Denver police officers will receive significant raises over the next few years after the City Council approved the pay increases Monday, just three weeks after the city eliminated hundreds of jobs.
The raises, which will be staggered, will amount to a cumulative 16% increase over the next three years, starting with a 2% increase in January 2026.
A majority of the council approved the resolution after a discussion among the members about whether the raises were appropriate given police reform efforts and the city’s budget situation.
“I believe we need a well-staffed, well-trained, well-paid police department,” said Councilman Paul Kashmann, who voted in support. “But I do know that we cannot arrest our way out of crime.”
Mayor Mike Johnston, whose administration negotiated with the police department for the raises, said public safety is his top priority and the raises are a way to “attract and retain great officers.”
“The Denver Police Department continues to develop and deliver on proven strategies that reduce crime, build community, and make our city a more vibrant place to live,” according to a statement from the mayor’s office.
The raises will include a 5% increase next year, another 6% jump in 2027 and a 4% bump in 2028.
A spat broke out between Councilwoman Stacie Gilmore and Councilwoman Amanda Sawyer during the debate as Gilmore, who voted no, said anyone on council who supported the contract is “going with the police.”
“Our vote will say what an individual values, if you value police or if you value community,” she said.
Sawyer spoke next, saying she was “concerned about the tenor” of the debate.
“Whether a council member votes yes or no on this contract is not a reflection of who they are,” she said. “Everyone up here is allowed to have a different opinion. … What’s not healthy is passive aggressive comments toward other council members, judging them publicly about how they might vote.”
Council members Sarah Parady, Shontel Lewis and Serena Gonzales-Gutierrez also voted against the agreement. Some of them said that’s because there are still ongoing questions about the budget next year.
“We don’t know what 2026 has to hold when it comes to raises for city employees across our city, and so I find it premature to approve raises (for police),” Gonzales-Gutierrez said.
The city laid off 169 employees in August and eliminated more than 600 vacant positions in an effort to address an anticipated $200 million shortfall in the 2026 budget.
In 2020, the council rejected a collective bargaining agreement with the police department, saying then-mayor Michael Hancock had excluded them from the negotiations. The officers ultimately received a higher raise than they initially proposed after an arbitrator ruled on the contract later that year.