Denver’s low-level traffic stops might be headed from internal policy to city law, as councilmembers debate whether to permanently limit when police can pull drivers over for minor violations.
The proposal surfaced at Monday’s Budget & Policy Committee meeting, where officials sifted through stop data and clashed over how far the city should go. Backers say locking the rules into ordinance would shield residents from pretextual traffic stops. Skeptics warn it could tie officers’ hands on basic enforcement and add yet another layer of rules for patrol to navigate.
Council Push And How It Would Work
Councilmember Paul Kashmann, who sits on the Budget & Policy Committee, is leading the charge and says he expects to introduce a formal ordinance in the coming months. Supporters argue that shifting the limit from department policy to city code would mean any major changes have to go through City Council, not just a police chief’s memo.
According to Axios, Kashmann framed the effort as a way to turn what is now an internal directive into a citywide standard that future chiefs cannot quietly undo.
What The DPD Policy Does Now
The Denver Police Department put the current guidance in place on May 1, 2024. The policy tells officers to focus on dangerous behavior such as speeding, DUI, reckless driving and running red lights, instead of equipment or paperwork issues like cracked taillights or recently expired tags. Chief Ron Thomas has said the change is meant to “make better use of our time” and help rebuild community trust.
The department has said officers can still stop vehicles if they suspect a more serious crime, according to Denver7. The chief can also authorize targeted enforcement campaigns, including periodic crackdowns on expired registrations when needed, CBS News Colorado reported.
Numbers, Transparency And The Debate
City data presented at the committee meeting shows how much is riding on the decision. From January 2022 through March 2026, about 75,600 traffic stops ended without a citation, according to Axios. Officials said better reporting could help explain what is happening in those encounters.
After the policy took effect in 2024, traffic stops dropped sharply. In the four months that followed, overall stops fell by about 50 percent, The Denver Post reported.
At Monday’s hearing, several councilmembers pushed for more frequent public data, including quarterly reports, to track whether the policy is actually reducing racial disparities and whether that drop in stops has any effect on safety.
What Comes Next
If Kashmann follows through with an ordinance, it would still face the usual gauntlet of committee hearings, public comment and full council votes, a process that could stretch over months.
In the meantime, both supporters and critics of codifying the limits say the city would benefit from clearer and more frequent stop data, so residents can see, in real time, how the policy plays out on Denver streets.
