Denver Police are making some changes to the way the department handles bias-motivated crimes. The policies cover crimes motivated by race, sexual orientation, ancestry, religion or disability. Denver Police Chief Paul Pazen says they want to do everything the department can to prevent bias-motivated crimes. A new police unit, with specialized training, will investigate reports of these types of crimes in Denver. The new unit has one sergeant and two detectives.
In 2018, 62 cases were reported to the Denver Police Department that had a bias-motivated component. DPD recognizes that BMC may have a direct and negative impact on not only those who were targeted, but other individuals who identify with the victim or group, and the entire community.