Redfearn must resign to restore community trust

The information that has come to light in the past few weeks about Boulder’s Deputy Chief of Police Redfearn, shared in the NAACP Boulder County’s recent statements, is alarming and deeply troubling. I am concerned for the safety of the Boulder community after learning about Deputy Chief Redfearn’s past actions, which included changing the dispatch log after Elijah Mcclain’s arrest in 2019 and overseeing the violent dispersal of a peaceful vigil for Elijah the following year. How can we feel safe when one of the leaders in the police department has a history such as this and was hired despite allegations of aggression towards peaceful demonstrators?

Furthermore, the lack of transparency from both the City and the police department about the hiring and history of Deputy Chief Redfearn is disappointing and unacceptable. With the new Reimagining Policing plan predicated on working with the community, hiding important information from the public — like the histories of leadership — does not get the police department off to a good start.

Boulder’s policing and criminal justice systems are not equitable and many in our community feel unsafe with the police.

The hiring of Deputy Chief Redfearn unfortunately isn’t an isolated incident; it is part of a broader and long-running pattern that has deteriorated community trust and safety while perpetuating inequity through our institutions. To begin to remedy this, we need leaders who are dedicated to justice and equity and transparent about how their past and future actions will contribute to working towards that. As a first step, Deputy Chief Redfearn must resign.

— Tricia Holland, Boulder