In 2020, the City of Boulder adopted new use-of-force training aimed at emphasizing de-escalation over physical force. The changes followed an incident in which a city police officer drew a gun on Zayd Atkinson, an unarmed Black college student who was picking up trash outside his home.
Despite the policy shift, police use-of-force incidents in Boulder have not notably declined, according to recently released city data. The most common remains an officer drawing a firearm.
City officials point to several possible explanations: Calls for service have increased, cases of resisting arrest are up, and assaults on first responders have more than doubled since 2020.
Another key factor, according to Police Chief Steve Redfearn, is Colorado’s lack of access to mental health and drug addiction treatment.
“We’re seeing more people dealing with those issues,” Redfearn told Boulder Reporting Lab. “It’s much more likely, despite our best efforts, that we may see an increase in uses-of-force.”
Boulder has tried to curb these encounters by deploying crisis clinicians alongside officers through its co-responder program, CIRT, which launched in 2021. Even with clinicians present, Redfearn said, de-escalation techniques prove difficult. As a result, officers sometimes resort to physically restraining people or taking them to the ground.
“We’re doing that to stop somebody from harming themselves. We’re doing that to stop somebody from running in traffic or accosting other people,” he said.
Redfearn said officers are improving at handling these situations—sometimes by walking away. The department has also introduced new training tools, including a virtual reality system that puts officers in the perspective of a person with schizophrenia, allowing them to hear what someone with the mental illness is likely hearing.
“So next time they go out on the street and interact with someone in that situation, they’ll have a better idea of what they may be dealing with,” he said. “We want to look at new technology, look at new training. It’s an ever-changing thing. And we’ll continue to keep up.”
> Redfearn said officers are improving at handling these situations—sometimes by walking away.
Well that’s dire. And if this is in response to a call where other people have been harassed or threatened? Sounds like a forced dereliction of duty because peace officers might be chastised for doing their job.
> Another key factor, according to Police Chief Steve Redfearn, is Colorado’s lack of access to mental health and drug addiction treatment.
Sounds like we need to do this. And strongly consider requiring that anyone in such a state — harming themselves or others (notably first responders using force) — be remanded to said treatment. Is anyone on City Council making this a priority?
Then what’s Redfearn doing about ” lack of access to mental health and drug addiction treatment”?
I would love for Boulder County officers to do the same. Three years ago, I called them for help with a violent man. Instead, because of my mental health history, they zip-tied me to a ladder in my home before arresting me. Additionally, it would be helpful in your articles to distinguish Boulder County from Boulder City officers. Regardless, all police need oversight and education.