The Denver Police Protective Association is one of the west's largest and most well respected police advocacy groups.  Representing more than 2000 current and former Denver police officers and their families, the DPPA works to support and represent its members on all issues affecting their on-the-job performance and compensation.  Key goals of the DPPA include:

And the DPPA is not only an advocate for its officer members but also an advocate for the community-at-large.  In fact, the DPPA led the effort to create Denver's first civilian oversight board (Discipline Review Board), which brings citizen volunteers to the table when issues of officer discipline become necessary.  The DPPA consistently steps up to support Denver citizens, even providing meeting space for neighborhood organizations in its new state-of-the-art convention facility.     

Despite the many positive directions of the DPPA, Denver officers and those all across the country face a myriad of complex challenges far beyond those that have ever faced officers in the past. 

The Denver Police Face A Staffing Crisis

Denver officers face an alarming situation.  With emergency calls for help nearly doubling in the past thirty years and the City's population growing daily with new developments like Lowry and Stapleton, staffing levels still remain below what they were in the 1970's.  Officers are often forced to handle too many calls with too few officers present.  The result?  Citizens' lives are put at risk because of longer response times and officers' lives are threatened because they must respond to dangerous situations without proper back-up.

The Denver Police Face Critical Equipment Challenges

Denver officers work with the tools provided by the City of Denver.  But due to recent severe budget cuts, Denver officers are forced to do more with much less.  Police radios, for instance, often have large dead areas where officers cannot contact their dispatchers due to cell tower interference and low signal strength.  Another alarming fact?  In the case of a lost or kidnapped child, officers on the streets cannot instantly receive a photo of the child in their patrol cars and may not see a FAXed version for several hours.  Officers often feel as though their hands are tied because they can't do their jobs with radio systems that fail and outdated information systems

Did you know that the DPPA is funded entirely with member dues and citizen donations?  We count on the support of others to keep us up and running.

What Officers Can Do

Get involved in the DPPA!  Run for and support the Board.  Buy raffle tickets.  Attend monthly meetings and make your voice heard by voting on critical issues.  Check this website often for important information you need to know.  Call (303-433-8247) or email us (dppa@dppa.com) with your comments and concerns.  Volunteer to help with day-to-day needs like research, taking notes and creating proposals.  Sign petitions when requested.  Vote for political candidates endorsed by your DPPA Board.  Volunteer to have a yard sign placed on your property when called upon.  Take action -- your career hangs in the balance! 

What Citizens Can Do