“We are at a critical juncture in policing, where agencies should be taking steps to show what happened in significant events that occur between police and community members. It is vitally important that we inform the public about the facts of an event by being transparent in the release of evidentiary video whenever legally possible. I am proud of the work members of the Colorado Springs Police Department have put into establishing our Significant Event Briefing Video process. I strongly believe it is what is expected by the community and our own officers, as conversations regarding law enforcement actions must be based on the facts of a specific situation. Facts of an event do not change, and talking about them with our community and our officers will improve everyone’s ability to have honest conversations about what policing looks like in Colorado Springs, now and in the future” stated Colorado Springs Police Chief Adrian Vasquez.
The Colorado Springs Police Department (CSPD) is announcing a new process to increase transparency with our community by releasing Significant Event Briefing Videos. This process went into effect February 1, 2023, after 8 months of research, meeting with professional partners, and reviewing what other agencies are doing both in Colorado and around the nation. This initiative is the direct result of the Transparency Matters project CSPD commissioned. The recommendations from the Transparency Matters project are publicly available on our website.
We believe CSPD is the first law enforcement agency in the State of Colorado to have a procedure that establishes the consistent release of a video which will provide the community with a thorough explanation of the facts regarding a Significant Event. A Significant Event is defined in our policy, which is publicly available, as:
- Any officer-involved shooting where CSPD personnel fired a weapon in the performance of their duties, not including non-injury unintentional discharges or shootings of animals;
- Any use of force event that necessitates the response of the Deadly Force Investigation Team; or
- Any other police encounter deemed appropriate by the Chief of Police.
CSPD will release a video to the public within 21 days of a Significant Event, while ensuring we are compliant with existing Colorado state laws that set parameters on how law enforcement agencies provide information on serious incidents. There are also legal restrictions, such as a court order, that could prevent the release of the video.
We hope that in most Significant Events, the 21-day time frame will enable us to share information with the community while respecting the ongoing legal processes. The video can include 911 call audio, body-worn camera footage, and evidentiary photographs to help explain the circumstances of the significant event.
This is part of CSPD’s ongoing commitment to transparency with the community in our most serious interactions with citizens. Once completed, a news release will be sent out notifying the media and the community that a video has been publicly posted on our Cases of Interest web page.