Englewood council member urges review of post‑certification standards for officers after civil awards; chief discusses legal distinctions

Council member Steve Ward told state leaders that recent cases suggest Colorado’s post‑certification rules for law enforcement may push claims into settlement rather than allowing juries to determine whether an officer should lose certification.

Ward said the current rules can create pressure to settle civil claims because the threat of losing post‑certification can accompany a jury award; he suggested exploring whether a jury should be the finder of fact on whether revocation is warranted. “I think there's some room there for some change,” Ward said, framing the concern as a desire to allow cities to enforce standards while avoiding punitive outcomes for mistakes that do not rise to criminal conduct.

Chief David Jackson, Englewood Police Department, responded that he believed excessive force claims can put an officer’s post‑certification at risk but noted he is new to the role and to the state. He and Ward agreed they need to take the discussion offline and provide specific incidents or examples for review. Jeff, chair of the Joint Budget Committee, said he was open to reviewing proposals but emphasized that law enforcement must operate within and follow the law.

Why it matters: Changes to post‑certification rules affect officer accountability, municipal liability and the way local governments handle civil claims and personnel decisions. Council members said they would provide concrete examples to the state legislator to inform possible statutory changes.

Next steps: Ward and Jackson agreed to follow up with details for Jeff and legislative staff so possible refinements to the certification statute or administrative processes can be evaluated.