Colorado Politics: House Democrats have introduced a bill they say will increase protections for law enforcement members who report the misconduct of their peers. However, opponents say bill sponsors never consulted public safety organizations, and it singles out the “law enforcement” profession for possible prosecution.

House Bill 1460 requires law enforcement agencies to investigate any allegations of misconduct or criminal conduct involving their officers. Law enforcement officers are also obligated to report any misconduct by their colleagues; failure to do so would constitute a class two misdemeanor punishable by up to 120 days in jail and/or fines of up to $750. The bill also affords an officer subject to discipline for whistleblowing a private right of action.

Bill sponsor Rep. Leslie Herod, D-Denver, said she has heard from several law enforcement officers who faced retaliation after speaking up, including McKinzie Rees, a former Edgewater Police Department officer whom a colleague assaulted. While Rees was forced to resign from her position and placed in a database that barred her from ever serving as an officer again, her assailant was hired by another department. That department eventually found out what he had done and fired him. Earlier this month, he was sentenced to four years of probation for his crimes against Rees and other officers he had worked with.

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