Every Coloradan deserves to feel safe in their community, but like the rest of the country, crime has been on the rise here in Colorado. It’s on us to ensure every family has a safe place to live, work and raise a family – and to do that we need to make smart public safety investments to address the root causes of crime so we can build safer communities across the board.​

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That means advocating for data-driven measures that are proven to reduce crime, ensuring that our law enforcement has the resources necessary to do their jobs effectively, cracking down on the overdose crisis, reducing recidivism rates across the state, and helping local governments with their public safety initiatives. We’ve taken action in the legislature to build safer communities.

 

I’m proud to have sponsored legislation that made historic investments in school safety and student behavioral health, and created opportunities for participation in healthy adolescent activities for youth who are at risk of falling into the cycle of gang violence. I created a grant program that helps local law enforcement investigate and prevent violent extremist attacks, like the planned bombing of Pueblo’s Temple Emmanuel Synagogue. I helped create new tracking requirements for scrapyards that purchase catalytic converters- so that law enforcement can more easily investigate when the product is stolen.

 

Still, we must continue to work together and pass policies that will reduce crime rates even further. In the next legislative session, I will introduce policies to crack down on motor vehicle theft by prohibiting offenders from possessing a firearm- which we currently do for other felons. I will work to re-classify retail burglary as a felony. And I will fight to give judges more discretion in bail hearings for violent defendants. I am more committed than ever to ensuring that everyone in Pueblo feels safe and secure.