DENVER– Today, Senate Bill 22-145, the Community Safety Investment Act, passed unanimously on third readings in the Senate. The bill is a bipartisan collaboration between Senator John Cooke (R – Greeley) and Senator Janet Buckner (D – Aurora).

The bill will create three grant programs in the Department of Public Safety that are aimed at prioritizing public safety and equipping law enforcement agencies with much-needed resources to combat and prevent crime. 

• The first grant program will provide law enforcement agencies with $15 million over two years to identify and implement crime prevention strategies in high-crime areas. 
• The second grant program will provide law enforcement agencies with $7.5 million over two years to help recruit and retain officers and improve training curriculums, including providing mental health training. 
• The third grant program, called the State’s Mission for Assistance in Recruitment and Training (SMART) policing grant, will provide $7.5 million over two years to help recruit officers that are better representative of the communities they serve. 

“Crime in our state has been rising at an unprecedented rate over the past few years,” Senator Cooke said. “We, as a legislature, have a responsibility to ensure our law enforcement agencies have the resources they need to prevent crime before it happens and keep our communities safe. This common-sense legislation will provide much-needed resources to root out crime at its source and implement data-driven strategies to prevent it. Through these grant programs, agencies will be able to improve their curriculums and recruit officers that are more representative of the communities they serve. I am very happy to see this legislation pass in the Senate, and I am looking forward to it passing in the House.”

Senator Cooke has been leading the effort in the State Senate to provide law enforcement agencies with resources to better protect and serve their communities. 

The bill will be considered in the House in the coming weeks.

Senate Bill 22-145 is part of the Republican Commitment to Colorado legislative package, aimed at prioritizing public safety amidst rising levels of crime in Colorado. 

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