Rocky Mountain Voice

Tag: Public safety

‘No Kings’ backlash: Trump deploys ICE to sanctuary strongholds
Fox31, National

‘No Kings’ backlash: Trump deploys ICE to sanctuary strongholds

By Heather Willard | Fox31 DENVER (KDVR) — Denver was once again in President Donald Trump’s sights as he directed federal immigration officers to prioritize deportations from Democratic-run cities following large-scale protests across the U.S. Trump, in a social media post, called on U.S Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials “to do all in their power to achieve the very important goal of delivering the single largest Mass Deportation Program in History.” The president said that ICE officers are harassed and threatened by “Radical Democrat Politicians,” and directed ICE agents to “detain and deport” undocumented immigrants in America’s largest cities, including Los Angeles, Chicago and New York City. Denver has been included among the so-called “sanctuary ci...
Marines confront civilian in LA during DHS deployment—Northern Command backs authority
National, The Western Journal

Marines confront civilian in LA during DHS deployment—Northern Command backs authority

By Joe Saunders | Western Journal Marines on duty guarding a federal facility in Los Angeles on Friday briefly detained a man who later said he’d tried to go under a yellow boundary tape and was asked to halt, according to news reports. While the man apparently posed no threat and was later released, according to Reuters, the incident did prompt the arm of the Defense Department in charge of security for the continental United States to confirm the Marines were acting under appropriate legal authority in the first known detention related to their Los Angeles deployment. Active duty forces “may temporarily detain an individual in specific circumstances,” a spokesperson for U.S Northern Command told Reuters. A video of the incident from Reuters is below: https://twitter....
Justice on hold: Lawmakers race to fix Colorado’s rape kit backlog
Top Stories, Rocky Mountain Voice, State

Justice on hold: Lawmakers race to fix Colorado’s rape kit backlog

By Shaina Cole | Contributing Writer, Rocky Mountain Voice A backlog of 1,369 untested sexual assault kits at the Colorado Bureau of Investigation delays justice and drives significant costs, per a June 2025 report from the Common Sense Institute. Authored by former Denver DA Mitch Morrissey and Senior Analyst Erik Gamm, the report estimates clearing this backlog could prevent 1,481 crimes—including 1,030 sexual assaults—and save Colorado $234.7 million.  The Yvonne “Missy” Woods scandal, involving manipulated DNA in over a thousand cases since 2014, worsened this crisis, exposing gaps in CBI’s processes.  Two bills, HB25-1275 and SB25-304, address these issues, as Rep. Matt Soper (R-Delta), co-sponsor of HB25-1275, detailed in a Rocky Mountain Voice interview. The Wo...
Summit County Sheriff sues over denied funding, says commission broke staffing deal
Approved, kdvr.com, Local

Summit County Sheriff sues over denied funding, says commission broke staffing deal

By Heather Willard | Fox31 DENVER (KDVR) — Summit County Sheriff Jaime FitzSimons is suing the Summit County Board of County Commissioners after it filed a resolution that the sheriff says retroactively denies funding for staffing expenses. The sheriff said that the board had denied a supplemental budget and appropriation of $1.26 million for the sheriff’s office’s 2024 staffing expenses. The wages had been earned by staff, approved by the county manager and finance director, and paid through standard payroll, according to FitzSimons. “This legal action is necessary to protect my ability to fulfill the statutory responsibilities entrusted to me by the people of Summit County,” said Sheriff FitzSimons. “I remain hopeful these issues can be resolved amicably. As a three-te...
‘No Kings’ protest defies Parker officials, will proceed despite security concerns
Approved, kdvr.com, Local

‘No Kings’ protest defies Parker officials, will proceed despite security concerns

By Maddie Rhodes | Fox31 DENVER (KDVR) — After the town of Parker tried to cancel a “No Kings” protest due to the Parker Days Festival on Saturday, the event is taking place anyway. On Saturday, June 14, a group known as “No Kings” is planning a “nationwide day of defiance” against the Trump administration on President Donald Trump’s birthday. The group said during Trump’s birthday festivities, they’re planning on showing up around the country to say “no thrones, no crowns, no kings.” Protests will be held in Colorado and all over the country, including Parker, even after the town of Parker said it had to be canceled due to a scheduling conflict. The town said the Parker Days Festival, which is hosted by the Parker Chamber of Commerce, is a permitted event that takes place...
Graffiti, assaults and street blockades: Denver ‘ICE Out’ protest leads to 17 arrests
Approved, DENVER7, Local

Graffiti, assaults and street blockades: Denver ‘ICE Out’ protest leads to 17 arrests

By Allie Jennerjahn | Denver7 DENVER — 17 people were arrested during protests in Denver Tuesday. "I want to be present and stand up to what I think is really wrong," Bonnie Lloyd from Broomfield said. Crowds gathered to protest against federal immigration enforcement and ICE raids, joining protests across the country — namely Los Angeles — to call for an end to detentions and deportations. "I'm doing my part as an American citizen and someone who loves our country to do what I can," Ellen Keckler from Conifer said. Denver police released the number of arrests and what they were for: Graffiti (3) Interference with Police Authority (1) Unlawful Throwing of Projectiles, Failure to Obey a Lawful Order (1) Obstruction of Streets, Failure to Obey a Lawful Order (7) ...
Released and reloaded: Montrose bond records show cracks feeding Colorado’s criminal underworld
Approved, Local, Rocky Mountain Voice, Top Stories

Released and reloaded: Montrose bond records show cracks feeding Colorado’s criminal underworld

By Jen Schumann | Rocky Mountain Voice When a Montrose County woman was released on a $0 personal recognizance bond after skipping court in late 2023, it wasn’t her first time facing charges. It wouldn’t be her last either. Within nine months, she was arrested again – this time for second degree assault, harassment and criminal attempt. Her story is not an outlier. It is a warning. “There’s a revolving door with criminals or serious crime,” said Montrose County Sheriff Gene Lillard in a recent interview with RMV. “Last month we picked up one person five times – they were released on PR bond. There’s no consequences.” To illustrate how Colorado laws are contributing to rising crime and lawlessness, Sheriff Lillard prepared and shared a document showing just one small snapshot in ti...
Garbo: Sanctuary policies led to chaos—and now they’re blaming ICE
Approved, Commentary, National, Rocky Mountain Voice, Top Stories

Garbo: Sanctuary policies led to chaos—and now they’re blaming ICE

By C. J. Garbo | Guest Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice The chaos unfolding in Los Angeles isn’t just disturbing, it’s the natural result of years of political cowardice and ideological extremism. The riots erupting in response to ICE’s lawful enforcement of deportation orders are not acts of civil disobedience. They are acts of defiance against the rule of law itself. And the blame lies squarely at the feet of Democratic leadership in California, who declared Los Angeles a “sanctuary city,” emboldening illegal activity while abandoning their sworn duty to protect American citizens. Let’s be clear: no elected official has the right to nullify federal law to score political points. Yet that’s exactly what California’s leadership has done - undermining immigration enforcement, encourag...
Activists protest deportations at Aurora ICE facility
Approved, kdvr.com, Local

Activists protest deportations at Aurora ICE facility

By Vicente Arenas | Fox31 AURORA, Colo. (KDVR) — A group of people marched late Monday to the GEO Group’s contract holding facility in Aurora, contracted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, to show their solidarity with ICE protests in Los Angeles.  Several groups called for people to gather for what they called an emergency march and protest. The organizations made their way to the GEO ICE facility, a little less than a mile from the march’s starting point. That’s where they held a vigil for immigrants who have been detained, including activist Jeanette Vizguerra. Several different Colorado organizations say they want to call attention to the immigrants being detained in Los Angeles. Araseli, an Aurora resident, said her husband is detained in th...
‘It’s not safe’: Lakewood residents push back on Denver’s growing homeless spillover
Approved, denvergazette.com, Local

‘It’s not safe’: Lakewood residents push back on Denver’s growing homeless spillover

By Sage Kelley | Denver Gazette Rising homelessness in Lakewood sparks concern over lack of resources and public safety risks. Timothy Harris stood a block away from West Colfax Avenue in Lakewood, his items methodically packed in a cart, a tent propped up beside him.  Harris, who is homeless but originally from Mesa County, has lived in Lakewood after being in Denver for years. To him, Lakewood offers more safety and accessible open space. "Downtown Denver is kind of scary. It's a little intimidating," Harris said. "There are shootings and crime. But, back home, people freeze or get attacked by animals. There's a difference in death, but it weighs out the same." Chanel Lewis, a homeless woman who has been in the Denver metro area since 2002 and now lives in Lakewood, a...