We believe that enhanced transparency and information sharing is in accordance with our new Reimagine Policing plan that was unanimously approved by City Council in September 2023. One of the key goals of this plan is to enhance trust with our community through better transparency and accountability. To that end, we will post video summaries about high profile and critical incidents here and on our social media. Critical incidents include “any occasion where a police officer uses force that results in serious bodily injury or death.” New technology, including body-worn cameras and cameras in patrol cars, gives the police department a unique opportunity to allow our community to see what happened during a particular incident for themselves. Our goal is to enhance our timely, transparent and effective communication with the Boulder community about these high- profile incidents.
It’s important for our community to understand that when some critical incidents occur, outside agencies beyond the Boulder Police Department become involved. Sometimes, because of the work being done by the Boulder County Critical Incident Team or the District Attorney’s Office, we won’t be able to release details about a critical incident as quickly as the public might like. Our desire to be transparent is equal to our desire not to compromise or jeopardize the integrity of an ongoing investigation or any potential prosecution. There may also be instances when staffing limitations could result in additional delays in posting video summaries here.
Though video footage is important, no camera will ever capture all aspects of a critical incident.
We also believe it’s important to give context when watching a critical incident summary so that everyone understands what they are seeing. This is why some video summaries could include pauses for explanations or narration.
Community members who wish to obtain the raw video footage may contact our Records Department and make a request under state records laws. Please know that these laws may require further redaction of this footage, and requestors may be asked to pay reasonable fees associated with that work.