Rocky Mountain Voice

Tag: Public safety

Colorado: Where Criminals Come to Stay and Play
Rocky Mountain Voice, Commentary, State, Top Stories

Colorado: Where Criminals Come to Stay and Play

By Mike O’Donnell | Guest Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice The FBI recently released detailed data on more than 14 million criminal offenses from calendar year 2024, reported to the Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program by participating law enforcement agencies. More than 16,000 state, county, city, university, college, and tribal agencies, covering around 95.6% of the population of the United States, submitted data to the UCR Program through the National Incident-Based Reporting System and the Summary Reporting System. By overlaying Census Bureau population estimates on the FBI data for individual states and territories, a curious party (like yours truly) can see how many violent or property crimes occur per 100,000 people—and thus see how crime rates vary between states. Because th...
Police Union Slams Chicago for Refusing to Help ICE, Calls It ‘Violation of Duty’
Fox News, Approved, National

Police Union Slams Chicago for Refusing to Help ICE, Calls It ‘Violation of Duty’

By Greg Wehner | Fox News National Fraternal Order of Police condemns reports officers were told not to assist surrounded agents The nation’s largest police union condemned reports that Chicago officers were told not to help ICE agents surrounded by protesters, calling it "shocking" and a violation of law enforcement’s duty to protect fellow officers in danger. Presidents of the National Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) and Illinois State FOP expressed shock at reports that Chicago's chief of patrol directed officers not to assist U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents as they were surrounded by protesters on Saturday. "Details are still emerging, but it appears that officers from the Chicago Police Department were ordered not to assist a group of I...
Apple pulls ICE tracking apps after DOJ raises officer safety concerns
Just The News, Approved, Commentary, National

Apple pulls ICE tracking apps after DOJ raises officer safety concerns

By Misty Severi | Just the News Attorney General Pam Bondi and her Justice Department raised the concern about the safety of ICE agents to Apple earlier Thursday and asked the company to remove the ICEBlock app, which uses crowdsourcing to report ICE movements. Apple confirmed Thursday that it has removed multiple Immigration and Customs Enforcement tracking apps from its app store over concern about the safety of ICE agents amid an increase in violent attacks on ICE officers. The removal comes shortly after the suspect in a shooting at a Dallas ICE facility last month allegedly researched the app before the Sept. 24 shooting. The suspect, who allegedly intended to target ICE agents, killed two detainees. Attorney General Pam Bondi said the Justice Department raised the co...
Teen survivor of Evergreen High shooting finally returns home after weeks in hospital
CBS News, Approved, Commentary, Local

Teen survivor of Evergreen High shooting finally returns home after weeks in hospital

By Jesse Sarles | CBS News Children's Hospital Colorado says one of the teens who was being cared for at their hospital and was seriously injured in the shooting last month at Evergreen High School has returned home. Doctors released the 14-year-old from the hospital on Tuesday. For privacy reasons, the teenager's family is choosing to keep his identity anonymous. A student shot and injured two people at the school in Colorado's foothills on Sept. 10. That shooter later died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Last Thursday, the family of the teen released a statement saying he has undergone several surgeries and has a "long and difficult journey of recovery" ahead. They said their son was shot "at close range" while he was confronting the gunman with anoth...
Lawmakers Face Public Backlash After Violent Suspect Freed Under New Incompetency Law
Colorado Politics, Approved, Local

Lawmakers Face Public Backlash After Violent Suspect Freed Under New Incompetency Law

By Marissa Ventrelli | Colorado Politics A high-profile case out of Weld County involving an attempted murder has renewed debate about the state’s competency laws and public safety. The case arose from an incident last spring, in which a group of men led by 21-year-old Debisa Ephraim allegedly attacked a man and his friends in downtown Greeley. After Ephraim was found incompetent to stand trial, his charges, which included attempted murder, were dropped, and he was released from the Weld County Jail earlier this month. The office of Weld County Sheriff Steve Reams posted a video of the Greeley attack on X, saying Ephraim had been released under a 2024 law that, he said, required individuals declared incompetent and unlikely to be restored to be released from jail. “The state le...
Residents report safer passage as Lakewood tunnel is cleaned and police increase patrols
Fox31, Approved, Local

Residents report safer passage as Lakewood tunnel is cleaned and police increase patrols

by: Hanna Powers | Fox31 LAKEWOOD, Colo. (KDVR) — A pedestrian tunnel along Wadsworth Boulevard that neighbors recently called unsafe looks markedly different less than 24 hours after FOX31’s initial report aired Monday night. By Tuesday afternoon, construction crews had painted over graffiti, cleared trash and moved along people who had been loitering, and Lakewood police officers were on site patrolling and confiscating contraband, according to observations by FOX31 at the scene. Residents say the change is obvious. “I just feel more calm here now than … two days ago,” one commuter told FOX31 on Wednesday. “Two days [ago] I rode the bus later around 5 or 6, and I did see some of that. But at this time, I am not seeing that.” Earlier this week, neighbors described the ...
Grieving Dad Tells Congress Why America Must Stop Releasing Repeat Offenders
The Daily Signal, Approved, Commentary, National

Grieving Dad Tells Congress Why America Must Stop Releasing Repeat Offenders

By Jarrett Stepman | Commentary, The Daily Signal “I will fight until my last breath for my daughter. You need to fight for the rest of our children, the rest of the innocents, and stop protecting the people that keep taking them from us, please.” Those were the words of Stephen Federico, the father of a 22-year-old woman who was allegedly killed by a man who had faced 40 criminal charges in the years before her murder. He gave his impassioned testimony about the need for keeping more criminals behind bars at a House Judiciary Committee hearing on Monday. Federico’s heartbreaking testimony vividly highlighted one of the clearest reasons America’s Democrat-run cities face a serious crime problem: repeat offenders end up back out on the streets after being given countless chances by...
The dangerous gentleman enters the race: Victor Marx launches gubernatorial bid
Rocky Mountain Voice, State, Top Stories

The dangerous gentleman enters the race: Victor Marx launches gubernatorial bid

By Jen Schumann | Rocky Mountain Voice The crowd inside Phil Long Music Hall stood and cheered as Victor Marx made it official. On Oct. 1, the Marine veteran and founder of All Things Possible Ministries announced his run for Colorado governor, joined by local pastors, veterans and elected officials—backing his call to restore justice and public safety. Supporters throughout the night echoed a recurring phrase—“dangerous gentleman”—a term used to describe Marx’s combination of restraint, conviction and action. Platform rooted in personal experience A survivor of childhood abuse and a Marine Corps veteran, Marx has spent the last two decades leading international rescue missions through his nonprofit. “I’ve spent my life fighting battles most politicians wouldn’t dare face,” he ...
Can Colorado local or state governments be held liable for car damage from potholes?
The Colorado Sun, Approved, State

Can Colorado local or state governments be held liable for car damage from potholes?

BY TYLER HICKMAN | THE COLORADO SUN A road crew can repair a pothole in 30 minutes or less, at the cost of about $60 per square yard, officials say Yes. Colorado local and state governments can be forced to pay for car damage resulting from dangerous road conditions, including potholes. Anyone whose vehicle is damaged by a pothole on a public road can file a claim with the state, county or city that manages the property. Public entities can only be held responsible if they were previously notified of the pothole and had the resources for repairs and sufficient time to fix it, but didn’t.  After damage occurs, drivers have 182 days to file a claim, though it’s rare for claimants to be paid out. A 2024 news report revealed that of 1,300 pothole damage claims filed with th...
Situational Outrage: How Democrats Normalize Political Violence
American Thinker, Approved, Commentary, National

Situational Outrage: How Democrats Normalize Political Violence

By Brian C. Joondeph | Commentary, American Thinker Two recent House votes reveal a troubling trend about the current stance of one of America’s major political parties. In June, following the assassination of Minnesota legislator Melissa Hortman, a Democrat, the House acted swiftly and unanimously to condemn political violence. The vote was clear and bipartisan, with every member present indicating that killing a public official is beyond partisan bounds. Weeks later, after the assassination of Charlie Kirk, a resolution to condemn his murder and reject political violence split the House. Leadership urged support, but many Democrats voted no, abstained, or stayed away. Progressive leaders used the moment to disparage Kirk’s life and work. The split was so sharp that House cons...