The annual budget discussion has begun in the usual fashion: a demand for cuts, cuts, and more cuts. That’s inevitable in the post-TABOR, post-9/11 fiscal environment. But in at least one area, Judy is hoping to get a funding increase: DPD’s gang enforcement unit.
That unit was beefed up in the 1990s, when gang activity reached a zenith, but it has suffered gradual manpower losses over the last decade. Decreased crime rates explain part of the gang unit’s shrinkage; tight funding accounts for the rest.
Although crime levels remain at low levels (much lower than in the early 1990s), there has been an increase in gang activity this year, including the northeast portion of District 9, in the Swansea and Globeville neighborhoods. Judy’s thought is to beef up enforcement now and get the gangs under control, rather than waiting for a small problem to grow into a big one.
With funds as scarce as they are, getting any increase won’t be easy — and it might have to come at the expense of other funding priorities. Judy’s seeking feedback on the issue at the outset of budget discussions; please weigh in with your opinion.
