New state database launched to provide public transparency on peace officer certification, training compliance, and misconduct

Jan. 2, 2022 (DENVER)—The Colorado Peace Officer Standards and Training Board has launched a new database that allows the public to access information regarding an officer’s state certification, compliance with training requirements, and employment status. The public database is required under law enforcement accountability legislation the Colorado General Assembly enacted in 2020 and 2021.

“Building trust in law enforcement calls for greater levels of transparency and accountability. We are proud of the POST Board’s commitment to these values and this publicly accessible database will advance both,” said Attorney General Phil Weiser, who also serves as chair of the POST Board.

The law requires the POST Board, beginning on Jan. 1, 2022, to create and maintain a database containing information related to any of the following actions by a peace officer:

• Revocation of a POST certification, including the basis of the revocation;
• Untruthfulness;
• Three or more failures to follow POST Board training requirements within 10 consecutive years;
• Termination for cause, unless the termination is overturned or reversed by an appellate process;
• Resignation or retirement while under investigation by the employing law enforcement agency, a district attorney, or the attorney general;
• Resignation or retirement following an incident that leads to the opening of an investigation within six months following the peace officer’s resignation or retirement;
• Being the subject of a criminal investigation for a crime that could result in revocation or suspension of certification or the filing of criminal charges for such a crime; and
• Credibility disclosure information reported by prosecutors that could impact an officer’s credibility as a witness in court.

The database is located on the ColoradoPOST.gov homepage. A member of the public can verify an officer’s certification status and see actions related to their certification by entering the officer’s first and last name in the “Check Certification Status” tab. Individual actions required in the database are scrollable and can be filtered or searched using any number of data points—such as law enforcement agency or decertification—under the “Find Action Information” tab. The database dashboard includes revocations by year, by type in the past year, and by employing agency. Phone numbers, addresses, and other personal information are not provided to protect the privacy and safety of officers.

The law allows an officer to request a review of their entry in the database and to have information removed if they present new evidence and follow the variance request process adopted by the POST Board.

The Colorado POST staff updates the information at least monthly and uses reasonable efforts to include accurate and up-to-date data. Because information provided in the database is submitted by individual law enforcement agencies, Colorado POST cannot guarantee full accuracy and timeliness of data, makes no warranties as to content accuracy, and assumes no liability for content errors or omissions.

###