Rocky Mountain Voice

Tag: Law Enforcement

The Denver Gazette, Approved, Local

Fentanyl Fuels Deadly Year in Denver Despite Major Drug Seizures

By Michael Braithwaite | The Denver Gazette Bundles of fentanyl pills seized by the Rocky Mountain Field Division of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration during an October operation that resulted in over 1 million seized pills. (Courtesy, DEA RMFD)      Fatal fentanyl overdoses in Denver rose by nearly 25% in 2025 to the second-highest total in the past half decade, according to preliminary data from the Denver Department of Public Health and Environment. Within the city, 346 people died last year from fatal fentanyl doses, up from 277 the year before, which is second to only 2023 in the number of fatal fentanyl overdoses this decade, according to the data. The trend matched that of overall drug overdoses in the city, which rose from 4...
New Colorado Nonprofit Targets Judges and DAs Accused of Being Soft on Crime
Complete Colorado, Approved, State

New Colorado Nonprofit Targets Judges and DAs Accused of Being Soft on Crime

By Sherrie Peif | Complete Colorado DENVER — Two elected officials representing a hefty swath of the Front Range are teaming up with a Colorado radio host because they say they have had enough of rogue judges releasing violent criminals onto the streets, only to repeat offend. Their desire to change that trajectory led them to form a new non-profit educational group aimed at shining a light on those they believe need to move on from the bench. Conservative talk show host Jeff Hunt, State Rep. Dan Woog (R-Frederick), and 4th Congressional District CU Regent Frank McNulty (R-Highlands Ranch), have joined forces to form Law and Order Action, which they say is “dedicated to holding pro-crime judges, district attorneys and lawmakers accountable.” Woog’s legislat...
Colorado Homeland Security Probes AI-Generated Hoax Threats To Schools
CBS Colorado, Approved, State

Colorado Homeland Security Probes AI-Generated Hoax Threats To Schools

By Jennifer McRae | CBS Colorado The Colorado Division of Homeland Security investigated threats at nearly a dozen schools across Colorado on Wednesday. According to investigators, at least 11 schools received threats by phone and email, including schools in the Douglas County School District, Littleton Public Schools, Frisco, Alamosa, and Buena Vista. READ THE FULL ARTICLE AT CBS COLORADO
Police Arrest Aurora Man in Massive Denver Construction Site Arson
CBS Colorado, Approved, Local

Police Arrest Aurora Man in Massive Denver Construction Site Arson

By Jesse Sarles | CBS Colorado An arrest has been made in connection with the five-alarm fire at a Denver construction site earlier this month, according to the Denver Fire Department. It was the largest fire in Colorado's capital city in decades, covering an area roughly the size of four football fields.  Tony BercerraAurora Police Investigators allegedly found that 37-year-old Tony Bercerra was caught on surveillance images entering and leaving the scene off Leetsdale Drive and Forest Street before the Harker Heights complex caught fire on Jan. 2. He will face arson charges. READ THE FULL ARTICLE AT CBS COLORADO
Adams County Expands Fight Against Human Trafficking With Specialized Detectives
kdvr.com, Approved, Local

Adams County Expands Fight Against Human Trafficking With Specialized Detectives

By Vicente Arenas | KDVR FOX31 COMMERCE CITY, Colo. (KDVR) — The Adams County Sheriff’s Office says it has a new tool go after human traffickers and help save victims. The sheriff’s office has launched a new Human Trafficking Unit inside its Detective Division. That division will target prostitution, exploitation and human trafficking across unincorporated Adams County. Sheriff officials said the unit will bring focused enforcement, victim advocacy and interagency collaboration to combat exploitation, which includes both adults and children. READ THE FULL ARTICLE AT KDVR FOX31
Trump Moves to Cut Federal Funds to Sanctuary Cities Starting Feb. 1
Fox News, Approved, National

Trump Moves to Cut Federal Funds to Sanctuary Cities Starting Feb. 1

By Emma Bussey | Fox News Move targets jurisdictions that refuse to cooperate with federal immigration enforcement. President Donald Trump said his administration will cease federal payments to sanctuary cities and states with sanctuary policies starting Feb. 1, while citing jurisdictions that protect criminals and fuel fraud and crime. Speaking at the Detroit Economic Club, Trump said the move was aimed at cities and states that refuse to cooperate with federal immigration enforcement and in the administration's bid to stamp out fraud. "Starting Feb. 1, we’re not making any payments to sanctuary cities or states having sanctuary cities because they do everything possible to protect criminals at the expense of American citizens," Trump said. "...
Aurora council immigration resolution sparks warnings from police chief, draws resident response
Rocky Mountain Voice, Local, Top Stories

Aurora council immigration resolution sparks warnings from police chief, draws resident response

By Shaina Cole | Contributing Writer, Rocky Mountain Voice Aurora City Council took up immigration enforcement Monday night and approved a resolution criticizing federal actions it described as unlawful and overreaching. The item arrived late on the agenda. It did not immediately change city policy. But it didn’t fade into the background, either. Council members pointed to several incidents they said shaped the decision. One involved the death of a Colorado woman during an Immigration and Customs Enforcement operation in Minnesota. Others cited included reported illness concerns at the GEO ICE detention facility in Aurora and a recent arrest involving a parent and child. In the resolution’s language, council members said both U.S. citizens and immigrants...
Summit County Sheriff Cuts 13 Positions After Commissioners Slash Budget
DENVER7, Approved, Local

Summit County Sheriff Cuts 13 Positions After Commissioners Slash Budget

By: Robert Garrison | Denver7 SUMMIT COUNTY, Colo. — Summit County’s newly adopted 2026 budget has resulted in 13 Sheriff’s Office positions being eliminated, Summit County Sheriff Jaime FitzSimons announced Monday. FitzSimons emphasized, “No frontline detention, patrol, or supervisory positions were cut.” However, as of Friday following the final budget adoption for 2026, the following positions were eliminated to meet budgetary constraints: READ THE FULL ARTICLE AT DENVER7
El Paso County District Attorney Michael Allen Announces Run for Colorado Attorney General
Rocky Mountain Voice, State, Top Stories

El Paso County District Attorney Michael Allen Announces Run for Colorado Attorney General

By Shaina Cole | Contributing Writer, Rocky Mountain Voice District Attorney of El Paso County Michael J. Allen has declared his intention to run for attorney general in Colorado. Allen served in the Navy and is in his second term as district attorney for Colorado’s Fourth Judicial District. His announcement comes as the state grapples with rising auto theft, higher insurance costs, and continued overdose deaths.Allen framed the decision as a gradual one. Allen framed the decision as a gradual one. “It was a long time coming to make the decision,” Allen said. “I’ve had people reaching out to me really starting January of 2025 — both statewide, local folks, and then even national folks — trying to talk me into running.” For Allen, the question was not simp...
DEA Chief Says Cartels View Colorado as Safe Haven for Drug Trafficking
Colorado Politics, Approved, State

DEA Chief Says Cartels View Colorado as Safe Haven for Drug Trafficking

By The Denver Gazette | Colorado politics Colorado’s “sanctuary” laws, notably its prohibition against cooperating with federal authorities, are having a “chilling effect” on law enforcement’s ability to go after drug cartels operating in the state, an official of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency said. That situation sits atop Colorado’s “pervasive drug culture stemming back to the marijuana initiation,” said David Olesky, the special agent in charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Rocky Mountain Field Division. That “drug culture” is sustained by how Colorado and its political subdivisions treat criminality, he said, adding he is not making a “political” statement — just describing the challenges his agents face on the ground. Of particular worry...