Denver’s latest executive public safety director, Al Gardner, doesn’t come from a law enforcement background like his predecessor, but he’s familiar with working deep inside the bureaucratic machine.
The big picture: After two years as General Services director, Gardner’s new role calls for improving how police, fire, sheriffs, 911 and Community Corrections operate.
- Denver City Council confirmed his appointment last month after Mayor Mike Johnston’s nomination in August. In his last job, Gardner oversaw maintenance and contracting for more than 40 city agencies.
Why it matters: Gardner will be central to advancing Johnston’s public safety strategy next year, particularly his push to crack down on quality-of-life crimes, a priority recent polling shows many residents want addressed.
State of play: Among Gardner’s first moves will be creating a three-year safety plan, something he tells Axios the city hasn’t had before.
- It will be a “road map” to forecast future costs — critical for what’s anticipated to be another rocky economic year — and the viability of technology, such as artificial intelligence, for law enforcement.
- Gardner is also interested in whether police can successfully use drones as first responders and how resident data from license plate readers is protected.
- The three-year safety plan is expected to be completed late next year.
Between the lines: He declined to say whether he backs the Denver Police Department’s controversial effort to overhaul its disciplinary process with a system replacing fines and reprimands with training…