All Coloradans deserve to be safe and have faith that their schools, neighborhoods, businesses, and public spaces are protected. To achieve this, we need commonsense laws in place and the right people – in law enforcement and beyond – who are trained and skilled to do their jobs well and keep our communities safe.

Tragically, too many Coloradans know the pain of gun violence. As Attorney General, Phil has regularly championed responsible gun legislation at the Capitol, including Colorado’s “red flag” law, requiring safe storage of guns, closing a loophole that allows boyfriends who abuse their partners to keep their firearms, banning ghost guns, and more. Moreover, Phil has defended these laws in court time and time again when they were challenged by the gun lobby.

As Attorney General, Phil has taken a data-driven approach to strengthening Colorado’s gun safety laws and their implementation. To that end, his office published an early evaluation of Colorado’s Extreme Risk Protection Order (ERPO) law and secured a federal grant to expand training for law enforcement and educators on how to use such protection orders to prevent violence. The office has also partnered with researchers to identify gaps and inform improvements to the law, including the work of the Domestic Violence Fatality Review Board. That Board, which Phil chairs, has worked to reduce domestic violence deaths by improving firearm relinquishment and victim safety. He has also worked with partners statewide to promote safe firearm storage and other evidence-based approaches to reduce gun violence.

As Governor, one of Phil’s top public safety priorities will be to deliver a comprehensive public safety – and gun violence prevention – strategy built on three pillars: (1) smart prevention efforts and commonsense laws; (2) strong support of law enforcement; and (3) community partnerships that address the root causes of crime.

Smart prevention efforts and commonsense laws: In Colorado, we must do more to stop crimes from taking place. As Governor, Phil will:

• Sign responsible gun safety legislation that will save lives;
• Empower the Colorado Office of Gun Violence Prevention to do far more to lead statewide education, prevention, and school safety initiatives that protect kids and save lives;
• Invest in co-responder programs, medication addiction treatment in jails and prisons, and other efforts that save lives, reduce recidivism, and make communities safer;
• Stand up a statewide Office of Safe Communities and establish a coordinated body to provide justice and safety data and recommendations that make our criminal laws fair, effective, and just; and
• Sign the next S.B. 25-086 to require greater transparency, accountability, and parental protections from social media companies when it comes to the sale of drugs and guns online.

Support law enforcement and community safety: Colorado’s law enforcement agencies are critical in keeping our state safe. As Governor, Phill will:

• Push policies to recruit and retain law enforcement officers, including providing critical mental health support and opportunities to buy homes in the communities they live in;
• Create avenues for high school, community college, and college students to serve in law enforcement and other public service roles; and
• Invest more resources into law enforcement and continue work to redesign police training to emphasize de-escalation, community engagement, and safer outcomes.

Build strong community partnerships: Building community partnerships and positive relationships also can help keep our communities safe – from gun violence and other crimes. As Governor, Phil will:

• Address the root causes of youth violence before they escalate into lifelong cycles of incarceration or trauma;
• Stand firm against hate crimes and ensure necessary safety investments to protect places of worship, community centers, and other at-risk locations;
• Make family safety a core priority by strengthening the systems that protect domestic violence victims and hold abusers accountable;
• Expand and fund Family Justice Centers so that every region of the state has a one-stop hub where domestic violence survivors can access safety planning, law enforcement, legal help, counseling, housing, and child support services under one roof; and
• Expand education, skills training, and entrepreneurship programs inside correctional facilities and continue them through reentry to reduce the rate at which Coloradans leaving prison end up back in prison.