16-Year Police Vet Leaving CO For ‘Palm Trees And Less Communism’ After State Crackdown On Policing
A police officer in Aurora, Colorado, announced his departure from the force in a department-wide email ripping the state and media over the “war on police.”
Daniel Bertelson, who has served as an Aurora police officer for 16 years, announced his retirement earlier this month. He is expected to officially leave the Aurora Police Department on June 1, according to CBS Denver.
“I am leaving Colorado for palm trees and less communism,” Bertelson wrote in the email sent to all of his colleagues. “Try to ignore the politicians and media. They know nothing of this profession or honor; they’re self-serving con artists, well-dressed pimps and prostitutes at best.”
“As the war against police rages on in an environment where you can literally do no right, I pray for the safety, success and happiness of each of you,” he added. “Never forget, you are all capable of incredible things in and out of law enforcement, never lose faith in yourself.”
Crime in Aurora spiked last year amid the COVID-19 pandemic and efforts to roll back police protections. Citizens in Aurora have pleaded with city officials to act to curb the violence that has stricken the city. As The Daily Wire reported in October:
Major violent crimes in Aurora have surged 24.4% in the first nine months of 2020 compared to the same span of time last year, according to CBS4. That statistic may obscure the impact of violent crime on the community as crime plummeted after a government-mandated lockdown went into place over the coronavirus pandemic, a local police union said.
“Crime across the board is going up. We’re having a lot of problems,” Aurora City Councilman Dave Gruber said. “Aurora is open to [criminals]. … Aurora is a low-risk area and that’s a message we need to fix and we need to stop that.”
From the first nine months of 2019 to the first nine months of 2020, murders are up 72%, armed assaults are up 34.3%, and robberies were up 31%, according to an analysis of crime statistics by CBS4. At the same time, physical arrests, or arrests made without a warrant, have plummeted 44.6% since 2019.
In an effort to create more police accountability, state lawmakers have rolled back protections for police while barring them from using certain techniques such as choke holds. In legislation signed into law last year, Colorado gave city officials the option of removing a police officer’s qualified immunity protections if city officials believe the officer acted in bad faith or knowingly violated the law or procedure during an interaction.
Other communities in Colorado have noticed increased turnover in their forces, as well, as frustrated officers leave the force.
“This has been one of the most challenging years in my career,” Arvada Police Detective Dave Snelling, a 30-year veteran of the police force, said last year. “[COVID-19 and national movements] just added a lot of stress to an already stressful job.”
“For our police department we had more of a turnover,” Snelling added. “There are other agencies where officers have left the profession.”
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