding that this plan will proceed once the council sets its direction for development and housing. However, he noted that the details will change depending on the council’s decisions. More updates are expected in the Spring.

Concern over Massive ICE Raids in Colorado 

Since Donald Trump has taken office, fears amongst many Americans have arisen, as his promise to crack down on immigration has left many individuals worried for their friends and loved ones. Rumors of mass deportation orders and ICE raids happening throughout Colorado have been flooding social media, with warnings stating ICE agents have been spotted in cities like Denver, Aurora, and Longmont. 

The American Immigration Council claims these new executive orders will affect the lives of individuals who are “border-crossers seeking refuge, to children born next month, to parents who are in the U.S. on temporary visas.” Many of these raids happen in vulnerable areas with multi-family households, such as school communities. 

Vague reports were posted on social media platforms in the past few days on Facebook and Instagram, warning friends and families of undocumented individuals, claiming ICE agents were being spotted in their area. 

On January 26, the Colorado Rapid Response Network reported that from around 3 AM to 6 AM on 6600 N. Federal Blvd., enforcement officers from U.S. Immigration and Customs, Drug Enforcement, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and local law enforcement were spotted conducting a raid on a nightclub and arrested over 50 people, claiming it was part of a “drug and criminal network.” Of the 50 people who were arrested, reports claim that 41 were undocumented. 

This support network is run by the community and has been vigorously working to warn undocumented individuals in the state if ICE agents are in their area and where they are located. 

The Trump administration has stated it will enforce ICE raids in vulnerable areas such as schools, hospitals, and places of worship. On January 24, Denver Mayor Mike Johnston said that the city of Denver would “sue the Trump administration” if they enforced ICE agents in schools. Just yesterday, according to the New York Post, a substitute teacher in Texas replied to ICE on X, tweeting, “Y’all should come to Fort Worth, TX to Northside High school, I have many students who don’t even speak English.” 

Em Dorman, a resident of Aurora who has many undocumented friends, expresses deep fear for their community, stating, “The unpredictability of the raids confirms that no one is safe and that immigrants will continue to be dehumanized.”

I asked Dorman if they had witnessed ICE agents or heard of specific areas where ICE might be prevalent. They said, “There was an ICE spotting off of 8th and Colorado in Denver on January 24, a few days ago, as well as other sightings that people on Instagram have been sharing.” 

While rumors about massive ICE raids have been unpredictable, Dorman urges individuals to educate themselves to be prepared if a situation like this were to occur: “You have constitutional rights. Do not answer any questions; do not sign anything without an attorney. There are resources specifically printed in Spanish and other languages if needed.”

More reports on this to come.

The city of Boulder and its Laundry list of Lawsuits

Feet Forward, et al. v. City of Boulder, et al.

“Blanket Ban” or “Camping Ban,” the city of Boulder was served with a lawsuit from the ACLU, a nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting the rights of Americans. The lawsuit challenged a city ordinance that prohibited homeless residents from doing something as basic as sleeping outside with a blanket. The ACLU argued that the camping ban unfairly penalized people participating in basic human activities. Although the city attempted to dismiss the case, the court allowed the litigation to proceed, ruling that penalizing individuals for such basic actions violated constitutional rights. 

Yellow Scene Magazine v. City of Boulder 

Our very own has been caught up in the turmoil with the City of Boulder and its history of police misconduct. The legal dispute began when Yellow Scene requested bodycam footage regarding a recent incident in December of 2023 that involved the fatal shooting of Jeannette Alatorrea. The city of Boulder demanded a fee for this request, which inherently violates Colorado’s 2020 Enhance Law Enforcement Integrity Act.

Board of County Commissioners of Boulder County v. Suncor

Suncor Energy and ExxonMobil, two of the largest refined oil companies, were sued by the city of Boulder for the impacts of climate change, which disproportionately burden American taxpayers.

City of Boulder v. FAA

The Federal Aviation Administration was sued by the city of Boulder for legal clarity regarding the closure of the Boulder Municipal Airport. The city of Boulder intended to keep the option of opening the airport until 2041, while the FAA claims the airport must remain open indefinitely due to federal grants requiring the airport to stay open. Many citizens raised concerns about the airport remaining open, as its closure could allow the land to be used for more affordable housing for residents.

Ash House Owners Sue City of Boulder 

The Ash House, a student apartment building at CU Boulder, filed a lawsuit against the city of Boulder for forcibly evacuating students last minute due to violations of building extra rooms in the building without the city’s say nor safety precautions taken place. The lawsuit was dismissed in October of 2024. 

Lisa Sweeney-Miran v. City of Boulder

Sweeney-Miran, the executive director of the homeless shelter in Boulder, filed a lawsuit against the city for violating her First Amendment rights, as she was kicked off of the Police Oversight Panel for unequivocally condemning police misconduct that has been plaguing the town for decades.

List of Boulder Police Misconduct 

• John Smyly is an officer who racially profiled a Black man, Zayd Atkinson, who was picking up trash outside of his home. The city of Boulder paid a $125,000 settlement after Atkinson threatened legal action. 
• Waylon Lolotai used excessive force against a Black man, Sammie Lawrence, which resulted in the city of Boulder paying a $95,000 settlement. 
• Dillon Garretson and Stephen Coon unlawfully arrested and handcuffed Seth Franco in retaliation to the court granting him a softer sentence. This led to a $3.4 million jury verdict against the city of Boulder
• Cassie Davick was responsible for the removal of children from the care of Joslynn Montoya, a deaf mother staying at a domestic violence shelter. The situation escalated due to the mother’s inability to effectively communicate her circumstances to the officers.
• Nicholas Frankenreiter, Jacob Vaporis, and Erin Starks – Three officers who shot Coleman Stewart after a cop chase regarding refusal to pay a five-dollar cab fare. The city of Boulder had to pay $1.3 million in settlement 8 years later. 
• Collin Keith and Nathaniel Taylor shot and killed Christopher Swanger in Boulder, Colorado, in May of 2023 as they were responding to a domestic violence call.
• Nathan Schultz and Jarrett Mastriona shot and killed Jeanette Alatorre in Boulder, Colorado, on December 17, 2023, due to her refusing questioning from officers and carrying an airsoft gun. 
• Hiring of Stephen Redfearn – The city of Boulder recently hired Stephen Redfearn as Boulder Police Chief. Redfearn is infamous for justifying and downplaying the actions taken place during the night of the murder of Elijah McClain 

The post Boiling Point: Erie Expands, ICE cracks down, and Boulder Still Getting Sued appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

Editorial Intern: Eric Strumpf

Jeannette Alatorre’s death ignites a legal battle as local media and next of kin challenge Boulder’s handling of the fatal encounter and its commitment to police transparency.

The Incident

The death of 51-year-old Jeannette Alatorre at the hands of Boulder police officers on December 17, 2023, has led to an ongoing legal battle between Yellow Scene Magazine and the City of Boulder, which could potentially shape the future of police accountability laws in the state. This incident not only raises questions about the use of lethal force but also highlights the broader fight for public transparency in officer-involved shootings in Colorado.

The chain of events began at a Boulder recreation center, where, despite having a day pass, Alatorre was reported for trespassing and “overstaying” her time in the bathroom. When officers arrived on the scene, it became apparent that Alatorre had been bathing in the family restroom, 

There is no law in Colorado against bathing in public bathrooms, especially in a family restroom, where Alatorre would have had more privacy. After police arrived, the situation escalated, with officers confronting Alatorre about her behavior and eventually escorting her out of the recreation center. 

Sometime later that day, several more 911 calls were made claiming that there was an individual walking in the street with what appeared to be a firearm. The object she was holding was later revealed to be an airsoft gun with the orange tip removed. Officers claimed they were forced to escalate to lethal force after warnings, and the use of non-lethal weapons proved ineffective. Body camera footage captured officers shouting commands, firing multiple rounds, and performing CPR after Alatorre was critically injured. She was later pronounced dead.

A screenshot from body-worn camera footage shows Boulder police officers continuing to point weapons at Alatorre as she lies prone on the ground.

The Boulder Police Department’s body-worn camera (BWC) footage provided to YS shows that officers left Alatorre in a state of increased stress and escalation than they had found her in during that initial interaction. Boulder kickstarted a Crisis Intervention Response Team (CIRT) program in 2021 to co-respond with law enforcement to 911 calls involving mental health crises. However, due to the categorization of “trespassing” for that initial call to the rec center, dispatchers only altered BPD. 

Independent studies have found that police use force exceedingly rarely when responding to calls with Boulder’s CIRT. Between 2022 and 2023, just 0.3% of these co-responded calls resulted in law enforcement using force. Had dispatchers called for the CIRT to respond with officers to 911 calls concerning Alatorre, would she still be alive today?

Legal Fight for Transparency

In the aftermath, attorney Dan Williams filed a police misconduct complaint and requested the BWC footage to better understand the events leading to Alatorre’s death. In response, BPD demanded thousands of dollars in fees for locating and redacting the footage—$2,857.50 in the case of YS, which also sought the footage to report on the incident.

“Boulder is a small, relatively safe city. We have an extremely aggressive police department policing a city with very little violent crime,” Williams told YS. 

“So when there is an officer-involved shooting, it’s something I take notice of,” Williams explained when asked why he had chosen to file a misconduct complaint originally. 

These fees sparked a lawsuit, with Williams, Alatorre’s daughter, and YS arguing that the demands violated Colorado’s Law Enforcement Integrity and Transparency Act of 2020. This legislation mandates that families of victims receive relevant police footage for free and restricts fees for other requesters. It prioritizes transparency in cases of alleged police misconduct and was written in direct response to the Black Lives Matter protests that took place in Colorado and nationally that summer. 

In defense, the city of Boulder argued that a section of the Colorado Criminal Justice Records Act (CCJRA)  permits government agencies to charge reasonable fees for records requests if the state does not supply funding for this. While true, CCJRA is a wide-sweeping law that covers all open records requests, while the Law Enforcement Integrity Act pertains specifically to making requests for BWC footage in cases where a misconduct complaint was previously filed. 

In April 2024, a district court ruled in favor of YS, declaring that CCJRA does not override the Transparency Act when invoked. The court emphasized that the purpose of the Transparency Act is to hold law enforcement accountable without placing undue financial burdens on victims’ families or the public. The court also ruled, however, that records requests would only be considered under the Transparency Act if requesters specifically mention it, which YS did. 

In response to the ruling, BPD finally began to release the BWC footage from that day in December 2023; this is what we found. 

Body Worn Camera Footage

Boulder Police officers were consistently too far from Alatorre for less-than-lethal weapons to be effective.

Just fifteen minutes passed between when any given officer arrived on the scene and the fatal shooting of Alatorre. In all that time, Alatorre never fired a single shot from the airsoft weapon she was carrying. Throughout the footage, she is seen retreating from officers on foot. Had officers given the situation more time to diffuse, perhaps the fatal shooting could have been avoided. 

From a distance, it is reasonable to conclude that officers could not distinguish the airsoft weapon Alatorre was carrying from a real weapon since the orange tip was removed. But is this enough to justify police actions that day? 

Throughout the BWC footage, officers make several remarks about attempting to use less-than-lethal “bean bags” before resorting to lethal force. This was cited in the District Attorney’s final ruling that there had not been any misconduct during the fatal incident. Footage of officers actually utilizing the less-than-lethal method is not clearly shown in any of the BWC videos provided to YS, which BPD has assured what they provided is everything collected from that day.

It is possible that the officer who fired those less-than-lethal rounds was not recording at the time. It is also possible that the less-than-lethal rounds are indistinguishable from other shotgun rounds fired in the footage. Colloquially referred to as “beanbags,” these less-than-lethal rounds are actually just small sacks full of buckshot that can be loaded into regular shotguns. These rounds, while “less lethal” than regular buckshot, have still killed people when fired at the head, neck, or other vulnerable areas, thus the name. 

However, the distance officers were from Alatorre when those rounds would have been fired would have made them ineffective in subduing her at all. Begging the question, did Boulder police officers make enough of an effort to detain Alatorre without using excessive force? 

Colorado law states that officers are justified in using deadly physical force only when the officer believes it is reasonably necessary to:

• defend the officer or another from the use of imminent deadly physical force or
• make an arrest or prevent an escape from someone who has committed a felony involving the use of a deadly weapon or indicates a likelihood to inflict serious bodily injury or endanger human life.

Whether or not Alatorre’s case meets these standards for the use of deadly force could be determined by a jury, should the victim’s family choose to go further with legal action against the city. Twentieth Judicial District Attorney Michael Dougherty, based on an investigation by the Boulder Critical Incident Team (BCIT), found that the officers involved were not subject to criminal prosecution, though could not absolve them of the possibility of civil prosecution. 

In his decision letter, DA Dougherty clarifies that “the investigation and review of this incident does not evaluate nor review the appropriateness of police tactics or whether department policies and procedures were followed. My decision, based on criminal law standards, does not limit administrative action by BPD or any civil action where less stringent laws, rules, and levels of proof would apply.”

BWC footage shows officers engaging the scene as if it were an active combat zone, following Alatorre down a highly trafficked street, service weapons drawn. In some instances, officers have service weapons pointed directly towards motorists attempting to drive through the area. At the very least, this shows the department’s incompetence when clearing an active crime scene.

BPD officers are seen pointing service weapons at a black pickup truck. The truck can be seen reversing at high speed away from the scene immediately after this.

In the past, BPD has successfully detained violent offenders unharmed. In 2021, officers from the same department arrested Ahmad Al Aliwi Al-Issa, who killed 10 people, including one police officer, in a mass shooting at King Soopers by shooting him in the leg. If BPD could take down a mass shooter alive, why then was Alatorre shot nine times for simply holding a gun?

After the shooting, Boulder police officers approach Alatorre’s prone body cautiously, still shouting demands to drop the weapon that lies in her limp hand. Seeing that she is still making small, twitch-like movements, officers cuff Alatorre’s wrists and ankles before attempting CPR.

While administering CPR is one possible intervention for gunshot wounds, other emergency responses such as stopping the hemorrhage, managing the victim’s airway, and preventing shock are also necessary. In Alatorre’s case, these additional interventions were not attempted by the officers who gunned her down. Additionally, several high-profile cases of excessive force have highlighted a lack of medical response from officers, leading some police reform activists to raise ethical concerns over officer-administered CPR as a way of protecting themselves against scrutiny.

Colorado’s Law Enforcement and Integrity Act requires that footage be released immediately to victims’ family members. Following the court ruling in favor of YS, Williams expected the BWC footage to be available immediately, but this was not the case. The city of Boulder began releasing the footage 45 days after the initial ruling. From there, it took further requests from Williams for the city to release the remaining footage. The final video, which showed the deadly shooting as well as officer actions immediately following, was at first heavily blurred. 

“There are some limited reasons in the statute for privacy, where a video can be blurred. But the city’s use of this blurring was well beyond what the statute allows,” Williams said. “They were blurring after they had killed Ms Alatorre. They blurred what the officers were doing, which, there was no privacy interest that would have permitted that.” 

Is it possible that BPD attempted to release only a highly blurred version of the events immediately after the shooting to obscure their actions?

BPD officers are seen again pointing service weapons in the direction of oncoming traffic and residential housing.

Legal Battle Continues

Earlier this month, the City of Boulder appealed the district court decision, raising two key arguments. First, it questions whether the Transparency Act truly overrides the Colorado Criminal Justice Records Act (CCJRA) when invoked. Second, it contends that the district court’s decision neglects a CORA provision allowing governments to charge fees if the state does not fund the release of records. 

The outcome of this appeal could have far-reaching implications for how transparency laws are interpreted and enforced in Colorado. A decision favoring Boulder might discourage future records requests by imposing significant financial barriers, while a decision against the city could strengthen the public’s ability to scrutinize law enforcement actions.

While the legal battle over transparency unfolds, the deeper questions surrounding Alatorre’s death remain unanswered. Was the use of lethal force justified? Could the situation have been de-escalated? And what systemic changes are needed to prevent similar incidents in the future? And why, knowing she had mental health issues from their previous interaction, did dispatchers not alert CIRT?

The lack of clarity in the events of December 17th, 2023, and the legal hurdles in accessing footage have only deepened the anguish for Alatorre’s family and the community. Activists and journalists alike have pointed out that the fight for accountability and transparency is critical in addressing the broader issue of police brutality—a persistent concern in an age of increasing demands for law enforcement reform.

The case of Jeannette Alatorre exemplifies the critical need for transparency and underscores the importance of holding institutions accountable when lives are lost at the hands of law enforcement. As the legal proceedings continue, the hope is that Colorado’s transparency laws will be clarified and strengthened, ensuring that families, advocates, and the public have the tools necessary to demand justice and prevent future tragedies.

Democracy needs journalism more than ever. We’ve been telling the truth for 24 years. Your support helps us keep telling it for at least the next four years.

Like journalism like this? Consider becoming a sustaining supporter (and get our printed copy monthly at home.)
Democracy needs journalism more than ever. We’ve been telling the truth for 24 years. Your support helps us keep telling it for at least the next four years.

The post When Lethal Force Becomes the Default: The Death of Jeannette Alatorre appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

The fight over body camera footage continues as Boulder questions Colorado’s Transparency Act in the Colorado Court of Appeals.

In December of 2023, Boulder police officers shot and killed 51-year-old Jeannette Alatorre in a confrontation that started at the rec center. After the incident on Dec 17th, concerned Boulderite and attorney Dan Williams filed a police misconduct complaint as a first step in the process of making a request for the body-worn camera (BWC) footage obtained during the confrontation.

In response to Williams’ request, the Boulder police department demanded to be paid for the labor of finding and editing all BWC footage. At the same time, Yellow Scene Magazine also made requests for all relevant footage from the incident. BPD again demanded that YS pay “$2857.50 for search, retrieval, and redaction.”

In April of 2024, YS, along with Alatorre’s daughter, both represented by Williams, filed a lawsuit against the City of Boulder as their monetary demand directly violates the Law Enforcement Integrity and Transparency Act of 2020, which requires police departments to provide footage related to alleged misconduct to families of victims for free, or to others at lowered costs.

The City of Boulder argued that the Colorado Open Records Act (CORA) permits agencies to charge reasonable fees to those making open records requests. The fees are capped at 33.58 an hour, and the first hour is usually free to limit requesters’ costs.

The court ruled in favor of YS, declaring that CORA “does not authorize a criminal justice agency to charge fees when a requester seeks video recordings.” However, the records requester must reference the Law Enforcement Integrity and Transparency Act when making the request, which Yellow Scene did.

Today, the City of Boulder filed an appeal for this decision on two issues. First, the City of Boulder questions whether the Police Accountability and Transparency Act overrides CORA when invoked by requesters. Second, the City of Boulder posits that the district court ignored the portion of CORA that states governments don’t have to provide records free of charge if the state does not provide funding for it.

One thing is clear: the current state of records requests in Colorado is incredibly muddy. With any luck, the outcome of this lawsuit will help to streamline this process in a way that keeps law enforcement accountable in an age where police brutality is all too common.

This does not even begin to address the actual events of December 17th, 2023. The legal squabble does not seek to answer whether lethal force was necessary and will not bring justice for Alatorre’s family. YS remains committed to speaking truth to power, and though this is our first time covering this story since the lawsuit, it will not be the last.

Like journalism like this? Consider becoming a sustaining supporter (and get our printed copy monthly at home.)

Democracy needs journalism more than ever. We’ve been telling the truth for 24 years. Your support helps us keep telling it for at least the next four years.

Democracy needs journalism more than ever. We’ve been telling the truth for 24 years. Your support helps us keep telling it for at least the next four years.

The post City of Boulder Files Appeal: Police Accountability Law Faces Legal Challenge appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

photo by Janine Robinson

Erie Elections 2024

As the Unofficial Election results for Erie trickle in, the town’s ballot measures have shown candidates who appear to be leading and winning the election. 

However, per the Erie government website, Andrew Moore is set to win against Justin Brooks with 10,384 votes, while Justin Brooks has received 9,807 votes. This has placed Moore in the lead with 577 more votes. Council Members for District 1 have shown John Mortellaro leading with 2,652 votes, followed by Andrew Sawusch with 2,633 votes. 

One of the candidates running for District 2 has been met with heightened controversy. Dan Maloit, who the ballot measures have shown is placing third with 2,078 votes, has been served with a lawsuit for allegedly doxxing and posting nude photographs of an ex-partner online. 

The victim, who chose to stay unidentified, claims she had found out about the nude photos being posted online 2 years ago, back in 2022. Once she started doing a deeper search on the web, she realized that photos had actually been posted of her online dating back to 2016. 

Since these allegations have arisen, Maloit filed a countersuit in September and has denied any of them, claiming they are intended to sabotage his political career. In a Facebook post on November 4, 2024, Maloit states, “I believe the allegations are false and are made in addition to other private matters that exist between the plaintiff and myself.”

District 3 has shown Brian O’Connor leading with 2,626 votes, Travis Pinz with 1,612, and Emily Baer with 2,885. 

The city of Erie, with 11,566 votes, has voted yes for a 5% excise tax on the sale of Marijuana. This means that starting January 2025, a tax will be imposed on the sale of Marijuana both medicinally and recreationally. The big change is that Marijuana will be able to be sold and purchased in the city of Erie, something that hasn’t happened in the city since the legalization of Marijuana in Colorado back in 2012. 

962 yes votes have gone toward question 7B regarding RTD annexation. Over 90% of the city of Erie is already annexed into the RTD district. The RTD annexation vote would result in providing more unannexed areas in the city of Erie for public transportation systems such as the RTD. This voter approval will bring about multiple benefits for the people of Erie, including transportation services, access to rides, parking benefits, and free fares that would be eligible for residents and youth during the summers. 

What’s next? Election results for the city of Erie will be finalized on November 26, 2024. 

Stephen Redfearn

The City of Boulder responds to the NAACP

The NAACP has issued a press release expressing its concern about the recent hiring of Stephen Redfearn, a police officer with a dark reputation by the City of Boulder. 

Stephen Redfearn was recently hired last year into a permanent position as head police chief in the City of Boulder. On October 14 of this year, the NAACP released a press release condemning the hiring of Stephen Redfearn due to his history of covering up the murder of Elijah McClain.  

In the press release submitted to YS, the NAACP claims that Redfearn is not only “anti-black” but also lacks “cultural competence,” which should, by all rights, disqualify him for the position of head police chief of the City of Boulder. 

The press release also contained a transcript of a recorded confidential meeting that took place in July of this year between members of the City of Boulder and Stephen Redfearn.

According to the City of Boulder’s manager, Nuria Rivera-Vandermyde, the meeting was secretly recorded without the members’ knowledge or consent, and members were asked to sign an agreement not to publish any details of the meeting anywhere online. According to Colorado law, Colorado is a one-party state, meaning that the NAACP did not need to inform the members of the City of Boulder that they were being recorded. 

The press release provided by the NAACP contains a transcript of the recording during the meeting. In this transcript, there were heated exchanges between Redfearn and Darren O’Connor, the chair of the NAACP Boulder County’s criminal justice committee. A “crude” comment was made toward Redfearn’s sexuality by O’Connor, which prompted Redfearn to express his being gay as a prominent reason why the NAACP condemned his hiring. Redfearn further claims that O’Connor smirked at him during the meeting anytime Redfearn spoke, resulting in questionable comments made by Redfearn that prompted O’Connor to state that such comments further prop up  “a system of racism.”

Nuria Rivera-Vandermyde recently came forward, issuing a statement accusing three members of the NAACP of blackmailing her with the recording. According to Rivera-Vandermyde, the members used the recording to pressure the City into not going through with the hiring of Redfearn. Rivera-Vandermyde claims that the NAACP’s actions have been “unethical and unacceptable.” Rivera-Vandermyde even goes as far as stating that Redfearn had nothing to do with Elijah’s murder, “Without repeating their misleading account of his involvement, I want to make clear again that there were no allegations against then-Aurora Police Captain Redfearn in connection with this case.”

What’s next? There have been no updates pertaining to the hiring of Stephen Redfearn. In an email sent to Boulder Weekly, Darren O’Connor said, “The lack of good faith begins and ends with her (Rivera-Vandermyde) and Redfearn,” he closes it by saying, “The truth is, she spent the City’s time and money creating a sham process in which Redfearn was always going to be chosen. An untold amount of money was spent hiring facilitators of the conversation, with the hope that the offering of a conversation would be sufficient to silence our critiques.”

graphic by Ray Manzari

2024 Elections and Blaming Minorities for Trump’s Victory 

As the old saying goes, if you scratch a liberal hard enough, a fascist bleeds.

As Donald Trump embraces his second Presidential election win, rather than focusing energy on the Democratic party and why Harris’ party did not succeed, strategists and even voters have succumbed to blaming minorities — many who make up only less than 1 percent of the American population — as being the main reason for Trump’s victory. 

Poll trackers show that 54% of the Latino population intended to vote for Harris and 33% for Trump. However, the final numbers came out as 55% of white and Hispanic males voted for Trump, while 53% of white women also did. Yet Muslims are often taking the blame for Harris’ loss. According to the Council of Islamic Relations, the Democrats had 22,000 fewer votes this year from Arab Americans and saw a 9,000 vote increase for Donald Trump. CAIR has listed that 53.2% of the Arab vote went to Jill Stein, while 21.4% of the Arab American vote went to Trump, and about 20.3% went to Harris. 

While many Democratic voters and strategists claim that a vote for the Green party is a vote for Trump, that isn’t entirely the case. Prior to the election, many Arab Americans, allies, and anti-genocide voters had expressed the importance of voting for the Green party as a message to the Biden and Harris administrations that genocide is a staunch red line for many American voters. Newsweek states, “Roughly 60 percent of us here in the United States now say the two-party system has failed.” 

Following the election, many Harris voters resorted to social media to express their outrage and fears with Trump’s newly announced presidency by scapegoating Arab Americans, Black men (who voted 78% for Harris, down 2% from 2020) as well as other minorities for the failure of Harris’ campaign. 

A series of tweets, TikTok, and social media posts by Democratic voters displaying racist and disturbing reactions toward Trump’s victory swarmed social media outlets. Many Democratic strategists blamed others, and even die-hard true-blue Democrats called for death and violence against Arabs and other minorities, as well as calling for the complete obliteration of Gaza, “When Gaza is Blown off the map, they’ll have Trump’s vote to thank.” one user tweets. “Good luck with new Trump settlements,” another user comments on Instagram. Another prominent Twitter user by the name of Derrick Daniello, whose account was recently suspended, tweets, “Don’t worry… they’re gonna die under Trump. I hope Netanyahu levels Gaza…America isn’t an Arab state. The craziness we see in Europe will never happen in America.”

Latino and Hispanic Americans have also been faced with the brunt of the Democratic reaction to Trump’s win, as many Democrats expressed their lack of care and support for the deportation of Latinos and Hispanics who voted for Trump. The American Journalist Ronald Martin told the Independent, ““If that dude’s [a Trump voter] mama gets deported, that’s on him, and I’m gonna play Scarface’s ‘No Tears,’” expressing no sympathy toward the deportation of Latinos and directing the blame on them for voting for a presidency that many claims is Anti-immigrant. 

While Arab Americans, specifically Palestinian and Lebanese Americans, have been witness to the relentless annihilation of their people and destruction of their homes, the Democratic party and its followers believe that Arab Americans should unequivocally stand by the party that is funding the murder of their families. 

According to the United Nations, the number of children killed by Israel in Gaza since October 7 is higher than four years of world conflict. Two days before the election, Al Jazeera stated that 70% of the Palestinians killed in Gaza have been women and children. 

What’s next? Are American voters seeking justice and reform today, or only when it pertains to them? While the next four years may seem rather bleak, one thing that we Americans can take the time to do is reflect and focus our energy inward toward the failure of the Democratic party that felt imperialism and genocide were more important than winning an election. 

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Democracy needs journalism more than ever. We’ve been telling the truth for 24 years. Your support helps us keep telling it for at least the next four years.

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The post A Nation in Flux: Local Elections, National Debates, and a Polarized Future appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

The Highland City Club newsletter has been an open and comfortable space for its longtime founder, Sina Simantob, to express his views freely without backlash or reaction from the general public. The HCC website’s about page claims it is “a safe place for passionate and caring people to explore our differences, find our common ground, and make our world a better place while having fun.” 

An essay published on August 16 on the HCC website by Simantob, titled “A Modern Crusade,” has been claimed by a local activist group, Front Range Antifascists, to have contained “Islamophobic” rhetoric. The HCC is known as a social club for wealthy residents in Boulder, and this isn’t the first time that racist allegations have been made against the country club. 

Back in November of 2021, Boulder Weekly published an article titled, “The Highland City Club Has a Racism Problem,” where it was revealed that in an article published in 2019 on the HCC website titled “Racism,” Simantob reinforced racial stereotypes, claiming it is a natural reaction for people to stereotype minorities.

“Perhaps it simply means humans have a natural tendency to initially see each other in terms of stereotypes ….  I stopped doing business with Hasidic Jews in NY because time after time they proved to be better businessmen than me,” Simantob elaborates further, “And I stopped playing sports if there were more black players on the other team. So am I a smart survivalist or a bigoted racist?”  

In response to these allegations, the activist group FrontRange AntiFascists wrote a press release examining these claims against the HCC and its founder. According to CBS News, the Antifascist organization as a whole is nonviolent in its protests and dedicated to exposing racism and far-right extremists. The organization has been known to be a network of far-left revolutionaries, many of whom carry anarchist or communist views. 

Crow, a long-standing member of the Front-Range Antifascists, says, “As antifascists, our primary goal is to empower communities to defend themselves against oppressive forces who wish them harm. As such, we have warned Islamic community centers about the HCC and distributed flyers and posters to community members neighboring the HCC. These flyers are available to print on our website,” Crow told YS. 

The Front Range Antifascist’s values indicate they are dedicated to protecting and warning communities that may be harmed by “fascist” and “far-right activity,” as listed in their principles on their website, “An attack on one, is an attack on all!” 

In “A Modern Crusade” by Sina Simantob, which was published on the HCC website, Simantob says, “…all Muslims embrace Jihad as a way of life to spread Islam throughout the world by any means.” The article dives further into the Neo-Nazi riots taking place in Europe. Simantob compares Muslims to the Crusades and encourages the false idea that Europe must “fight back” against the legal immigration that Muslims are using as a way to conquer Europe in the future.

“The Islamic crusades, having failed to conquer Europe by force outright, are now pursued in the form of legal immigration by taking advantage of Europe’s low native birth rate and its need for cheap labor to power their industrial production.” 

Since October 7, Israel has butchered over 186,000 Palestinian citizens. This is a conservative estimate, as thousands are still under the rubble and missing. The destruction has left over 1.9 million Palestinians displaced, and countless human rights organizations and news outlets claim it’ll take decades to rebuild Gaza. In the past few months, footage has been circulating of Israeli soldiers kidnapping, rounding up, and stripping Palestinian men and boys 16 and older. 

Since the genocide began, the outpour of Islamophobia and anti-arab sentiment has been rampant throughout the country, increasing exponentially. It has resulted in a list of deadly incidents: the stabbing of 6-year-old Palestinian American Wadea Al Fayoume in the City of Chicago, as well as the shooting of three Palestinian students, 20-year-old Hisham Awartini, Kinnan Abdalhamid, and Tahseen Ahmed, in the state of Vermont. Just a few weeks ago, a man slit the throat of a 7-year-old Muslim Yemeni American girl Saida Mashra, in Detroit, Michigan, one of the most prominent Arab American cities in America. 

Could there be a connection between the HCC’s legacy of anti-arab sentiment and the genocide in Gaza? 

A very recently published article by Simantob titled “War and Peace,” which was published on the HCC website on October 25, shows Simantob falsely attributing student protestors on college campuses to being “pro-Hamas,” rehashing allegations about October 7 that have been debunked, as well as claiming the prime minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu has been conducting the war (genocide) in Gaza pretty well, “Benjamin Netanyahu has weaknesses and shadow sides, but as Israel’s commander-in-chief, he is executing this war well on seven fronts.” 

In another article published earlier this month by Simantob on October 4, titled “War In The Middle East,” Simantob falsely claims the death toll in Gaza is a mix of Hamas and Palestinian civilians, “over 40,000 Hamas soldiers and Palestinian civilians in Gaza have been killed by Israel,” however, multiple sources including the United Nations have stated that the death toll in Gaza has explicitly been civilian casualties. Simantob continues by saying that he resents the idea that Netanyahu and Israel are to blame for the genocide in Gaza.

“In a blatant act of victim-shaming, many throughout the world blame Israel and its leader, Benjamin Netanyahu, for the brutal execution of this war and for its refusal to “compromise” to reach a “peaceful solution” with Hamas and Hezbollah. I am not in this camp.”

The FrontRange AntiFascists revealed in a now-deleted post on the HCC website that the HCC recently hired Yovel Peretz, an IDF soldier returning from Gaza. The HCC hired Peretz in July as their new Chief Operations Officer. In a progress report posted to the HCC website, which has since been deleted. Simantob writes about Yovel’s experience in the IDF: “Yovel has registered more miles than years, as evidenced by the fact that he has secured a degree in business, recently completed his four-year service in the Israeli army, and has proven himself to be a natural leader.”

Following this allegation, The FrontRange AntiFascists recently rumored that the Boulder Highland City Club had hosted a private event for Boulder’s new deputy police Chief, Stephen Redfearn, on September 26. Redfearn, who was captain of the Aurora police department, is infamous for overlooking and covering for the murder of Elijah McClain, furthering the problematic force Boulder has earned a reputation for. 

“We don’t know what the [event] entailed as it was only available to paying members of the Highland City Club and their guests. The event was likely a way to build a relationship with Chief Redfearn and give the wealthy HCC members exclusive access to one of the most powerful people in the City.” Crow said.

The Highland City Club’s controversy has been an enormous topic in Boulder, and neither Simantob nor the HCC has spoken up about any of these allegations. YS reached out to the Highland City Club in Boulder for any commentary. They have not responded to our attempts to contact them.

Like journalism like this? Consider becoming a sustaining supporter (and get our printed copy monthly at home.)

Democracy needs journalism more than ever. We’ve been telling the truth for 24 years. Your support helps us keep telling it for at least the next four years.

Democracy needs journalism more than ever. We’ve been telling the truth for 24 years. Your support helps us keep telling it for at least the next four years.

The post Beyond the Headlines: The Controversial Legacy of the Boulder Highland City Club appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

PowerEnagge texting service launched to better connect with community

The Boulder Police Department launched a new texting service Dec. 11 to better connect with the community members it serves.

The new community member satisfaction and feedback solution—called PowerEngage—uses text messaging to offer notifications and a feedback survey option to community members who have interacted with Boulder police after a 911 call.

Individuals who do not want to participate can simply not respond. Alternatively, individuals may reply with STOP and that will opt them out of all future text surveys from the department.

“It’s been a good tool for us to get kind of more real time feedback from the people that call us because it sends it out about six hours after a call, so they still have it fresh in their mind and give us some good feedback, and a lot of it has been positive,” said Police Communications Manager Brad Riggin who oversees the Boulder Police and Fire Communications Center.”

The Boulder Police and Fire Communications Center answers 911, non-emergency, and administrative phone lines and dispatches several resources including police, fire, EMS, Animal Protection, Open Space Mountain Parks Rangers, and others for the City of Boulder.

Deputy Chief of Support Services Ron Gosage said this new service aligns with their department’s Reimagine Policing Plan and their continued commitment to transparency and respect in policing.

“We’re thrilled about this new way to learn more from our community members in nearly real time,” he said. “Much like private companies send automatic text message notifications and satisfaction surveys to their customers, Boulder Police is now able to do the same. We expect that this new solution, PowerEngage, will improve communication between the police and our community, and provide an important service to people we serve.”

Riggin said informative text message notifications will be sent to some 911 callers immediately following their 911 call, such as following a minor traffic accident where traffic isn’t blocked, and nobody is injured. A person who calls 911 in this case might receive a text message telling them an officer is on the way, and to please stay out of traffic and have their driver’s license, insurance, and registration ready.

PowerEngage will also send text message feedback surveys six hours after an initial 911 call, with quiet hours between 9 p.m. and 8 a.m. This text will invite community members to take a quick survey about their experience during their call for service and the response they received. The survey will provide the community member with the opportunity to provide comments, feedback, or to thank the responding officer.

“It’s (survey) is really simple,” Riggin said. “Four questions are asked. Two are about the 911 call taker and then two about the responder that they had experience with. It’s interfaced with our computer-aided dispatch system and it pulls that phone number that the calls in on and then the system will automatically text message with the survey a couple of hours after their call. There are quiet hours built into it, so we’re not disturbing people at night. We do not send those out to any life-threatening calls that might add trauma to an already traumatic experience.”

PowerEngage is an additional effort to promote transparency and good communication in policing and to provide excellent service to the community. Several other Colorado police departments already use PowerEngage, including police agencies in Golden, Castle Rock, and Lakewood. The surveys inviting feedback are in addition to, and will not replace, the Boulder Police Department’s forum to receive commendations and complaints, which are submitted to the Professional Standards Unit via our website at https://bouldercolorado.gov/services/police-commendations-and-complaints

“Other agencies do use this. The University of Colorado Police Department uses it as well and Boulder County Sheriff’s Office is going to use it,” Riggin said. It’s kind of built into our Re-Imagined policing plan that our chief put out earlier this year. We’re trying to get as much feedback from the community as we can on our performance and how we’re doing, and then adjust as we can.”

Riggin said the PowerEngage program will be evaluated in the coming months to see what is working.

“We haven’t had that evaluation phase yet. We do have those kind of milestones and meetings set up to look at it in the future, but right now, just collecting the data at this point,” he said. “We will be evaluating the first batch of data and see how things are going.”

Riggin said Boulder 911 dispatchers are an important lifeline to the community, and training is a part of that.

The Boulder Police and Fire Communications Center’s training program has been certified by the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials, the largest organization for public safety communication professionals, according to Boulder police spokeswoman Dionne Waugh.

The Boulder Police and Fire Communications Center is now nationally certified for its dispatcher training program.

Joining just 90 communications centers across the U.S. and Canada, Boulder’s communications center training program has been awarded certification through the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials’ (APCO) Agency Training Program Certification program. APCO is the world’s largest organization of public safety communications professionals. It serves the needs of public safety communications practitioners worldwide—and the welfare of the general public as a whole—by providing complete expertise, professional development, technical assistance, advocacy, and outreach.

“This validation serves as an expression of what we’ve known for a long time,” Boulder Police Chief Maris Herold said. “We have exceptional people doing excellent work in our communications center and we’re incredibly proud of this recognition. We appreciate all the great work our dispatchers do.”

APCO P33 Certification is a certification program that provides a way for public safety agencies to certify that their training programs meet APCO American National Standards (ANS). The certification ensures that an agency’s curriculum, training materials, and supporting documentation are reviewed and checked for compliance. The certification adds value to communications agencies who partake in both C.A.L.E.A. and APCO programs.

“One of the many reasons we did this is because the State of Colorado does not have any training standards for 911 dispatchers,” Riggin said. “This certification ensures we are meeting APCO training standards and if the State of Colorado moves towards required training standards for 911 dispatchers, our center will likely already meet or exceed them.”

The post New Texting Service Available for Public, Boulder Police Department appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

Police say woman killed by law enforcement was threatening people with fake gun

The Boulder Police Department was involved in a fatal officer-involved shooting near the North Boulder Recreation Center Sunday afternoon.

 At 4:10 p.m. on Sunday, officers were called to 3170 Broadway for a report of a woman pointing a gun at people who were trying to drive out of the parking lot at the recreation center, said Support Services Deputy Chief Ron Gossage at a press conference Monday.

According to a Washington Post database that has, since 2015, tracked police shootings across the United States, 2023 is currently on track to see a similar number of police shootings as last year. Between Jan. 1 and July 9, 2022, there were 18 fatal shootings by police in Colorado. 2022 ended with 40 police shootings in total across the state.

That’s slightly above the annual average of 37, according to the Post’s eight years of data. In recent years, shootings in Colorado and across the country have risen, data shows.

At approximately 4:10 p.m. on Dec. 17th, our 911 dispatchers received a call from a driver who reported that he was approached while he was in his car in the driveway exit of the North Boulder Rec Center by a woman who had a gun and pointed it at him,” Gossage said. “Our first officers arrived on scene at approximately 4:12 p.m. About two minutes later at approximately 4:14 p.m. the officers located the suspect near the rec center.”

Gossage said the suspect did not comply with the officer’s verbal commands. Instead, she headed northbound on Broadway on foot.

“The officers followed her and attempted to gain compliance. They informed her that if she did not cooperate, she could have force used against her,” Gossage said. “She did not cooperate and continued walking away, turning down residential side streets. The officers followed her and used less lethal attempts to get her to comply with their orders. They also saw her remove a gun from her purse.”

Gossage said officers followed her and attempted to deescalate the situation for approximately 15 minutes.

“Using less lethal strategies and verbal command, de-escalation attempts proved unsuccessful and officers discharged their weapons striking the suspect at approximately 4:26 p.m.,” he said. “Immediately afterwards, officers began to administer medical aid. Boulder Fire Rescue arrived a few minutes later to assist them with medical aid. Unfortunately, after nearly 40 minutes of administering emergency medical aid, the woman died at the scene.”

The growing mental health crisis had already prompted the city of Boulder to implement a pilot program for 911 calls that will redirect certain non-violent callers to mental health professionals instead of the law enforcement. Unfortunately, the presence of a possible gun in this incident likely warranted law enforcement involvement immediately.

The Boulder County Coroner’s Office will identify her, notify the next of kin and determine the cause and manner of death.

 Gossage said the gun the woman was holding was later determined to be a replica Beretta pistol.

“It’s a replica firearm that does not act as an actual firearm,” Gossage said.

Gossage said currently per policy, the two Boulder Police officers involved in the shooting incident are on administrative leave with pay.

Gossage said detectives are also seeking information about the time the same woman was inside the Boulder Recreation Center an hour before the shooting occurred.

At approximately 3:13 p.m., officers were called to the center for a report of a woman inside a bathroom and refusing to leave. Officers arrived and escorted the woman off the property.

Gossage said no officers or civilians were hurt in the incident.

“Thankfully, no officers or other people were injured during this incident,” he said. “The use of deadly force is something that no officer wants to do. The taking of a life is the most serious action an officer can take. The incident is a tragedy, and our thoughts are with the friends and family of the woman who died.”

Boulder County District Attorney Michael Dougherty said per state law, the Boulder County Investigation Team will investigate the officer-involved shooting as with any case where an officer has fired their weapon.

He said witness and officer interviews are ongoing. When they’re done with their investigation, they will present it to the District Attorney’s Office.

“After the tragic shooting that took place yesterday [Sunday], the Boulder Police Department immediately notified the Boulder County Critical Incident team,” Dougherty said. “It’s a multi-agency and crime scene analysts from different police agencies and crime scene analysts from different police agencies. The Boulder Police Department is not actively involved in the investigation into the officer’s use of force as required by state law. It’s a multi-agency, independent and objective investigation.”

Dougherty said once that review is completed by his office, they will announce a decision as to whether any of the officers should be criminally charged or whether their use of force was justified under the law.

“I then, as I do after every officer involved incident, post the community town hall where I share all of the materials, the evidence, the videos and so on, that led to the decision,” he said. “This is an absolute tragedy. Anytime there’s a loss of life, I could promise you that the investigation’s going to be thorough as it should be anytime an officer uses deadly physical force.”

Boulder Fire Rescue, Parks and Recreation Urban Rangers, American Medical Response (AMR), and the Boulder County Sheriff’s Office helped with the incident aftermath.

The Boulder Parks and Recreation Urban Ranger team helped during this incident by locking down the North Boulder Recreation Center and assisting BPD with traffic management and rec center parking lot closures.

After BPD told the Urban Rangers that it was safe to lift the recreation center lockdown, they reopened the facility. Boulder city staff from multiple departments worked well together during this incident to keep the community safe.

Boulder is in the process of implementing a new pilot program that will redirect certain 911 calls to mental health professionals for non-violent incidents.

Boulder Police detectives are seeking the public’s help for anyone who witnessed any part of these incidents to contact Detective S. Byars at ByarsS@bouldercolorado.gov or 303-441-1970 reference case 23-12689 or by uploading any videos or photos to https://bouldercopd.evidence.com/axon/community-request/public/2312689

The post Fatal police shooting in Boulder over the weekend appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

By John Herrick, Boulder Reporting Lab (Via AP Storyshare)

A high-profile dispute is brewing in Boulder connected with the ongoing trial over the death of Elijah McClain.

Boulder’s deputy police chief, Steve Redfearn, has hired a lawyer in response to allegations from a local attorney related to the case. McClain, a 23-year-old Black man, died in 2019 in Aurora after he was forcibly arrested while unarmed and given a powerful sedative by paramedics.

Redfearn’s decision came after the NAACP Boulder County published letters calling for his resignation.
Redfearn was a captain with the Aurora Police Department on the night police confronted McClain. He arrived on the scene as McClain was being transported to the hospital. In September 2021, Redfearn left the Aurora Police Department, where he had worked for 22 years, and joined Boulder’s department.

Last month, he was subpoenaed as a witness by state prosecutors in the first trial over the death of McClain. During his testimony, Redfearn said he changed the computer-aided dispatch (CAD) report after the officers’ encounter with McClain from “suspicious person” to “assault on a police officer.” He modified the report after speaking with officers who were on the scene but before the completion of any investigation into the incident.

It is now established fact that McClain did not assault officers on the night he was forcibly arrested.
Even so, the code used to describe the incident that night does not appear to have played a role in any of the subsequent investigations into McClain’s death. Instead, investigators have relied on body camera footage and interviews with police officers, among other evidence.

But in light of this testimony, three members of the NAACP Boulder County sent a letter to city officials on Oct. 1, alleging Redfearn’s decision to change the dispatch records “reeked of a cover up.” The organization is circulating a petition calling for Redfearn to resign or be removed. The petition has not been approved by NAACP headquarters, Portia Prescott, the president of the NAACP Colorado, Montana, Wyoming State Area Conference, told Boulder Reporting Lab. Such approval is standard protocol under the organization’s bylaws, Prescott said.

In an interview with Boulder Reporting Lab, Redfearn said he changed the dispatch code because an officer informed him that McClain had attempted to grab his gun. Investigators have since found no evidence to confirm this claim after reviewing body camera footage. Redfearn said there was no specific dispatch code for this type of incident, so he chose the next “closest thing,” based on the information he received at the time.

“There was no intent on my part to cover anything up,” Redfearn said. “My changing that code did not indicate that I believed that that happened. I was just doing it based on what was shared with me.”

Once Redfearn learned McClain had lost consciousness during his encounter with officers, he said he called Aurora’s detective commander and requested an investigation by a critical incident team. That team included representatives from the Aurora Police Department, the Denver Police Department and the 17th Judicial District Attorney’s Office, according to the City of Aurora. This request prompted the first investigation into the officers’ encounter with McClain within hours.

“I did quite the opposite on scene of what someone would do if they were intending to try to cover something up,” Redfearn said.

In an Oct. 22 letter to community members also calling for Redfearn to resign, Darren O’Connor, chair of the criminal justice committee for NAACP Boulder County, cited a lawsuit that alleged Redfearn and dozens of other officials used excessive force in their response to a June 2020 vigil for McClain outside the Aurora Municipal Center. The vigil included clashes between demonstrators and police wearing riot gear. O’Connor alleged the response from police is an example of Redfearn’s “history of violence against peaceful civilians.”

The defendants denied many of the allegations and settled the case by agreeing to pay the five plaintiffs $750,000. Redfearn told Boulder Reporting Lab he was one of hundreds of officers called to the scene that day, and he was following orders from a command post. He said he deployed pepper spray when three men tried to take a nightstick from a sheriff’s deputy.

In their letters, O’Connor and the NAACP have highlighted Redfearn’s decades-long career with the Aurora Police Department and the omission of this experience in his city biography. A 2021 state civil rights probe found the Aurora Police Department “has a pattern and practice of racially biased policing, using excessive force, and failing to record required information when it interacts with the community.” The report was published the same month Redfearn joined the City of Boulder.

“[City officials] knew that if they put on his bio he had 22 years of experience in Aurora that eyebrows might go up,” O’Connor, who has been leading the calls for Redfearn’s resignation, told Boulder Reporting Lab.

Redfearn said he is proud of his career in law enforcement. While in Aurora, he was among the officers who responded to the 2012 Aurora movie theater shooting in which the gunman killed 12 people.

“I’ve had to overcome a lot to get to where I am in this profession,” he said. “I’m very proud of the work that I’m doing.”

In light of the public allegations circulating against him, Redfearn said he has hired Stan Garnett, a former Boulder County district attorney, in his personal capacity to help him “weigh any options going forward.” He has not taken any legal action, but said the allegations against him have been “disparaging” and “borderline, if not flat out, defamation.”

“In this case, mischaracterization and sometimes just flat out inaccurate remarks just aren’t helpful. And so I felt like I needed to have some protection,” Redfearn said.

He added that he wants to focus on implementing the department’s “reimagine policing” plan. “Maybe we can continue to move on with all the good work and this can stop being such a huge distraction,” he said.

Garnett is representing Steve Rosenblum, a former candidate for the Boulder City Council, in a defamation lawsuit against five local political organizers. Earlier this year, a judge dismissed the allegations against all but one of the defendants. Part of the case was tossed out under a Colorado law that aims to prevent frivolous lawsuits.

Dispatch reports are intended for internal record-keeping, Redfearn said. But the information documented in the report from the night of McClain’s encounter with officers emerged as one of the first official public records generated by police following their encounter with McClain.

With four years of hindsight, the suggestion that McClain assaulted an officer is shocking to many, given what is now known through body camera footage, investigations by law enforcement agencies and an independent investigation commissioned by the Aurora City Council.

The investigations into McClain’s death came under heightened scrutiny when his case received renewed attention during the 2020 protests over the police killings of Black people. In 2021, a forensic pathologist amended McClain’s autopsy report to change his cause of death from “undetermined” to “complications of ketamine administration following forcible restraint.” State lawmakers, meanwhile, enacted police reforms, including a ban on carotid chokeholds, following protests in which McClain’s name was chanted among the many who have died while in police custody.

The incident began on the evening of Aug. 24, 2019, when officers responded to a call about a man who was “acting weird.” They confronted McClain, a massage therapist, as he was walking home from a convenience store. Within seconds of asking him to stop, one officer grabbed him by the arm. An officer restrained him twice using a chokehold. An officer threatened to have a dog bite him if he kept “messing around.” After paramedics arrived on the scene, they injected him with ketamine. He later died in the hospital.

In November 2019, the former district attorney for the 17th Judicial District, Dave Young, declined to file charges against the three officers. It was later determined by an independent investigation that the Aurora Police Department’s investigation “revealed significant weaknesses in the Department’s accountability systems” and was “flawed and failed to meaningfully develop a fulsome record.”

The current trial is the result of a grand jury indictment that followed an investigation by Attorney General Phil Weiser, prompted by an executive order from Gov. Jared Polis. State prosecutors charged three Aurora officers for manslaughter and criminally negligent homicide for their role in McClain’s death, specifically the use of “violent subdual and restraint” techniques, according to the indictment.

In October 2023, a jury issued a split decision, convicting one officer and acquitting the other. Trials involving the third officer and two paramedics are ongoing.

O’Connor and other members of the NAACP Boulder County have suggested they made their allegations as part of a broader effort over several years to seek accountability for the officers who confronted McClain.

“What we know is it’s in conformity with the rest of [the Aurora Police Department’s] pattern and practice of changing the history of what actually happened,” O’Connor said, referring to the dispatch report changes. “It was a cover up.”

City Manager Nuria Rivera-Vandermyde has come to Redfearn’s defense, arguing the allegations against him are a “misrepresentation” of the facts.

“This was merely an administrative task to ensure that the dispatch call accurately reflected the information that was given to him at the time by the on-scene sergeants,” Rivera-Vandermyde said in a statement about the code change. She added, “The allegations shared with us from NAACP Boulder County are inaccurate and could damage the relationships that Chief Maris Herold and Deputy Chief Stephen Redfearn have worked hard to build in this community.”

Separately, in a recent email to councilmembers and city officials, Councilmember Mark Wallach said O’Connor’s campaign against Redfearn amounts to “performative outrage” and suggested it could harm the reputation of NAACP Boulder County.

Prescott, the president of the NAACP Colorado, Montana, Wyoming State Area Conference, said she did not know whether Redfearn’s decisions during his time as a captain in Aurora warrant his resignation.
“He has a scary background with Aurora. But now he’s making up for that,” she said. “He is testifying against the police. He is a witness for the attorney general.”

Prescott said a group of lawyers at NAACP headquarters should have reviewed the allegations before the Boulder branch called for his resignation. That is the standard protocol, she said.

“You know the resources we have at the D.C. and Baltimore offices to go investigate?” Prescott said. “It’s not a question of who’s right or who’s wrong. It’s a question of having many people behind you doing the homework and the fact finding.”

Martha Wilson, a former child welfare caseworker who was a founding member of the city’s Police Oversight Panel, said she has been following the trial from within the courtroom. She also attended the protests over McClain’s death in 2020. In the context of what is known now about the death of McClain, she said the decision to change the dispatch report was “disturbing.”

“That act is what criminalized him,” Wilson said. “There was so much unnecessary use of force that to then classify that as assaulting an officer is just — I don’t know how to reconcile that in my head.”

She is not calling for Redfearn to resign. Instead, Wilson said she would like to see reforms that require officers to take into account whether someone is on the spectrum and to add steps to the process of categorizing an incident as “assault on a police officer” in the dispatch reports.

“Those are two aspects where societal grief can help us to make better-informed decisions now,” she said.

The post Boulder deputy police chief hires legal counsel amid Elijah McClain accusations and escalating dispute appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

Press Releases are provided to Yellow Scene. In an effort to keep our community informed, we publish some press releases in whole.

Media Contact: Shannon Aulabaugh, Communication Manager, 303-441-4491

www.bouldercolorado.gov

Community conversations about Police Oversight Ordinance 8430 to be held Sept. 18 and 20

Council will review proposed changes to the police oversight ordinance on Oct. 5.

BOULDER, Colo. – Two final community conversations about the City of Boulder’s Police Oversight Ordinance, Ordinance 8430, will take place on Monday, Sept. 18 from 6 to7 p.m. virtually and Wednesday, Sept. 20 , from 6 to 7:30 p.m. inside the City of Boulder Open Space and Mountain Parks Community Room located at 2520 55^th St.  Members of the Police Oversight Panel and city staff will be present and discuss the ordinance changes being proposed and hear feedback from community members.

Interpreters will be available at both sessions. Individuals who cannot join in person are invited to provide their feedback on http://www.beheardboulder.org. If you plan to attend one of these sessions, please RSVP online. Those that sign up in advance and provide an email address will receive the virtual meeting link and copy of the updated police oversight ordinance draft.

Council will review proposed ordinance changes at the Oct. 5 City Council meeting. The second reading will take place at the City Council meeting on Oct. 19 and include a public hearing.

The partial moratorium on the work of the city’s Police Oversight Panel approved by City Council on June 22 will expire on Oct. 20. Since June the panel has completed case review of complaints filed prior to May 10 and provided input on ordinance revisions.

Conversaciones comunitarias sobre la Ordenanza de supervisión policial 8430 se llevarán a cabo el 18 y 20 de septiembre

El consejo revisará los cambios propuestos a la ordenanza de supervisión policial el 5 de octubre.

Shannon Aulabaugh, gerente de comunicaciones, 303-441-4491

The post Community conversations about Police Oversight Ordinance 8430 to be held Sept. 18 and 20 (Bilingual) appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

NEWS

Tuesday, June 20, 2023

Media Contact: Dionne Waugh, Boulder Police PIO, WaughD@bouldercolorado.gov

bouldercolorado.gov

Woman Dies After Being Pulled from the Creek

BOULDER, Colo. – A woman has died after she was rescued from Boulder Creek last week.

Boulder Creek’s high waters are dangerous. There have been five rescues in two weeks.

At 3:31 p.m. on Thursday, June 15, Boulder Fire-Rescue and Boulder Police received multiple calls about a woman struggling in the creek. First responders converged at multiple spots along the creek looking for her. Bystanders spotted the woman first and pulled her to the southside of the creek and began administering CPR.

Firefighters then worked to safely enter the water and swim the woman to the northside of the bank before she was taken by ambulance to the hospital in critical condition. The 48-year-old woman died over the weekend.

The initial information indicates that she entered the water to help a family member when she was swept away by the current. Foul play is not suspected.

The City of Boulder offers its condolences to the family and wishes to thank everyone involved in this multi-agency rescue response, including our police and firefighters, swiftwater dive team, American Medical Response, the Boulder Emergency Squad and the community members who pulled the woman from the water and administered CPR.

This was the city’s fifth water rescue in two weeks. First responders urge community members to recreate safely in the city, especially around water, which can be running stronger, deeper and colder than it looks.

9News

Rescues increase with high water on Boulder Creek

The post Woman Dies After Being Pulled from Boulder Creek appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

Edit: Boulder Police Oversight Panel will vote on whether or not to suspend its work on Wednesday 5/10 following the removal of Sweeney-Miran as first reported by the Boulder Reporting Lab here.

Boulder City Council decided to remove Police Oversight Panel (POP) member Lisa Sweeney-Miran in a 5-2 vote on Thursday May 4th with two council members voting on technical reasons, rather than the merit of Sweeney-Miran.

Lisa Sweeney-Miran, former member of the POP

Their decision on how the Boulder Police Oversight Panelists will be selected  will have far reaching and damaging effects. An effective Police Oversight Panel (POP) could mitigate the cost of the Boulder Police Department’s (BPD) misconduct. The City of Boulder has paid out over $5 million in just the last few years. The optics of removing Sweeny-Miran are not lost on us.

The removal of Sweeney-Miran was based on the language in the ordinance that created the POP,, which states that all candidates should demonstrate an “absence of any real or perceived bias [or] prejudice.” Proponents of Sweeney-Miran advocated that any person with a reasonable interest in police reform will have some form of bias. This language can work to bar or remove any candidate who has previously spoken out on police reform or policing practices. It erodes public trust in the POP and creates doubt in minority communities that their voices are being heard. The wording of the ordinance compounded with other criticisms the POP has faced gives the impression that the City of Boulder does not want an effective independent Oversight Panel

“Not to be a broken record but we need to change the ordinance ASAP.” Council member Friend spoke to the heart of the issue. Having a POP ordinance that states no member may demonstrate bias, or perceived bias, eliminates those who are passionate and vocal about police reform from ever serving on the panel.

There have been numerous incidents involving BPD that have resulted in payouts via lawsuits. These incidents not only deeply affect the lives of those involved, but cost taxpayers millions in settlements. YS calculated over 5 million in payouts over the last few years involving Seth Garret Francos’s settlement, ex BPD’s attack on Sammie Lawrence, and shots fired on Cole Stewart.

The vote to remove Sweeney-Miran continues to bring into question the effectiveness and independence of the POP if members can be removed by City Council for having an opinion on police reform. This vote may ultimately end up costing Boulder residents additional millions in lawsuits if oversight to reduce these incidents is not implemented. NAACP attorney Darren O’Connor also believes that the actions to remove Sweeney-Miran are illegal, and will likely result in yet another lawsuit.

Boulder City Council Member Rachel Friend

Council Members Friend and Benjamin voted to remove Sweeney-Miran but both clarified that their votes were due to the Special Counsel’s findings, not because they believe that the City Council should have a say in removing POP members. Both council members spoke in favor of Sweeney-Miran, wished that she could remain on the board, and then clarified their votes were made to protect the integrity of the POP board not to condemn Sweeney-Miran. They stated that keeping Sweeney-Miran on the POP despite the special council finding she should resign or be removed could open up any future POP decisions to challenges via lawsuits. This could invalidate the work the POP is doing and hinder the Panel’s effectiveness. 

Many citizens also questioned the ability of the POP to conduct oversight of any member with perceived bias against the BPD can be removed via citizen complaint to the City Council. The purpose of the POP is to oversee and correct police misconduct. This mission is hobbled if anyone with a “bias” can be removed via a citizen complaint.

Friend stated that “The Special Counsel’s determination is not appealable under our current processes. To be honest removing Lisa feels like a slap in the face to the people who vetted and nominated her.” Friend clarified that her justification was to uphold the legality of the POP. “In light of the Special Counsel’s findings, I don’t see how Lisa can stay on the panel without threatening the legal sustainability of all the panel’s findings,” she explained.

Boulder City Council Member Matt Benjamin

Council member Benjamin echoed Friend’s statements. “It exposes the Police Oversight Panel to in some ways nullify their work.” Both council members supported Sweeney-Miran’s voice on the panel but felt compelled to vote for her removal due to the Special Counsel’s recommendations. 

Folkert commented against removing Sweeney-Miran and criticized the Special Counsel’s findings. She did not believe the Special Counsel laid out a case for her removal and said  “I don’t believe that our special counsel accomplished that with his recommendations.” She goes on to question the Special Counsel and said “his comments led me to believe he lacked sufficient knowledge of the history that led to the creation of this panel.”

Folkert shared that “When I was chatting with a panel member yesterday, I was asked if Lisa is removed, who will be next? Will it be me?.” Panel members may no longer feel free to speak their minds or recommend what they truly believe if they feel they can be removed at the whim of the council. 

“We must consider the chilling effects on free speech of any potential actions,”’ Folkert also stated, insinuating that current or future Panel members may feel stifled in speaking out against police practices. If panel members feel muffled, we wonder how they can effectively oversee police misconduct and abuse without fearing retribution. 

“A founding member of the Police Oversight Panel resigned in protest because she felt the panel was limited in its ability to hold police accountable following misconduct,” Folkert referenced Martha Wilson’s protest resignation. Wilson’s resignation, the influence of the BPD and citizen groups into POP selection, and now the ability for the Boulder City Council to remove any member with a perceived bias effectively takes the teeth out of the POP. The panel is supposed to provide an avenue for marginalized communities to influence policing in Boulder but seems to have become another political tool for city politics. 

The Police Oversight Panel was created in response to the BPD’s interactions with Zayd Atkinson which resulted in hundreds of thousands of dollars in a lawsuit. Boulder Police have also cost the taxpayers millions in additional lawsuits regarding their conduct.

Folkerts expanded that “with a panel of eleven members, there should be room for a wide diversity of appointments around the role of police in Boulder, including opinions that are highly critical of law enforcement as an institution.”

Boulder City Council Member Lauren Folkerts

Multiple members of the public spoke with passion both for and against the removal of Sweeney-Miran. Most spoke against her removal stating that their trust in the City Council and the POP would be brought into question if Sweeney-Miran was removed. 

Attorney Darren O’Connor representing the NAACP defended Sweeney-Miran and interpreted her removal as not only illegal, but also stifling community involvement. He said “This process for recommendation and approval of POP members was  developed with the intent of including historically excluded communities in police oversight. A vote to remove Sweeney-Miran would negate all the work of the diverse selection committee members and would ultimately reverse any progress in achieving community oversight of the police.”

Sweeney-Miran was recommended for the position by the Boulder chapter of the NAACP as well as El Centro Amistad. Both of these groups spoke strongly in support of Sweeney-Miran, stating that her views were valid and they supported her appointment to the POP.  Several public comments suggested that Boulder City Council voting to remove her can be seen to undermine public trust in the panel, Boulder Police Department, and City Council. 

Public comment from Samantha Weithraud reinforced and affirmed earlier speakers, she said that “a decision to remove Sweeny-Miran would undermine the confidence in the city’s intent to include historically marginalized communities in the oversight, instead it would be a continuation of a long history in which wealthy white landowners of Boulder are maintained at the cost of black and brown people.”

Lupita Jamie from El Centro Amistad spoke powerfully about the impact the removal of Sweeney-Miran would have. “Tell us, what message are you sending us if you refuse to accept the recommendations of our community members? Our community, the children as well as the adults, have always been monitored and harassed by the police. We clearly know what bias is. We live it everyday,” Jamie said. She continued that it was “unfair and atrocious that the guidelines that were written to defend the rights of our community are being used against us.”

Critics of Sweeney-Miran allege that her previous involvement in a lawsuit against the Boulder Police Department and her social media comments should have been enough to disqualify her from ever being appointed to the POP. They point to the above wording regarding bias as grounds for her removal whereas defenders of Sweeney-Miran point to it as evidence that the language needs to change. 

Some citizens disagreed. One asserted that “oversight means working within the existing system to make them better, it doesn’t mean abolishing them,” in reference to Sweeney-Miran’s criticisms of policing as an institution. The main arguments against Sweeney-Miran were her vocal positions on police reform and racial justice. Excluding advocates from the panel who hold diverging views will limit the ability of the panel to propose comprehensive solutions to systemic police misconduct and racial bias.

Those arguing against her removal spoke on the fact that all humans have a bias, especially those who want to be involved in police oversight. Folkert elaborated, “Sweeney-Miran has expressed her opinions about policing as an institution and has been vocal about her concern over past instances of police violence. This viewpoint should not disqualify her, or anyone else, from serving on the police oversight panel.”

Martha Wilson, a founding member of the POP

Founder of the panel, Martha Wilson, previously resigned in protest over the lack of oversight the panel actually had over the BPD. Wilson stated that the information shared with the Panel from BPD was minimal, and the panel’s efforts to investigate police misconduct were not taken seriously.

Boulder Police Department has paid out millions of dollars in lawsuits over misconduct. The impetus to create the Police Oversight Panel was created in response to the Zaid Atkinson incident for communities to have more oversight into the BPD. However, anti-police reform citizen action groups and the BPD themselves have weighed in on the appointment of POP members, raising the question of the effectiveness of the oversight panel itself. If the panel cannot effectively criticize and oversee police conduct, or address racial justice, we have to wonder what the point is other than to appease the requirement for having oversight.

The post Boulder City Council’s Removal of Police Oversight Member is Another Blow to Panel’s Effectiveness appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

Lisa Sweeney Miran, Twitter

Boulder City Council will take a vote on removing Police Oversight Panel member Lisa Sweeney-Miran during the upcoming city council meeting this Thursday, May 4th 2023. Sweeney-Miran has been a vocal supporter of police reform, advocate for the homeless, and a proponent for racial justice.

A Special Counsel was appointed to review several Code of Conduct complaints filed by three community members, over a lawsuit that Sweeney-Miran was involved in regarding the Boulder camping ban. The ban allows Boulder Police to remove homeless people who are camping in the city and cite them for sleeping outside. Sweeney-Miran made social media posts critical of the enforcement of the ban and the way policing is conducted in regards to the homeless. She was also a plaintiff in an ACLU lawsuit against the camping ban. Critics fear that her activism and beliefs will compromise her ability to oversee reports of police misconduct. The special counsel recommended that she resign or be removed from her post.

Sweeny states otherwise. Attorney Dan Williams’s letter to the Boulder City Council outlines the reasons why he believes the vote to remove Sweeney-Miran is illegal. He states in part that “A good-faith difference in judgment is not a Code of Conduct violation.” He goes on to state that “because the special counsel makes no finding that Ms. Sweeney-Miran personally violated the Code of Conduct, the City is not authorized to sanction her…” Read the letter in full here.

Facing opposition is nothing new for Sweeney-Miran. She previously faced pushback during her appointment in regards to many of the same issues she faces today, criticism of policing practices and homelessness advocacy in forms of her lawsuit and social media posts.

Sweeny-Miran told YS in a statement that “it’s clear that Boulder city council has neither the cause nor the authority to remove me. If Council nonetheless votes to remove me it will be a clear example of Council putting personal politics above the law.”

The effectiveness of the Police Oversight Panel has faced scrutiny due to outside groups as well as the Boulder Police Department themselves weighing in on panel candidates. The panel was created in order to give communities more voice in the way that policing is conducted.

YS reached out to Boulder City Council Members, but as of publishing, most were unwilling to comment due to possible litigation. Council Member Friend told YS that “as someone who advocated vociferously as a constituent for the creation of the POP (Police Oversight Panel)… who believes deeply in the value and necessity of the work of the POP – I will be voting based on what I believe best sets up the police oversight panel for success it its mission.”

The NAACP Boulder County has sent out press releases calling for individuals to show up at the City Council and speak on Sweeny Miran’s behalf.

The council meeting can be viewed here on Thursday, May 4th.

The post Boulder City Council to Vote on Removing Police Oversight Panel Member appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

By Shay Castle
Boulder Beat (AP Storyshare)

From frustration over gag orders and officer discipline to a public fracas over appointment of new members, it’s been a fraught few months for Boulder’s Police Oversight Panel, the civilian group appointed to serve as watchdogs over the city’s cops.

Boulder is planning an overhaul of the ordinance that established the POP. Conversations are ongoing with current and formal panel members as well as community stakeholders “to understand where to start,” said Aimee Kane, the city’s equity manager.

Input from the broader community will be welcomed as well. Events are planned in May or June, according to Kane, “to get some more feedback from the community about what they think would be helpful.” Recommended changes will be brought to council later this year.

“We want to make sure the community knows they have a voice in this process,” Kane said.

As new panelists settle down to their work, three former members of the POP share their thoughts on what worked, what didn’t and what they’d like to see next.

They describe a lack of support and communication from the city and the former independent monitor, Joseph Lipari, who left the position in September, as well as pushback from the police department.

But they’re also hopeful for the future. The work they did provides a solid foundation for new panelists that, with a few tweaks, they believe could foster true accountability and transparency in policing.

These interviews were conducted via Zoom, with followup questions via email.

Boulder Beat: Why are we here? What did you want to share with me, with the public about the panel or your experiences on it?

Taishya Adams: The last few months were particularly contentious with the members and Boulder Police Department due to a pattern of misalignment in discipline recommendations related to termination. However, these tensions are to be expected at this emerging stage of the work.

While these tensions exist, there has also been significant accomplishments that we do not want to lose in the noise. I also want to ensure that we keep moving forward with a spirit of continuous improvement and trust building.

Ariel Amaru: We were all talking about the unique lens the three of us share as being the Black women that were on the first iteration of the panel. We also want to make sure to do this early on before the new panelists really get up and running.

Martha Wilson: It’s a passing of the baton. We know it is not an easy ask to invite or inspire folks to serve in the fight against police brutality, systemic oppression, and to act on behalf of a community that is experiencing active and reoccurring societal grief and racialized trauma — especially when so many are content to look away or not get involved.

Amaru: Something I wanted to touch on a little bit were some of the structural challenges we faced. We can speak a little more freely now that we’re off the panel.

BB: Because of the changes passed by city council? Or because of limitations specific to panelists that don’t apply to ex-panelists?

Amaru: There were provisions that we had to sign with the tie to the city (as panelists). Also having the city attorney serve as the panel’s attorney, that limited the ways we could speak.

Wilson: Like the whole (late officer Eric) Talley situation… we weren’t even allowed to vote (on whether or not to accept a complaint against him), and we were not allowed to clarify it to the public. That caused friction with the NAACP, which is and always should be our greatest ally. And there are still ripples from that.

The limits were so strong that, in a crazy way, I feel like my voice is bigger now that I’m not in it. Which doesn’t actually make sense: If we were selected specifically for our activism and work within this community, then why have so many ways in place to silence us or keep the public from knowing what is going on as soon as a decision has been rendered?

BB: What were some of the structural challenges you referred to?

Amaru: I was really taken aback when I joined the panel by the lack of structure in place by the city. We spent a lot of time drafting bylaws, creating policy structures, etc. It was also very clear the city had limited resources to devote to the heavy lift that was, including administrative support.

A lot of advice that was given was to research other panels in the country and pull their bylaws and see what works for you, which is a big task for people who are fully employed and doing this in their free time.

It took the two years I was on the panel to see how little communication was going on within the city. The city’s equity manager, the city manager, the city attorney… I felt like (they) hadn’t actually sat in a room together and discussed the POP and its functioning, until the last six months. Which is worrisome. Those of us doing the work realized the structural powers in place to support us were non-existent in a lot of ways. That was scary and frustrating to realize that far into the process.

Adams: There was a lot of gatekeeping. There was an assumption that information was being shared across the city based on what we were told by the Monitor. We’d asked many times for information about the public engagement the police department was doing and how we could be a part of it. We never received that information and were rarely invited to publicly facing engagement opportunities.

For example, we asked for more information about arbitration since this is a barrier that the Chief shared related to our termination recommendations. If there’s a higher standard for getting rid of a ‘bad apple,’ how the panel can make sure we’re meeting that higher standard in our recommendations? We never received that information.

Wilson: Some of the stuff just felt off. We had asked for juvenile data. The data that was given was provided by the data (analyst) and didn’t include stuff that we had just seen from having been reviewing for a year and a half. Stuff like that felt very disingenuous

We knew that at least a couple of juveniles had encounters with BPD because POP reviewed a couple (cases) involving minors in the last two years, so to see zero use-of-force complaints felt like data was being cherry-picked and not actually reflective of the truth.

Adams: The cause that was shared with us (was that) the city felt like they wanted to respect the autonomy of the panel, since this is the first oversight panel in the city structure. I think now we’re seeing a stronger role by city staff and council to stay abreast of what’s going on. And just transparency in general, which is what the communications and engagement committee had been advocating for since its formation.

The committee identified a variety of public engagement and communication strategies, including monthly reports that are already produced and shared with city council. We need frequent and ongoing communication with council and city staff since together we have the power to strengthen equitably and respectful public safety for all Boulder residents, visitors and workforce.

BB: I’m hearing that you didn’t feel supported by the city in the way that you felt elected officials intended when they set up the panel, to pursue greater accountability and reform within the police department. Is that accurate?

Adams: When we say the city, there are different components to the city. When we talked to Chief Herold during a quarterly check-in, she specifically said, ‘Y’all are here to get rid of bad apples, you’re not here to fix the whole system.’ Bad apples can’t exist in a healthy system. That’s why we have so many policy recommendations. The pushback, the resistance I felt while on the panel was directly from the police department.

If anything, I felt like we were ignored by the city council because there were other priorities, and because of gatekeeping from the previous independent monitor.

Wilson: Yeah. We had no idea what was being reported, what was being shared, what opinions …. As we’re in meetings, it sounded like the previous monitor agreed with us, but apparently in the summaries, that was not true.

The ordinance is clear that the monitor is not supposed to have a vote, but if the chief is saying ‘I’m siding with the monitor.’ Not only do they have a vote, they have a vote that is bigger than the entire panel’s vote.

Adams: That was the stunner for me. It wasn’t until the OIR Group came in (that) I didn’t know what I didn’t know. (Editor’s note: OIR Group are the current consultants handling the monitor position temporarily while Boulder searches for a new one.)

The city did meet with, not just the department, but with the national police oversight organization, NACOL. They did have information about how this stuff has been done elsewhere. It felt like we were in the dark when we got there, but then to realize (the city) did have access to this information, there are shared folders with all of the research… That doesn’t conflict with our autonomy by giving us data, especially if we’re not required to use that information.

Amaru: The other thing is thinking about accountability. The chief has said this, we have said this: We often came down the same (when it came to whether) wrongdoing had been found or not. We differed often on discipline. Something that came up as a theme, when the panel made stricter disciplinary recommendations, including leaves as well as termination, that is a place the chief said she would not be going on with the panel.

Part of that is the arbitration process (available to officers) as well as the strength of the police union. Something that just became clear to me is accountability for officers — and most officers are honorable and trustworthy, but the number of those who violate citizen’s constitutional rights and deeply sully the reputation of our police, need to be held accountable. And I don’t think the law is in place to do that.

Wilson: I think my perspective is a little different because I resigned in protest. I couldn’t just go along with some of this stuff anymore. It just became unclear where the line was. We were saying all these things about transparency and accountability, but when push came to shove, it wasn’t there.

At that point in time, it felt like it was a form of oppression that had just adapted, versus people coming to the table.

Adams: It wasn’t clear who had the power to do what. That made it challenging.

Wilson: If we knew what the structure was, we could have designed around the structure. But because it was just like, ‘Here you go” … then expecting us to be cool with failing to provide context or enough information so that the average community member could understand and follow along. It wasn’t right or fair to do that.

There was an opportunity there to invite us (panelists and community members) to the table to own up to forgetting about us and let us know how they were going to repair that communication gap. Instead, we were essentially given instructions on how to work in the dark of sunshine public meeting rules for openness. However, the entire point is to be on the up and up about everything, so it just didn’t feel right.

The public gets to know; we should be focused on opening doors where meetings are happening, not closing them.

BB: There’s also work you are proud of, correct? I think you said you wanted to not lose sight of that with all the controversy over the new members.

Adams: We were able to increase the accountability and transparency level for police oversight in this city in significant and meaningful ways. After thoroughly reviewing cases, our panel frequently overturned the professional standards unit’s more lenient recommendations with those that aligned with the discipline matrix we were provided. The majority of our recommendations were sustained by the chief. Those many successes were very empowering.

For example, our policy recommendation for a reduction of officer caseloads to ensure that cases do not go uninvestigated – like the detective who was found to not have investigated more than four dozen cases. There are many positive impacts we were able to make in that role, yet there is still much work to be done.

We still need to clarify who has the power to do what, and especially when the chief and the panel do not agree – what is the appeal process? How is the public and council made aware in cases of life and death? Even though the selection process was clunky, I’m grateful that it raised the level of public awareness and engagement. This panel will not succeed without collective activation. That disruption really allowed for another opportunity. It does invite a higher level of activation by the city manager, city council and the city attorney.

I’m grateful about the city’s willingness and investment in updating the ordinance, so it’s clear on who has the authority to do what. I’m hopeful it has some process when the chief does not agree with the panels on termination in particular. The increased number of panelists, increase in pay… that’s huge. We were working past capacity.

Wilson: The review itself is fantastic. We put a lot of work and thought into that process, and what we developed is fantastic. Full transparency of what happens after is what I’m concerned with at this point.

BB: Do you have any hopes and/or concerns for the new panel? Any words of encouragement?

Wilson: I do think with the new panelists, they’ll get their feet wet and get ready to get into it. It’s unfair of me to say be ready today, because we took some warming time to get acclimated. But (at the March 8 meeting) when a couple people abstained from votes, I was like, whoa whoa whoa. What is going on here?

And the fact that termination had been recommended again, this time the chief agreed but that person had already resigned — that is a pattern that’s happened again and again that is not being addressed.

In the same meeting, case SM2022-005 was discussed. It appears that a training officer repeatedly sexually harassed a new officer they were training, creating an unsafe work environment. The violations included two Rule 1s, a Rule 4, and a Rule 8 that were sustained by POP and the Chief. A recommendation of termination was given and sustained by the Chief, but the officer in question was allowed to resign while under investigation, so it will not truly be enforced.

I did suggest maybe that next step is to send that referral or reporting to the national registry so that other departments know what they’re potentially welcoming into their communities. That’s a pretty serious thing for it to be sustained but not able to go anywhere or do anything.

There are no 2023 entries from BPD in there, despite their claim to report each ‘resigned while under investigation’ to POST, but the POST website does not reflect that as true either. John Smyly isn’t in there. Waylon Lolotai isn’t in there. David Spraggs isn’t in there. Perhaps that needs to be a step that occurs within a specific time frame such as 30 days or an assignment of the monitor to ensure that happens.

(Editor’s note: POST is Colorado’s Peace Officer Standards and Training office. POST maintains a database of officers who have resigned, been terminated, lost certification or have been found guilty of other misconduct. Learn more: https://post.coag.gov/s/)

The new batch of panelists were picked specifically to enforce and uphold the guiding principles that were created in May of 2022. They have the gift of a review structure that we did not, and they now have an amplification that we did not. The best power is the power of the people, so I am hopeful and optimistic and can’t wait to see what they can accomplish.

Adams: The lack of clear termination processes and authority allows an officer who did not meet our public safety standard to get rehired somewhere else. It’s a national problem.

We lose arbitration cases… that rotten apple is going to come back into the department. I also saw this pattern in supervisors acknowledging misbehavior (by officers) but not administering the discipline that is required in the books.

Bad policy creates and sustains bad apples. Know better, do better.

The post ‘Work in the dark’: Former Boulder police watchdogs felt lack of support from city, pushback from cops appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

Off Duty Boulder Police Officers Wore Uniforms and brought firearms to City Council meeting regarding police oversight

Jane Hummer often watches the Boulder City Council meetings on television. What she saw during the Jan. 19 meeting surprised her.

Two off-duty BPD police officers attending the meeting donned their uniforms, weapons included. During the meeting, the council considered a motion to approve selection committee recommendations for members of the Police Oversight Panel.

A screenshot of the Jan. 19 city council meeting when two off-duty officers attended the meeting wearing uniforms and weapons.

“I found the scene very disturbing,” Hummer said regarding watching the officers in uniform. “Even through the television, I found it disturbing. And I talked to enough people that were there that felt that it was inappropriately intimidating.”

Hummer filed a complaint with the city of Boulder after seeing the police officers in uniform. Hummer found that the officers wearing uniforms and weapons while off-duty to a city council meeting involving police accountability to be intimidation, Hummer said. The City of Boulder could not give reasons for why the officers were wearing uniforms and weapons. YS reached out to the BPD and did not receive a comment.

“As someone who attended the Jan. 19 meeting, I can share that I saw two officers in uniform,” director of communication and engagement for the City of Boulder Sarah Huntley stated in an email to YS. “I cannot speak for why the officers who wore their uniforms chose to do so, but I can confirm this is the subject of a complaint filed by a community member. This complaint is being investigated by outside counsel. Security is already provided at City Council meetings she clarified. “There was a third officer present in uniform. He was on duty and paid by the city to provide safety at the meeting; this is standard procedure for all council meetings,” Huntley said.

The officer’s action directly contradicts the policies and procedures of the Boulder Police Department. The Unauthorized Endorsements and Advertisements section specifies the following:

“Unless specifically authorized by the Chief of Police, members may not represent the Boulder Police Department or identify themselves as being affiliated with the Boulder Police Department in order to do any of the following:

A. Endorse, support, oppose or contradict any political campaign or initiative.
B. Endorse, support, oppose or contradict any social issue, cause or religion.”

Hummer wants officers to express their full free speech rights and participate in local politics, but is concerned about the message that uniforms and firearms send.

“I want to be clear that I’m not trying to get these specific officers in trouble,” Hummer said. “I want the police chief to speak up and clarify this is not acceptable. If the Police Chief doesn’t say anything, it’s condoning this behavior. And that’s not acceptable.  They have the right to participate in politics and in our social discourse, but when you do it in uniform when you do it when identifying yourself as a police officer, you’re implying that the weight of the government is behind your statements.”

This is not the first time Boulder Police have been scrutinized for breaking policy. Within the last several years there have been multiple million dollar settlements to victims of police misconduct and policy breaches, as extensively reported on by Boulder Beat. 

One policy breach reached national notoriety when BPD officer Smyly followed Zayd Atkinson around in a threatening manner when Attkinson was picking up trash at Naropa University, where he was a student. The city of Boulder paid Attkinson a $125K settlement.

In response to the Atkinson incident and others, the Boulder Police Oversight Panel was created as a way to review policy violations made by the BPD and give recommendations on what actions the chief should take.  

Some believe the panel is not able to fully be the accountable check for police that it isintended to be. Martha Wilson, a former member of the Police Oversight Panel, recently resigned in protest in response to the police chief not acting on the panel’s recommendations for officers committing policy breeches in addition to a lack of fair legal representation for panel members. Early this year the panel faced consternation from pro-police advocacy groups in selecting new candidates with activist backgrounds, which delayed the selection process, as reported by YS.

Off-duty officers wearing uniforms and weapons to the meeting to nominate new candidates to the panel was yet another red flag for those hoping that the panel can lead to police reform in Boulder.

The post Community Concerns Arise When Off-Duty Boulder Police Officers Breech Policy at City Council Meeting appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

Updated 1/19/2023 11:31 PM to include Eric Budd’s Op-Ed in the Boulder Weekly; Boulder’s police shouldn’t pick their own oversight

Updated 1/20/2023 2:53 PM to include Attorney Darren O’Connor’s letters to Boulder City Council

Boulder Police Oversight Panel candidate questions pushback from pro-police organizations

The Boulder Police Oversight Panel (POP), gained national and community-wide attention for one of its members, Martha Wilson, publicly resigning in protest. The panel’s limited influence over decisions made by the Boulder Police Chief in response to policy breaches by police officers, as well as lack of fair legal representation of panel members, are the reasons for Wilson’s resignation.

Once again, the Police Oversight Panel is met with controversy as pro-police advocacy groups, including Safer Boulder and the Boulder Police Foundation, scrutinize candidates who have yet to be appointed to the panel. This pushback is an additional obstacle for the citizens and civil rights activists hoping to see significant police reform in Boulder, where the City has paid out millions of dollars in lawsuits since 2020.

The Boulder Police Foundation raises funds to support the Boulder Police Department. Safer Boulder is a citizen’s group advocating for public safety in Boulder, according to their website, but have had numerous exposes written about them by Boulder Weekly and the Boulder Beat, stemming from a Twitter account and website called Safer Boulder Leaks. Lead Now Boulder is a citizen group that aims to hold local leadership accountable, according to their Twitter, which some believe is a rebranding of Safer Boulder.

After seeing the names of potential candidates for the POP (the Police Oversight Panel), pro-police advocates began to express fears, including the “further breakdown of our criminal justice system here in Boulder,” according to emails provided via CORA request from residents and political activist Eric Budd. Budd is heavily involved in local politics by supporting candidates running for elections and running campaigns around issues of housing, policing, and social justice. He also ran for Boulder City Council in 2017.

Curiously, a CORA public records request returned emails between private individuals Leslie Chandler, Russ Chandler, and Scott Schaefer. Mr. Chandler and Scott Schaefer, both members of the Boulder Police Foundation, received an email from Ms. Chandler, an active member of Safer Boulder, on Dec.15th, 2022, the day the City Council met to consider new panelists for the POP. The email expressed the urgent need to address the potential appointment of Lisa Sweeney-Miran. Sweeny-Miran is the vice president of the Boulder Valley Board of Education and executive director of two shelters serving unhoused populations in Boulder.   

Beyond breaking down the criminal justice system, Ms. Chandler also fears Chief Herold will resign if Sweeney-Miran is appointed to the Boulder Oversight Panel. The fears stem from Sweeny-Miran’s left-aligned politics and civil rights activism advocating for unhoused populations, which involved her in a lawsuit against Chief Herold and the City of Boulder.

Some citizens and City Council members echoed the concerns of these police advocate groups during the Dec.15th, 2022 City Council meeting, forcing a delayed decision on adding five new members to the POP.

Budd is concerned that if police advocacy groups are deciding who gets to serve on the oversight panel, the panel will not be able to effectively do its intended oversight job. This is essentially the same reason why Wilson resigned, lack of effective oversight. 

“It’s inappropriate for the police to be having a significant influence on who is their oversight,” Budd said. Organizations like the Boulder Police Foundation and Safer Boulder have direct relationships with Chief Herold and the Boulder Police Department. 

Emails from Leslie Chandler to members of the Boulder Police Foundation expressing concern over the Dec.15th, 2022, meeting in which Lisa Sweeney-Miran was being considered for an appointment to the Boulder Police Oversight Panel. This Record was obtained by Eric Budd through a public records request. 

The email was included in Mr. Budd’s original CORA because the Chief Herold was BCC’d on the email. Mrs. Chandler was privy to, in her own words, “behind-the-scenes negotiations with the City Council” regarding an appointment that is supposed to be conducted in private. It is also unclear why the email between Mr. & Mrs. Chandler and Mr. Schaefer was uncovered during a public CORA request, as no government officials are visible on that email chain. 

Community members like NAACP Boulder County Branch’s Criminal Justice Chair and Attorney Darren O’Connor believe that the inclusion of the public in the panel’s deliberation stage opens the door for groups closely associated with the police to influence the panel’s decision. Police Oversight Ordinance No. 8430 section 2-11-6 (5)  states, “selection panel deliberations shall be confidential.” 

Lack of effective oversight is especially important with a department like Boulder Police which have paid out millions in lawsuits regarding excessive force and racial injustice. 

During the Dec.15, 2022, meeting, citizens and City Council members Junie Joseph and Bob Yates referenced emails sent from community members expressing concern over Sweeney-Miran’s possible appointment. They vocalized community reservations specifically around Sweeney-Miran’s involvement with the American Civil Liberties Union of Colorado lawsuit against police Chief Herold for the city’s camping ban, which allowed the police to ticket unhoused people for using blankets or tents. Police advocacy groups have also used Sweeney-Miran’s social media posts as another potential conflict of interest to her service on the POP, however, Sweeney-Miran doesn’t think the opposition from pro-police groups are stemming from her left-aligned Twitter posts or her involvement with the lawsuit. 

“Twice the Police Oversight Panel has decided which candidate it desired,” City Council member Junie Joseph wrote to YS in an email. “They know the process and have decided. Consequently, twice they have deemed Ms. Sweeney-Miran fit to serve. I do see and acknowledge that Ms. Sweeney-Miran has made comments on her Twitter page that some may have deemed inappropriate but she also has a constitutional right to express herself and contribute/lend her voice to issues in the community. Further, I think it is important to have varying voices in a community who challenges all of us. I hope that moving forward, the challenges are more constructive and seek to resolve the issues for the betterment of the community, especially on the Panel.” 

YS also reached out to Bob Yates for comment regarding his individual stance on Sweeney-Miran’s appointment but has not received a response as of press time.

“I don’t believe the lawsuit is a conflict. I’ve spoken to several attorneys who don’t believe it’s a conflict. I’ve offered to withdraw my name [from the lawsuit,”] Sweeney-Miran said. “There’s no conflict whatsoever between a lawsuit that asks a constitutional question and the day-to-day work of the POP. I know that they are displeased with my advocacy.”

Sweeney-Miran is an executive director at Mother House and The Lodge Emergency Shelter Program, serving unhoused people in Boulder. Among her goals in working with this population is that everyone has shared spaces that are welcomed in the Boulder community, regardless of the money people have in their pockets. 

“At my core, I believe that Boulder is a place that belongs to anybody who’s here.” Sweeney-Miran states. “It doesn’t require you to live in a $2 million home to be a part of our community. The people who have the least and who are the most vulnerable are treated with the most vitriol and hatred, and fear. I understand that some of these folks, Safer Boulder in particular, have always been upset about it.” Sweeny expands on their efforts to oppose her work, “every time there is an opportunity to challenge me publicly in any way they do. And this is their newest opportunity.”

If the City Council decides to deny candidates like Sweeney-Miran at their next meeting on Jan. 19th, 2023, Sweeney-Miran thinks this will send a clear message. 

“I think that would be a clear statement that the most important voices in police oversight are the Police Foundation,” Sweeney-Miran said. “Council supports the POP. They formed the POP because of the concerns they had around the Zayd Atkinson incident. I know that this is a council that cares very deeply about social justice, so I’m counting on them” 

Police advocacy groups point to Sweeney-Miran’s social media posts as evidence that she’s a “vocal, extreme, anti-police activist,” per emails we received.

Sweeney-Miran’s posts on Twitter echo this movement toward a shift in policing. 

“What do we look at when we look at the future of policing?” Sweeney-Miran asks. “What is the best way that a healthy society can move forward so that everybody gets the help they need when they’re in a crisis situation? Sometimes that might be the police. Sometimes it might not”

Sweeney-Miran received pushback from Safer Boulder about retweeting a post about Keenan Anderson, a beloved Black English teacher who was killed by the LAPD after flagging them down for help following a car accident. The Lead Now Boulder Twitter account is run by Kate Lacroix, who is associated with Safer Boulder, according to Sweeney-Miran. 

Screenshots of a tweet retweeted by Sweeney-Miran that is then scrutinized by Safer Boulder Twitter account. 

“These are pervasive concerns, not just citywide, or community-wide, but nationwide,” Sweeney-Miran said regarding the killing and brutality of Black and Brown people by police. “These are the center of the conversations most of us are having. And center the conversations we’ve been having here in Boulder.”

She points to BPD initiatives like the Reimagine Policing plan, which share the sentiment that changes need to be made in policing in the midst of local and national discussion.   

“The Reimagine Policing planning process will provide a framework for the department to do a broader and more in-depth examination of community input, use data-driven strategies to review current operations in the context of changing conditions, and determine future policing goals and strategies,” according to the project overview.  

Sweeney-Miran will not delete the posts on her social media showing concern for police brutality and bias or stop advocating for unhoused populations, she said.

Screenshots of a tweet retweeted by Sweeny-Miran advocating for no police sweeps of unhoused populations, especially in freezing weather.

The unhoused populations Sweeney-Miran works with share with her their experiences with police. “The most heartbreaking is that there are people across this city afraid to call the cops if they’ve been the victim of a crime because they’re not sure what’s going to happen to them,” Sweeney-Miran said. “If you’re a person of color, if you’re homeless, if you’re transgender, if you’re all three, even if you’re the person who’s been victimized, if you’re the person who calls the police, you’re not sure what’s going to happen.” 

Sweeny-Miran has a vision for her work on the POP if appointed, “I think the most important thing about effective oversight, [it] gives people confidence in the police. They’re not going to call for help and end up tased. They’re not going to call for help and end up in jail. They’re going to get help, that’s what effective oversight is.”  

Sweeney-Miran contemplates who Safer Boulder and the Boulder Police Foundation would view as perfect candidates for the oversight panel. The panelists typically devote 20 to 40 hours a week and receive financial compensation equalling about $150 to $200, Sweeney-Miran said. 

“We all have opinions,” Sweeney-Miran said. “If there really is a person who has literally no opinions of any kind or no interest in policing, then they obviously wouldn’t choose to spend their time working on this panel.”

According to Sweeney-Miran, prior to the City Council meeting on Dec.15th, 2023, she was the only candidate being questioned by City Council and pro-police advocacy groups. Now another POP candidate, Sam Zhang, is receiving pushback as well. Safer Boulder sent emails sent to City Council expressing concerns around police responses to mental health crises and the possibility of reallocating funds to alternative responder programs in some situations, she said. 

A Tweet posted by a Safer Boulder Twitter account to “hold leadership accountable” referencing Sam Zhang’s letter to City Council asking to consider reallocating funds toward emergency mental health responses, social services, and other preventative public health measures. 

Boulder City Council will meet Thursday, Jan. 19, from 6 to 10:30 p.m. to further discuss POP candidates.  

YS reached out to Safer Boulder for comment and did not receive a reply. YS was unable to reach out to the Boulder Police Foundation as their website was non-operational at the time. 

The post Boulder City Council to Vote on Police Oversight Committee Replacement, with Pro-Police Advocacy Groups Playing a Large Role appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

Boulder Police Oversight Panel Meetings
This December 15th, 2022 City Council meeting is to appoint the new Panel.

In 2014, Boulder residents shut down 28th St. to protest Ferguson, Missouri police officer Darren Wilson’s killing of Black teenager Michael Brown. They formed a large circle in the middle of the intersection and held their hands up high in the “hands up, don’t shoot” posture.

These Boulder citizens had gathered around a cause many of them had the privilege to ignore given Boulder’s majority-white demographic. It also caused the community to look inward at its own policing. The resulting increased scrutiny has led Boulder down a path of self-reckoning. It seems there is much more to be done, however.

“That was kind of the first time I saw that people in Boulder were getting activated over issues of race, and policing, and killing of Black and Brown people,” said NAACP Boulder County Branch’s Criminal Justice Chair, and Attorney, Darren O’Connor. “I started to see how [the] police reacted. At first they were supportive, and this is sort of a pattern with policing: they’re supportive of the First Amendment, but as soon as you push any sort of boundaries, such as shutting down a road, they start to show their true colors.”

But there were some disturbing incidents related to the Boulder Police Department’s handling of some of the protesters. According to O’Connor, a car ran over a young Latino protester’s foot. When the young man came to the police for assistance he was mistakenly arrested for a warrant that belonged to an older white man. A Black protester who came to aid the injured Latino protester was also arrested.

Although Black people represent only about one percent of Boulder’s population, they account for six percent of total arrests. Latino people make up about 13 percent of the county’s population. Latinos make up 22 percent of all criminal defendants according to a study by the Vera Institute of Justice, whereas white people make up 78 percent of the county’s population and 72 percent of total criminal defendants. Possible racial disparity in Boulder County’s policing is part of a larger concern about overall police conduct, policy, and oversight.

During the protest, O’Connor and others went to the police station only to find that the first arrested protester had been “snuck out the back” and driven back downtown, according to O’Connor.

“To me, that was showing that they were aware of their culpability of having unlawfully arrested this guy,” O’Connor said. “They were worried about people getting upset, so they released him and snuck him out.”

Seth Franco

More recently Boulder has paid out several settlements to victims of police misconduct as reported extensively by Shay Castle of the Boulder Beat. In 2021 Boulder was ordered to pay $3.41 million to the family of Seth Franco, who was on probation for assaulting an officer. Police visited Franco for a welfare check due to suicidal comments he made during his job at Dushanbe Teahouse. Franco cried when officers immediately arrested him instead of addressing his mental health concerns. Franco reported being mentally troubled by the initial and subsequent arrests and later committed suicide.

“As usual, the police department makes no admission of guilt, even though they lost that case,” O’Connor said. “They just never admit that they could have done things differently.”

Most recently, Boulder City Council agreed to pay Coleman Stewart $1.3 million in July 2022 for a 2014 incident. Stewart ran from a cab after arguing with the driver over the small fare. Police officers followed him home and shot Stewart twice. After initially being convicted of menacing, Stewart was later exonerated on appeal based in part on questionable testimony by the officers involved, as reported by Westword.

Zayd Atkinson

In 2019 Boulder Police Officer John Smyly made himself nationally famous when he accosted Black Naropa University student Zayd Atkinson while he was picking up trash around his home, ending in a $125,000 settlement to Atkinson. Former Boulder Police Chief Greg Testa retired shortly after the Zayd Atkinson incident and was replaced by Chief Maris Herold.

“She gets touted all the time as a progressive police chief doing great things, but in reality, she’s opposing actual legislation and [supporting] policy that we know is the most harmful about policing,” O’Connor said.

Chief Maris Herold

For example, Herold publicly opposed Senate Bill SB21-062 by testifying at the State Capitol. The bill aims to curb pretrial incarceration for minor crimes. Before a trial, those with financial resources can be bailed out, leaving less wealthy people stuck with the ramifications of losing their jobs and homes while spending time in jail.

“Chief Herold of Boulder, without any permission from staff or counsel, went down to Denver to the legislature and spoke at a committee to say how bad [Senate Bill SB21-062] was,” O’Connor said.

Herold also proposed that a Boulder Police Officer be allowed to work part-time for the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force, with approval from City Council. This is an issue because of the context of racial discrimination and unequal policing. Community distrust stems from historical and present issues with the FBI. The city moved forward with Boulder Police working with the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force despite the opposition of the 25 community members who attended the public hearing.

“If you look at the history of the FBI they’ve been a very anti-Black organization that is known to [have] organized the murder of Fred Hampton from the Black Panthers,” O’Connor said. “Communities of color and other marginalized communities showed up unanimously to say they were against partnering with the FBI, and [the City Council] still [approved a Boulder Police Officer’s work with the FBI]. It was never about what the community wanted. It’s always about getting more access to tools to direct the powerful policing system against the very people they claim they’re protecting.”

In 2005 the American Civil Liberties Union of Colorado released documents confirming that the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force in Denver was targeting and harassing peaceful activists.

“To have the FBI going after people like that is not acceptable, and certainly we don’t need to create volunteers from our police force to be part of an organization that behaves like that,” O’Connor said. “The FBI claims they stopped the illegal practices, but there was no punishment. They thought it was OK until they got caught.”

Recently leaked FBI documents reveal the FBI surveils what they call Black Identity Extremists, which the Bureau asserted are likely to target law enforcement officers. The ACLU filed a lawsuit, and the FBI admitted there wasn’t a threat from these organizations to warrant the dangerous rhetoric.

According to O’Connor, for local people of color, this is akin “to be[ing] told by white politicians, and a white chief of police that they know what’s in their best interest and what they consider is in the Black community’s best interest is to work with the historically and presently racist organization that spies on them.”

Boulder police oversight panel

In 2020 following the wrongful executions of Breonna Taylor and George Floyd at the hands of police, coupled with the other local incidents involving Boulder police described in this article, Boulder finalized Ordinance 8430. The ordinance established the Office of the Independent Police Monitor and the Boulder Police Oversight Panel.

Two years to the day from the panel’s founding, board member Martha Wilson resigned in protest over lack of transparency and an organizational structure that had the fox guarding the henhouse.

Martha Wilson

“For nearly the last two years, the limitations of the current ordinance have constrained the Police Oversight Panel to a key-sized amount of information sharing with the public as seen in the contents of the 2021 annual report,” Wilson wrote in her official resignation letter sent to YS. “On the two-year anniversary of the ordinance’s adoption, that key-sized sliver of information was reduced further to the size of a pin, and I, Martha R. Wilson, resigned in protest.”

Wilson stated that a recent misconduct investigation opened internally against a BPD detective with “a large number” of open complaints that have not been investigated was a direct reason for her resignation. The oversight panel conducted its own investigation and recommended that the detective and four supervising and managing officers involved be terminated. The department instead settled on small suspensions that lasted less than a week. Wilson believes this is nowhere near the appropriate misconduct action level.

During the Dec. 8, 2022, Police Oversight Panel meeting, which is open to the public, O’Connor quoted Boulder City communication manager Shannon Aulabaugh’s recent statement defending Chief Herold’s decision to go against the panel’s recommendation for officers committing serious policy violations: “disciplinary action of the police is intended to be corrective rather than punitive.”

“Wouldn’t it be nice if people that were arrested were treated this way as well?” O’Connor asked.

Conflicts of interest

The fox that was guarding the henhouse in this situation was the Office of the Independent Police Monitor. Until Sept. 2022, that position was held by Joey Lipari. According to the ordinance, the police monitor trains the Police Oversight Panel.

But according to O’Connor, “He (Joey Lipari) was very close with the chief of police, and the police union talked about how great they were. [He] just seemed never to meet a police officer he didn’t want to defend. You have the police monitor who’s also supposed to be independent, who’s anything but, training the Police Oversight Panel telling them what they can’t do, and then the Police Oversight Panel is supposed to do oversight of the police monitor.”

Furthermore, the BPD and the oversight panel have been advised by the same attorney, Teresa Tate, since October 2021. We reached out to Tate for comment on how the city attorney handles the potential conflict of interest between the two parties it represents and did not receive a response.

O’Connor also strongly encouraged the panel to seek legal advice from attorneys who are independent of the city: “The conflict of interest [of] being advised by the same attorneys that defend the police has been evident for some time,” O’Connor said. “This arrangement appears to be leading to you all having your voices silenced. Most importantly, I’d like to encourage the community to be at the table for training on police oversight models and to revise the city ordinance from police oversight in Boulder. These revision efforts need to be public, transparent, and inclusive.”

To bring these points home succinctly, O’Connor urged the panel before his two minutes of speaking time ran out at the meeting: “Building friendships with the police is not your job and creates an appearance of a lack of independence. I encourage you to build relationships with the community and not the cops you oversee.”

Revising the ordinance

New panelists are being onboarded now as part of the revision process. Wilson now works outside of the panel with community members to revise the ordinance. She hopes that, in addition to community input, she can collaborate with members of the Boulder Police Officers Association and people working for the city. (We could not find a website for the Boulder Police Officers Association but they did release this statement in 2020:

“Every officer at the Boulder Police Department was appalled at George Floyd’s death. It was a horrific act and the exact opposite of what good police officers do,” Bliley wrote. “The idea that those who swore to protect and serve would act in such a way is particularly horrifying to those of us who strive daily to support, defend and enforce the laws of Colorado.”

While the Boulder Police Officers’ Association acknowledges the existence of racism and is not “blind to its corrosive influence,” Bliley wrote, “we soundly reject the idea that law enforcement should be judged by the actions of the worst examples of our profession.”

“The Boulder Police Department is well ahead of many of our peer agencies when it comes to training and policies that deal with bias,” he wrote, claiming that the department, several years ago, already adopted almost all of the policies and requirements outlined by Senate Bill 20-217.

Like other members of the panel, Wilson represents the everyday people of Boulder. She is an activist, a caseworker, and former social worker for the State of Colorado until 2022.

“I’m hoping that in my decision to give up my vote, I can not only speak out but really, really hone in on gathering the public to help rewrite that Ordinance [8430] in a very quick turnaround so that next month, when the new panelists come on board, they actually get to do the things that were envisioned for this panel to do,” Wilson told YS.

YS reached out to other members of the panel who addressed Wilson’s resignation. “We have new panelists coming on very soon,” current panelist Hadasa Villalobos said during the Dec. 8 open meeting in regard to Wilson’s resignation and the Panel’s plans moving forward. “Timing just worked out that we brought on new people. As far as her reasons, we definitely all agree that there are major gaps and are hoping that we can help to address those gaps. We look forward to working with Martha on helping us in the future and any other members of the public that would like to join.”

The new panelists are slated to be approved at this Thursday’s City Council Meeting on Dec. 15 when their names will be announced, according to an email sent to YS from Leonard.

Transparency

In addition to the apparent conflicts of interest, the panel also was fraught with a lack of transparency, according to Wilson. Wilson believes that restricting information allows the BPD to conceal from the public many facts pertaining to its internal operations.

“There has to be a very clear understanding that minimizing [public information sharing] for the comfort of the person who did the harm is wrong,” Wilson said. “The people and the impacted community members need always to take priority. That needs to be clear because [BPD’s] mission is to protect and serve. If they’re not doing that, that needs to be made available in a way that people can understand the gravity and impact.”

According to Wilson, there was also a systemic lack of committed support for the objectives of the panel. “We were routinely reminded that anything we said could be used against us,” Wilson said. “We were told that it was optional whether or not the city attorney would defend us should we be sued. That exact wording felt very much like suppression at the time.”

Wilson felt that serving on the panel was performative if only half of the intended work could be accomplished due to the limitations of the ordinance, the conflicts of interest, and the lack of transparency.

“Whenever people are standing up against large systems, there’s a lot of fear,” Wilson said. “But this panel was literally designed to help provide civilian input and present accountability to law enforcement, to keep that pipeline open to the public, because we are the public.”

City of Boulder’s response

We reached out to the Boulder Police Department and the City of Boulder for comments on the settlement cases referenced in this article as well as the issues related to the oversight panel, including Wilson’s resignation in protest.

While we did not get answers to all of our inquiries, the City of Boulder provided this statement:

The City of Boulder values transparency as well as the oversight that was envisioned with the creation of the Police Oversight Panel. The recent disagreement about discipline in a particular case, as well as the resignation of Martha Wilson, has demonstrated the need for further community conversation.

There is currently a level of confidentiality that panel members are required to uphold in relation to cases they review. This limits what the panel, collectively, and individual members can disclose about specific situations. The Boulder Police Department, however, has released information about the recent case and will continue to do so in upcoming weeks on a schedule that recognizes the officers’ due process rights.

We anticipate having a meaningful discussion in early 2023 that will revisit the issue of roles and what panel members can share publicly. We welcome robust discourse around these questions. All perspectives on them are welcomed.

You are correct that the City of Boulder has agreed to settlements in some police-related lawsuits, including those you cite. When a city chooses a settlement, this usually reflects a risk assessment about the likelihood of success in litigation as well as potential penalties. The city did not accept fault in either of the lawsuits filed by the family of Seth Franco and Coleman Stewart, so we do not agree with the characterization that misconduct occurred.

As for any potential conflict, per the City Charter, the City Attorney’s Office is charged with representing the city organization and all entities within that organization, including boards and commissions, working groups and panels. The office is accustomed to identifying when a conflict may exist and takes measures to address that.

Lastly, our communications staff list is current and correct. My team provides media support on weekends for emergencies and breaking news but does not have capacity to monitor or respond to interview requests for ongoing matters outside of typical business hours.

Sarah Huntley

Communication and Engagement Director

City of Boulder

Going forward

O’Connor remembers when he was just a person concerned with the rights of people experiencing homelessness due to the housing crisis in 2008, which disproportionately affected people of color. Now he says he has no choice but to see the racism persisting around him today.

“I just think that our city of Boulder would be so much better if, for example, when a complaint comes in, instead of just turning it over to attorneys to just defend, defend, defend, our city council members could be included in the decision making, and maybe be able to look at a complaint and think, ‘Gosh, this really isn’t the police force that we want,” O’Connor said.

“Instead of saying we didn’t do anything wrong and defending against it, delve into making things better, which would be a big shift in the model of policing. For Boulder congratulating itself on being so progressive, our city attorney’s office and our police are no better than any other police force when they’re called out for violating civil rights. They dig in, say that they did nothing wrong and fight, fight, fight to maintain the status quo of what they’re doing. That’s not progressive.”

Wilson’s resignation does not mean she’s done fighting for police reform in Boulder. She is one of the contenders for the police monitor position.

“I think more people should actually share when they’ve applied to things because a lot of time the sentiment in Boulder, in particular in the workforce, has been, ‘Well we don’t have people of color applying,’” Wilson said. “I know that’s not true because I definitely apply to a variety of things.”

Wilson thinks some Black applicants are getting screened out before they get an interview when applying for jobs in Boulder, so she wants to make her running for the monitor position clear to the public.

Wilson is inspired by the Martin Luther King, Jr. quote: “Three hundred years of humiliation, abuse and deprivation cannot be expected to find a voice in a whisper.”

The post Two years after the Boulder Police Oversight Panel’s conception, the City of Boulder is still failing to hold the Boulder Police Department accountable to the standards of its community, Resulting in Boulder Police Oversight Panel Member, Martha Wilson Resigning in Protest appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

Updated 10/10/2022 to reflect CBS report

Updated 10/10/2022 to reflect that Chloe Campbell has been found

On Wednesday, October 7th, upon the urging of a friend who works with Dr. Knape, our publisher re-shared Dr. Knape’s post about her missing daughter, Chloe Campbell, on social media.

By Thursday we had begun receiving messages to our office regarding conspiracies surrounding her disappearance. The internet was abuzz with false information.

On the afternoon of Thursday, October 6th, Yellow Scene Magazine Staff  Writer, Thomas Rutherford reached out to Chloe Campbell’s mother, Dr. Jessica Knape, to clarify the facts behind the conspiracy theories circulating on fake websites and social media, as well as to understand what was happening with the Boulder Police Department on this case.

From there we called the Boulder Police and spoke with Public Information Officer Dionne Waugh, who stated Boulder PD did not believe there to be any foul play in Campbell’s disappearance and they did not believe her to be in any immediate danger.  We asked if they had spoken to Chloe and were told that was confidential information.

We called Dr. Knape back to ask her stance on the Boulder PD position, and she stated the family did not feel the Boulder Police had escalated Chloe’s disappearance to the level it needed.

As the only publication as of Friday, to have reported on Chloes status, we could not understand why there was zero reporting being done, beyond fake websites circulating false narratives, especially in light of the James Wendall case earlier this year.

YS posted the article, Missing Boulder Teen’s Disappearance Mired in Conspiracy and Falsehoods Thursday night at 8:57 pm, and by 10:30 pm had experienced over 1000 views. By the end of the day Friday, YS’s website had reached over 10,000 views for that article alone. Still, no word from other media, and the only follow-up we received from Boulder Police Department was a comment on our social media page reiterating there was no evidence of foul-play.

On Friday, JonBenet Ramsey’s brother reshared our tweet and then continued to make pleas with the Boulder Police to increase their investigation into finding Chloe and bringing her home.

https://www.foxnews.com/us/missing-colorado-girl-chloe-campbell-jonbenet-ramsey-brother-presses-boulder-police-find-14-year-old

By Saturday, October 8th at 11 am, (over a week after she went missing) most major news stations were now reporting on Chloe Campbell’s disappearance due to a Press Statement the Boulder Police Department issued on social media and on their website on October 8th, 2022. Avoiding delays is critical in cases of missing persons.

Boulder Police Seek Public’s Assistance in Locating Missing Teen

Sarah Huntley, Communication and Engagement, 720-564-2111

PUBLISHED DATE

Oct 08, 2022

Boulder police are seeking the community’s assistance in locating a missing 14-year-old girl who is believed to be a runaway but could be in danger.

Chloe Campbell has been missing since Friday, Sept. 30. She was last seen at the Boulder High football game.

Investigators have received some information from friends who appear to have been in contact with Chloe, and there have been a few reported sightings of her in and around the Boulder area. However, no one in her family has spoken with Chloe since Sept. 30. Friends have received messages that they believe could be from Chloe saying she is safe with a “family” in Arizona and does not want to return home, but family and police have been unable to confirm if these messages are, in fact, from Chloe or true.

This case presently does not meet the criteria for the issuance of an Amber Alert, but investigators are growing increasingly concerned about the teen’s safety as it is believed that she has no access to money or her medication. She may be with an adult male.

Chloe’s loved ones have posted fliers around town, and police are hoping that amplifying this message will help in reuniting the child with her family. Chloe’s family wants Chloe to know that they just want her home safe and that she is not in trouble.

Police do not have any additional information to share with the public at this time, and as such, will not be doing any media interviews. Chloe’s family has indicated they would be willing to speak with reporters.

Via~ 9News

“Boulder Police said friends of Chloe’s have reported getting text messages that they believe are from her, but Police have not been able to confirm if the messages are actually from Chloe.

The messages say that she is safe with a family in Arizona and does not want to return home. Police also don’t know if this is true.

Because Chloe does not have access to money or her medication, Boulder Police said they are getting increasingly worried about her safety.”

It is now the ninth day that Chloe was last seen by her family. Early response to these situations by authorities is critical in locating missing persons. Reports that Chloe may have been taken to Arizona are now being tracked down. Along with working with the Boulder Police Department, the family has hired a private investigator. They are keeping the public informed through an online Google Doc they have shared as well as through social media.

Sunday, October 9, 2022 Update

Chloe’s family wants to thank you all for the outpouring of support and outreach as we continue to look for her now 9 days after her disappearance. As of the time of this writing, Chloe is still not safe. Her whereabouts are still unknown to authorities or her family and we believe her to be critically at-risk due to a number of factors:

• There are second and third-hand accounts that she may be with someone (or several people) who are men, or older boys, who could be involved with drug dealing and who may have violent criminal records.
• We believe there are kids who know where she is or how to reach her, but they are not sharing full information with the family or law enforcement. They may be withholding information out of fear for their own safety or a misguided sense of “protecting” Chloe but withholding this information is absolutely putting Chloe in more danger. 
• The family is working collaboratively with the Boulder Police who, like the family, believe Chloe to be in danger. This police press release issued yesterday (10/8) is a reliable source of facts about the case.
• Chloe’s parents spoke with Fox 31 Denver on 10/9 to widen the awareness of her story. 
• This article is also a good summary of what the family is going through. There is a lot of misinformation out there, but Chloe’s mom, Jessica, worked with YellowScene on this article.  

How can you help?

• If you or your teen or child knows anything, strongly encourage them to share by contacting one of the following:
  • The family at 720-507-7379 (voice or text).
  • The Boulder Police Department at 303-441-3333 option 8 and reference case # #22-9868 or Chloe’s full name: Chloe Campbell.
  • For a completely anonymous tip, call 1-800-THE-LOST, press #1 and refer to report #:146-2673.
• Please help communicate in the community that regardless of the circumstances of Chloe’s disappearance, Chloe is a 14 year old child who has not been home for 9 days, is vulnerable due to several factors, and is still very much critically at-risk. Her family’s top priority is returning her to safety. 
• Please correct inaccurate social media posts and re-direct those who are seeking information here: FINDCTB.ORG. This site will be updated by the family with the latest updates regarding her status. 
• The family asks that all communication with and about law enforcement is respectful at all times, prioritizing our ability to work productively with them to find Chloe. 
• Continue to send love and support to her parents and siblings. 

Sincerely,

Jess Knape, Mother – David Campbell, Father – Carlos Romo, Stepfather 

Boulder family pleads for help finding 14-year-old Chloe Campbell, missing for 9 days

Missing Colorado teen Chloe Campbell found alive, police don’t believe she was held against her will

Anyone with information on Chloe Campbell’s whereabouts is asked to call or text 720-507-7379. You can also leave an anonymous tip at 1-800-THE-LOST.

The post Boulder Police escalate their search for missing 14-year-old Chloe Campbell appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

Updated 10/7/2022, to reflect Dr. Knapes update announcement

Updated 10/8/2022 to include 9News report 

Updated 10/10/2022 to include CBS report

Updated 10/10/2022 to include that Chloe Campbell has been found

On September 30th, 2022, Boulder 14-year-old Chloe Campbell was reported missing by her mother, Dr. Jessica Knape. Since the report, the investigation into the teenager’s disappearance has been mired in conspiracy theories and false narratives.

Among these are fake obituaries published by uncredible websites that are riddled with malware and designed to look like real news sites; theories on social media that the family intentionally had her go missing in order to obtain some kind of media attention or monetary gains; false tweets that she has been found and recovered; and unverified reports sent to Yellow Scene Magazine’s office of a fake GoFundMe started by a third party. In addition, a number of bizarre, conspiratorial YouTube videos have been made by channels that seemingly have no connection to Boulder County or the family.

YS spoke to Knape as well as Boulder Police Department Public Information Officer Dionne Waugh in order to gain a clearer understanding of the situation. 

Knape told YS that she has no knowledge of any kind of GoFundMe or any other fundraising service being started in her daughter’s name, stating that their family is not in need of any kind of financial help. She also has received reports that her daughter has been sighted alive and potentially in the company of an adult male from Longmont, presumed to be around 19 or 20 years old with a history of drug use and criminal activity. She believes that, due to her daughter’s mental and physical illnesses and the potential impairment of drugs and/or alcohol, her daughter may not currently be in her right state of mind and therefore is in serious danger. The family has been working with police to find their daughter, however, Campbell is currently listed as a “runaway” which means she is not considered a missing person and that the case is not under criminal investigation. Knape stated that her daughter has no history of running away and that doing so is not in her nature. 

Boulder PD stated they do not believe there to be any foul play in Campbell’s disappearance and they do not believe her to be in any immediate danger. This is in direct contrast to the feelings of Knape and the rest of Campbell’s family. The family has hired a private investigator in response. The family has also sought to elevate the case beyond the investigating officer, Detective Cody Hartkopp, by reaching out to his superiors and Boulder Chief of Police Maris Herold to little avail.   

There is a reddit thread regarding Campbell’s disappearance in which a user designated extra-Ad-1612 states the following: “Her friend has texted several people that she is ok and doesn’t want to go home.” Investigation into this user shows that their profile is named “Hookedonphonics,” their handle has only existed for a month, the user is an adult, and the user regularly engages in paid advertising on the site. This is just one example of outside parties posing as individuals close to Campbell and/or her family to spread misinformation about Campbell’s disappearance. The reasoning for this is unknown to YS at this time. 

While YS cannot comment as to the exact nature of Campbell’s disappearance, two things are known to be true: a teenager, a child, is missing and her family wants her home. 

**UPDATE**

10/8/2022, 12:47 pm 9News report

14-year-old missing for more than a week could be in danger, Boulder Police say

10/10/2022

Boulder family pleads for help finding 14-year-old Chloe Campbell, missing for 9 days

10/10/2022

Missing Colorado teen Chloe Campbell found alive, police don’t believe she was held against her will

The post Missing Boulder Teen’s Disappearance Mired in Conspiracy and Falsehoods appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

Correction: The article incorrectly stated Dionne Waugh as Police Chief. Article has been corrected to reflect her role as the Boulder Police Public Information Officer.

On October 11th of 2021, Jessica Aldama and her stillborn child were found on Boulder’s outskirts in open space land off of 5847 Arapahoe Avenue. Five weeks prior, Aldama was issued a ticket in Boulder for possession of a tent and a camping violation. Per Sam Becker, a Boulder freelance writer and researcher, this ticket from the Boulder Police and an additional negative experience with the City’s Homeless Outreach Team forced Aldama to move to a remote area where access to services and health care is mostly unavailable.

Front of ticket issued to Jessica Aldama. Sourced from Darren O’Connor’s Facebook.

In a letter from the Colorado ACLU to the Boulder Police Department (BPD) written on December 23rd, 2021, the ACLU condemned BPD’s use of criminalization of the unhoused. They also call out the City’s misconception that unhoused residents in Boulder are resistant to services or refuse to stay in shelters out of choice. 

“In the past, the City has defended aggressive enforcement of its camping ban by citing the persistence of unused beds at BSH, leveraging that data to advance a harmful narrative that the people on Boulder’s streets are ‘service resistant’ and voluntarily unhoused. But as we pointed out last summer, empty shelter beds were a product of Boulder’s policies of exclusion, not the personal choices of its unhoused residents. Indeed, Homeless Solutions for Boulder County (HSBC) had been unconstitutionally conditioning access to shelter on six months’ prior residency in Boulder County until it received the ACLU’s cautionary letter and reversed course. No longer skewed by HSBC’s discriminatory policy, the City’s data on BSH turn-aways now reflects what has long been true: shelter capacity in Boulder is woefully inadequate to meet community need.”

Yellow Scene Magazine spoke with freelance journalist and researcher, Sam Becker, who initially requested the documents regarding Jessica’s case. Becker is 25 years old and has lived in Boulder for over a year, after graduating from Claremont McKenna College in 2019. After reading about the case of Jessica in Daily Camera, Becker grew interested in the human rights violations committed in Jessica’s specific case. Becker sought to receive access to the files regarding Jessica’s case of being the first to obtain such evidence regarding the “extraordinary” efforts put in by BPD, that were not released in the initial article. 

“Supposedly, police officers were at the scene to check in on Jessica and connect her with services. The reality, of course, is that they ticketed her for having a tent. Jessica should have been taken to the hospital, but for whatever reason, she wasn’t. We know police officers aren’t medical experts. And the services for the unhoused in our community, especially pregnant individuals, are rather nonexistent. Understanding that the city council has tasked police officers to ticket, arrest, and remove unhoused residents for existing makes the situation a little clearer. Based on the records that I requested and then received, the case was not just a routine check-in or encounter. It was another example of how police are enacting this regime of criminalization that the city council has ratcheted up over the last year.”

“I received unredacted body cam footage, but BPD is sending me a redacted version of that footage soon.  In the body cam video, the police officer and the paramedics who eventually showed up were skeptical that both people’s clinic and the hospital could help.”

“There was no conversation about Mother’s House or a shelter that would specifically cater to the needs of Jessica as a woman, let alone a pregnant woman.”

Back of ticket issued to Jessica Aldama. Sourced from Darren O’Connor’s Facebook.

As Becker said, Jessica should have been taken to Boulder Community Health (BCH). Despite the police officers’ and paramedics’ opinion, BCH offers a wide range of prenatal care including family planning. The hospitals website lists the various options pregnant women have and even encourages all people to deliver at BCH. 

“What’s clear is that the police officer who’s questioning her, Officer Morris. The questioning is very harsh. This being the same officer who wrote her a ticket for existing, surviving in a tent. Her demeanor is different than when she’s interacting with the paramedics. She is very quiet and tries to avoid contact and interaction with the police officer. Whereas when she’s talking to the paramedic, she’s much more open, interested in having a dialogue.”

“This interaction shows what experts on homelessness say; police officers can’t both enforce the laws that criminalize homelessness and also try to be social workers for those experiencing homelessness.”

“Based on the interaction she had with this police officer who was making her feel uncomfortable. As someone who was probably already feeling very uncomfortable due to pregnancy issues, it would make sense to remove yourself from that interaction—the area where she was found, that interaction was far less likely to happen. I don’t think there’s any way of knowing for sure.”

“However, based on what experts say, people who have bad interactions with police are more likely to move away from spaces where those sorts of interactions could happen again.”

With most shelters only allowing people to spend the night, it leaves hours exposed to the elements, with no way to seek shelter without criminalization. The Boulder Camping Ban Ordinance is not something that is being affected by shelters capacity, because despite how many people they take in at night, their services cannot offer 24/7 care or shelter. 

“At Boulder Shelter for the Homeless, the majority of people have to leave during the day. There isn’t a day shelter right now. People might want to set up a tent to do something or shelter from the elements, but that isn’t legal under the tent ban. Experts say that this sort of criminalization pushes people away from accepting services, pushes them into sparsely populated areas, like the one where Jessica was found.” 

After thirteen days, YS was given the following statement from Boulder Police Public Information Officer, Dionne Waugh, stating that mental illnesses and addiction tend to be difficult to treat. This statement is rather ironic, with the City’s services for mental health and addiction dwindling over the past year.

“The City of Boulder takes a holistic approach to the complex issues surrounding the unhoused. The police department is one part of that approach. It includes our Homeless Outreach Team (HOT) that is focused on building relationships with homeless individuals–rather than enforcement–and educating them about the different resources offered by the City in hopes that these resources will positively impact their lives. The team also facilitates connecting them with the services for the needs they have and works collaboratively with a number of other homeless resources.

We also have mental health clinicians (CIRT) who work in coordination with the police department to provide direct services and referrals for behavioral health services. We have had some notable successes. However, there are some individuals who are resistant to services for a variety of reasons, and it is their right to decline our help. Some people experiencing homelessness suffer from mental health conditions and/or addiction, which are difficult to treat. Overall, the City’s focus is following the best practices of a housing-first model and has designed a system to that end.”

According to Sam Becker the Homeless Outreach Team that, Waugh mentioned in her response is the same organization that failed to provide Aldama with services. HOT took her to People’s Clinic again, providing no additional care to Aldama such as taking her to a women’s shelter or Boulder Community Health. This secondary interaction was only two weeks after her initial ticketing on September 9th, 2021.

“Members of the homeless outreach team brought her from Deacons Closet to People’s Clinic. There’s a distinction between the Homeless Outreach Team Officers and the Homeless Outreach Team. There are community members who participate in this outreach and service providers. However, again, the reality is that these police officers are first and foremost tasked with upholding the ordinances and laws that the City has enacted. And the social work they do is an afterthought.”

**Update: Boulder Police have indicated on the YS Facebook page that they want it made clear the Homeless Outreach Team does not issue tickets. 

In that distinction being asked of us it is important to note, the Boulder Police Department does. 

On the topic of the city’s “Housing First” approach, Becker had much more to say than city officials, listing the hard statistics on the number of people that this approach works with and for. With the city touting its effectiveness, the numbers tell a different story. The city often forgets to bring up crucial points like shelter requirements for entry such as being sober, which doesn’t happen overnight. 

“Boulder has a ‘Housing-First’ approach. The staff and city council talk about it almost every time they’re asked about homelessness; the reality is it only covers roughly 12% of Boulder’s unhoused population.  A portion of the other 88% stays at Boulder shelter for the homeless, and a very small portion stays at some smaller shelters. A large portion of the 88% of unhoused residents left out of the ‘Housing First’ approach cannot stay at the existing shelters due to various barriers to entry. Whether unhoused folks are at Boulder shelter for the homeless, or other shelters, they are undoubtedly subjected to a regime of criminalization. The camping ban. Propane ban. Which is all heavily enforced by the Boulder Police Department. This regime does nothing but pushes people away from accepting services.”

With the municipal and district courts of Boulder supporting the camping ban, unlike the 9th circuit court case of Martin v. Boise where it was ruled that it is unconstitutional as well as cruel and unusual punishment to ticket the unhoused while sleeping outside if there are no available spaces in city or nonprofit shelters. It doesn’t look like the end of this crisis is at all in sight. With more people dying on the street as temperatures drop and after the recent fires leaving even more unhoused, who knows how the city will proceed or be able to cope. Life in Boulder, for those that are unhoused, will be nothing but tragedy. Just as it always has been with their very existence remaining criminalized, they helplessly watch their friends such as Jessica die around them.

The post Jessica Aldama – The Real Story appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

pic.twitter.com/83ihxutJ5F

— Jack Henrique (@JKHQ) March 7, 2021

Boulder Police Tweet at 8 pm about the CU Riot. It started at 3 pm.

CU Alert: Boulder Police is responding to a large party in the area of 10th & Pennsylvania. People in the area could be subject to arrest and CU sanctions.

— CU Boulder (@CUBoulder) March 7, 2021

Boulder police forced to break up massive party on University Hill

District Attorney Michael Dougherty Statement:

District Attorney Michael Dougherty released the following statement regarding the incident in the Hill area:

“Our community was put at risk last night by the individuals involved in the incident in the Hill area. Their callous disregard for our community’s safety and

— Boulder District Attorney (@DABoulder20th) March 7, 2021

The post Open Letter from YS Publisher to the University of Colorado and the City of Boulder appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

Boulder Police Officer Waylon Lolotai is alleged to have an Instagram account, @tacticaltoa, on which he frequently speaks positively about police brutal and violent use of force. This includes his (alleged) comments about an officer punching a man another officer already has in a chokehold: “Atta girl, doing work on that suspect, dropping hammers.” In response to a commenter calling this excessive force, Lolotai (allegedly) writes, “it made me happy that she was dropping bombs on his stupid face.”

Screenshot, IG @TacticalToa

Boulder City Attorney Tom Carr has referred to Lolotai as “an excellent officer who does a great job,”but as a result of what looks to be Lolotai’s social media commentary, this “excellent officer” is now on paid administrative leave. Lolotai’s alleged Instagram account, on which “Use of Force Fridays” posts promote violent police action towards suspects, came to the attention of Boulder Police via a video on the SAFE: Safe Access For Everyone Facebook page.

Yellow Scene readers may recognize Lolotai’s name, as I have written about Boulder hiring him while he was part of an active investigation for excessive use of force as a deputy at the Denver jail. Since he was hired in 2016, he has brutally assaulted two women fully half his size, as well as a Black man, Sammie Lawrence IV, who clearly and repeatedly shared that he was disabled, just before Lolotai tackled and arrested him for, in part, not putting down his walking aid. One of the women, Kelly Clark, was unsuccessful in suing Lolotai and the City of Boulder, because, in part, the judge did not feel Lolotai’s shoving her so hard she flew through the air, after only an instants warning to step away from him, met the standard of shocking the conscience.

But that was then, and this is now.

The vicious police killing of George Floyd has driven our nation to the streets. Locally, Aurora Police Department stopped a young Black violinist, Elijah McClain, who was walking home from the store; that stop quickly escalated into brutal physical restraint, involuntary drugging, and death. Protesters have been persistent in calling for an end to police violence against Black people, even in the face of President Trump sending provocative federal agents who are understood to have escalated tensions in Portland, Oregon, before the federal officers left (and protests reportedly quickly returned to something approaching peaceful).

The Aurora officers who used what so many have called excessive and unnecessary use of force against McClain have so far been exonerated of any wrongdoing for their actions that led to his death. But like Lolotai, those officer’s showed a disregard for excessive use of force, sharing pictures of themselves grinning and placing an officer in a mock-chokehold at a memorial erected for McClain (three of those officers were subsequently fired). Like those officers, it is not Lolotai’s blatant and repeated violent use of force that has put his job at risk, but his callous disregard for such use of force shared publicly. 

It is thus all too apparent that police beating people on the job is much more protected than police sharing their enthusiasm and lack of concern for the consequences of beating people on the job, behavior that outs the hypocrisy of departmental standards and imperils public perception.

It remains to be seen whether Boulder’s City Attorney continues to defend officer Lolotai. Perhaps the new Chief of Police, Maris Herold, will see Lolotai fired, rather than defended—as the Boulder Police Department did under former Chief Testa.

An interesting end to this story comes by way of the U.S. mail. To my private residence, at my unlisted address, one day after learning of Lolotai’s paid administrative leave, I received a postcard: “Aloha From HawaiI.” On the back it read:

Dear Dare-bear, 

Thank you for the paid vacay! XOXO, The Ls.

Image courtesy the author

No one I know is on vacation in Hawaii, and almost no-one knows my address. I’ll leave it to our readers to decide how likely this was to be a gloating or threatening message to me for publicly and privately calling out this piece of work that should never have been given a badge. Luckily I have long taught my daughter to keep the door locked and don’t open it for strangers.

It might be a cop.

Darren O’Connor is Regional Vice President of the National Lawyers Guild SW Region and a practicing attorney in the areas of eviction defense, family law, criminal defense, and civil rights. He is the criminal justice committee chair for the NAACP Boulder County Branch. He can be reached at DOLawLLC@gmail.com

The post Officer Lolotai in Boulder in More Trouble for Talking About Beating People Than Beating People | Community Corner appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

This past legislative session saw some truly inspired bills regarding incarceration make it through the process to become law in Colorado, to the betterment of us all.

Elizabeth Epps

I wrote recently about prison abolitionist Elisabeth Epps, who was herself jailed this year and discovered in her first days of incarceration that feminine hygiene products were unavailable. Representative Leslie Herod and Senator Faith Winter sponsored House Bill 19-1224, titled “Free Menstrual Hygiene Products In Custody,” which sailed through both the House and Senate receiving unanimous support. Among other facilities, municipal jails and private prisons must now provide menstrual hygiene products whenever a prisoner requests them.

Another incarceration-related bill, HB19-1225, ended cash bail requirements for petty offenses and traffic violations. This bill also passed unanimously, and also saw Ms. Epps’s hand in its becoming law following her successful effort in bringing community partners and attention together to end jail processing and court fees in Denver. Also supporting this bill was the ACLU of Colorado, which previously championed a bill ending debtors’ prisons. It’s worth your time reading more on the topic of debtors’ prisons at Wikipedia, where you’ll learn, for example, that “James Wilson, a signatory to the Declaration of Independence, spent some time in a debtors’ prison while still serving as an Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court.” Whether you work for the highest court in the land or have no job at all, Colorado has declared you shall not go to jail simply because you cannot ante up some tens to hundreds of dollars.

Police brutality and racial bias in policing cases around Boulder have been prevalent in the news lately, and the Boulder Police Department’s internal affairs investigation has cleared most of the officers involved in drawing weapons on an unarmed Black student of any wrongdoing. After such investigations, many police departments have refused to make the findings of such investigations available to the public when requested under the Colorado Open Records Act. This was well-documented by my fellow students at the University of Denver Sturm College of Law, but thanks to sponsor Rep. James Coleman and Senator Mike Foote, HB19-1119, titled “Peace Officer Internal Investigation Open Records,” became law and now compels internal investigation records be made available.

How we treat our poor who enter the justice system and transparency in policing are topics of profound importance, and this year, our legislators acknowledged this in passing these bills.

The post Community Corner: Inspiring Incarceration Bills Signed in Colorado’s 2019 Legislative Session appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.