Englewood police say officers are using physical force less often, even as risky encounters like vehicle pursuits are on the upswing. Internal numbers from the department show the share of calls that ended with officers using physical force dropped from roughly 0.48% in 2023 to about 0.27% in both 2024 and 2025.
According to the department’s 2025 Use of Force report from the City of Englewood, Englewood logged 39,386 calls for service in 2023, with 0.48% resulting in some form of force. In 2024, the city recorded 39,050 calls and 107 physical-force incidents, or 0.27%. The report lists 37,018 calls in 2025, with the same 0.27% share involving physical force or a weapon discharge.
Department Credits Training, Co-Responders and Distance Tools
Chief David Jackson told Denver7 the department has leaned hard into de-escalation, both in classroom work and hands-on training, and has added mental-health co-responders who ride with officers. Jackson also said data since 2023 shows an uptick in vehicle pursuits, with more than 100 chases recorded in each of the last two years, a trend he links in part to wider use of license-plate readers and other technology. “Taking your time and trying to verbally talk someone down,” Jackson said, is how he sums up the department’s preferred approach to tense encounters.
Accountability: A High-Profile Firing and Charges
As proof that officers face consequences when things cross the line, the department points to a 2025 traffic-stop case that led to the firing and criminal charges of a former officer. Prosecutors charged former Officer Ryan Scott Vasina after body-worn camera footage showed him tasing a driver and using a chokehold during the stop, officials told CBS Colorado.
Data Caveats: Statewide Tallies Can Differ
State-level data is not exactly a precision instrument. Not every agency reports the same timeframes, and gaps are common. The Colorado Division of Criminal Justice’s CY2024 contacts and use-of-force report shows Englewood submitted only 10 months of data to the state for 2024, a reminder that local and state totals can diverge depending on reporting windows and definitions, according to the Colorado Division of Criminal Justice.
What Residents Should Watch For
Englewood says its Flock Safety license-plate reader system and other automated license-plate recognition tools help officers find vehicles linked to violent crimes, which may help explain why pursuits are rising while force rates fall. The department says every significant incident goes before the Englewood Incident Response Committee for review. The Flock Safety transparency information from the City of Englewood details safeguards and data-retention rules, and the department posts its use-of-force reports on the city website for anyone who wants to dig into the numbers.
