Safe Communities and Strong Economies

Michael believes public safety is the foundation of strong Colorado communities and a strong Colorado economy. Safe neighborhoods, schools, workplaces, and public spaces allow kids and families to thrive, businesses to grow, and local governments to plan for the future with confidence. 

Colorado’s public safety challenges are complex and interconnected, requiring a comprehensive and balanced approach. Crime, substance use disorders, and behavioral and mental health needs do not exist in isolation, and neither should the policies designed to address them. 

Colorado needs a clear, data-driven picture of public safety. From 2019 to 2022, violent crime rose statewide, including a sharp increase in homicides. Since 2023, the trend has improved, with state crime analysts reporting double-digit declines in violent and property crime.

Michael’s priority is to lock in these gains and accelerate them with a comprehensive approach that includes support for law enforcement, investments in mental and behavioral health, and community crime prevention and intervention.

As Governor, Michael will work in partnership with communities and law enforcement to make our communities safe, through:

1. Investing in hiring and retaining the law enforcement we need to keep communities safe;
2. Support expanding co-responder programs, community response, and crisis prevention;
3. Making the criminal justice system work better for all people through increased equity, transparency, and effective case resolution; and
4. Prioritizing investment in prevention.

 

1. Enforcing the law and supporting law enforcement: Keeping communities safe requires enforcing criminal consequences and supporting law enforcement. Michael will:
   • Support Law Enforcement Capacity and Training: Michael will strategically deploy state resources to expand hiring pipelines and improve retention of law enforcement officers and district attorneys.  He also will provide targeted support for smaller and rural agencies, including regional training and investigative partnerships that translate into measurable gains in public safety.
   • Dedicating Resources to Coordinated and Targeted Crime Reduction: Michael will advocate for continued funding to support partnerships between law enforcement and local communities implementing targeted crime‑prevention and crisis‑response in areas with the most need. He will also advocate for sustained funding for targeted initiatives–such as statewide efforts to deter and reduce vehicle theft– that have proven effective in lowering specific crimes driving heightened concern in communities across Colorado
2. Investing in Treatment and Communities to Reduce Crime: Addressing underlying issues such as substance use, behavioral and mental health disorders, and trauma on the front end can keep communities safe, families together, and reduce the likelihood that individuals become involved in crime. Michael will support programs that dedicate resources to treatment, including:
   • Better Coordination and Expansion of Crisis, Behavioral, and Mental Health Services: The safety of our communities, families, and kids often depends on access to timely, affordable mental and behavioral health care- especially during times of crisis. Michael will support improved coordination and expansion Colorado’s crisis intervention network, with the goals of: (1) providing universal access to quality care when and where Coloradans need it; (2) ensuring Coloradans know their options and where to go to seek help; and (3) connecting crisis care to long-term mental and behavioral health care. In support of this effort, Michael will expedite the audit of Colorado’s Behavioral Health Administration to ensure that state resources actually support progress towards better mental and behavioral health across the state.  He will also partner with employers, labor groups, and educators to strengthen and diversify the health and behavioral health workforce, expanding opportunities across the state for high school apprenticeships, job experience, and training pipelines, including psychiatry residency programs, to ensure the workforce is trained in proven care models to support high quality care.
   • Investment into Co-Responder and Community Response Programs: Community response and co-responder programs, like Denver’s STAR program and Summit County’s SMART co-responder program, send mental health professionals or social service experts to respond to situations involving mental health crises, substance use, or homelessness. Michael has long supported this approach as one way to keep Coloradans from unnecessarily being booked into the criminal justice system and to free officers to focus on serious and dangerous offenders. He will continue to support local efforts to expand and strengthen these programs.
   • Support for Diversion Programs: Diversion programs provide a path out of the criminal justice system. These programs have proven to serve communities across the state, including some programs where 95% of participants successfully stay out of the criminal justice system after treatment.  Michael will prioritize state support to judicial districts starting and expanding diversion programs.
3. Make the Criminal Justice System Work Better: Colorado must take meaningful steps to eliminate racial and economic disparities in the criminal justice system. Michael will lead efforts to create a system that is fair, equitable, and protects community safety by:
   • Requiring Equity and Transparency Before Trial: Michael believes in a justice system where no one is held in jail simply because they cannot afford bail. He will work with District Attorneys, public defenders, criminal justice reform advocates, and the judiciary across Colorado to improve pretrial data collection so judges have what they need to make informed decisions about bail and supervision. Michael supports strengthening pretrial services and publishing clear statewide performance data that allows communities to see how pretrial systems are working, who is benefitting from alternative enforcement, and who is most likely to serve time in jail before being convicted of a crime.
   • Investing in Effective Case Resolution: Michael will protect and expand resources for detectives, analysts, and prosecutors focused on the most serious crimes. He will work with local law enforcement to modernize case management so evidence moves faster, including timely lab turnaround, digital evidence support, regional investigative capacity for smaller agencies, and training that improves clearance rates for the crimes that most threaten public safety. Michael will also work with District Attorneys to ensure that our systems for collection and maintenance of digital evidence are sufficient to ensure a fair and equitable judicial system.
   • Prioritize Oversight of Forensic Science: Michael will build on the work started in 2025 to require accountability by the dozens of public and private entities that generate forensic evidence for Colorado Courts. He will work with the Colorado Bureau of Investigation, local judicial districts, and the attorney general to  set and enforce a Colorado Forensic Science Code of Practice that requires minimum standards for treatment of evidence at the state level.
4. Prioritize Investment in Prevention. Early intervention can redirect at-risk individuals before they ever enter the justice system. These approaches not only reduce crime but also strengthen communities by creating environments where people feel supported, connected, and invested in their future. Michael will:
   • Support Common Sense Gun Laws: Colorado has grieved one incident of senseless gun violence after another for almost three decades. Common sense gun safety laws should keep weapons of war out of the hands of the wrong people, combat gun violence in our communities, and protect children across Colorado while respecting responsible gun owners. Michael supports common sense gun safety measures like red flag laws, measures to keep weapons of war off the street, banning rapid fire devices, and background checks on gun sales and transfers.
   • Reduce recidivism through access to education: Colorado spends almost $70,000 per year to incarcerate a single individual, while workforce-linked reentry programs cost roughly $3,000 per participant. Expanding education, career and technical training, and apprenticeship opportunities ensures that more people leave custody with credentials, real work experience, and a clear path to employment–supporting successful reentry while making sound financial sense. Michael will strengthen job placement partnerships and provide structured support during the critical transition back into the community, when the risk of reoffending is highest.
   • Help all families access opportunity: Today, more than 800,000 Colorado kids are falling behind on critical milestones like kindergarten readiness, third-grade literacy, and early employment that shape their future opportunities and earning potential. Across the state, local leaders from government, business, and philanthropy are joining forces to design community-driven strategies that help kids overcome barriers to success, including extra academic support, reliable transportation, stable housing, and access to meaningful jobs and career pathways. Michael will champion and expand these efforts to foster opportunity across the state by aligning state funding, partnerships, and administrative leadership to strengthen what is working locally and scale it.