I registered to attend the Denver Mayoral Debate sponsored by the Gazette papers on the Anschutz medical campus with an intention of commenting on the field of candidates seeking to lead Denver through the next four years. I didn’t appreciate there would be three separate debate panels, each featuring five candidates, that would pin me in my seat for nearly four hours. This format had its merits, however, but demanded substantial perseverance. Lisa Calderon and Lesley Herod chose not to participate. With the Fair Elections process enabling a large field of aspirants, no one has yet figured out how to effectively and simultaneously showcase the intriguing range of opinion and agendas on offer to voters.

During a brief, “yes or no” hand vote, only three of 15 participants expressed their enthusiasm for how the Fair Elections process has rolled out for the first time. When questioned, objections were not focused on the funding mechanism as much as the large roster of candidates. This appears to have resulted more from the minimal 300-signature petition threshold that was already in the law. The voter approved 9-to-1 small-donor matching scheme for contributions up to $50 also encouraged several candidates. It is the petition requirement that seems more likely to be tweaked before another round of municipal elections arrives in 2027. Owen Perkins, campaign manager for the original Fair Elections initiative, correctly reminds us 12 years ago, when the mayor’s chair was last empty, 20 candidates declared and 10 eventually earned spots on the ballot.

Not only does the array of candidates offer a thought-provoking spectrum of viewpoints, but it is easy to imagine many of them serving quite competently at City Hall. I will save further discussion of the candidates’ relative strengths and weaknesses for another day in favor of focusing on the surprising announcement by long-serving Councilwoman Debbie Ortega, two-thirds of the way through the debates, that there had been another shooting and subsequent lockdown at East High School. I could not help but be troubled that her report did nothing to disturb debate proceedings. We have seemingly grown so desensitized to these multiple horrors that we no longer an interruption of our daily routines.

Therefore, I was pleased to arrive home and discover Denver School Superintendent Alex Marrero had unilaterally decided to restore armed police presence in Denver high schools. I recognize this is not an entirely satisfactory intervention – that it will never save every life or prevent every shooting, but it should save some and that’s sufficient justification for now. The superintendent deserves to be commended for his courage. Reading his statement, it is evident he was aware he might receive push back from a school board that removed school resource officers (SROs) following the George Floyd killing in Minneapolis. Marrero declared, “I can no longer stand on the sidelines, I am willing to accept the consequences of my actions.” Bravo!

Mayor Hancock was quick to endorse the superintendent’s decision. The safety of students and staff on Denver public school campuses should take priority over any fears of incidental intimidation. A police presence does not necessarily constitute a threat to anyone. Periodically, we witness an evening news story telling of an entire community expressing its appreciation for the lengthy service from a school resource officer, complete with a retirement cake and vacation tickets purchased by grateful parents.

At East High School, an SRO may not have prevented the death of Luis Garcia, shot in his car, but the two wounded teachers might be unharmed today if a trained cop had been disarming the student who shot them and the shooter likely would be alive as well. Thankfully, the Denver School Board approved the superintendent’s decision to restore SROs by the end of the day, yet qualifying their support “…for the remainder of this school year.” It would be encouraging to hear an expression of permanent support from the Denver Classroom Teachers Association.

It’s startling to learn that agreements have been negotiated with students thought to be so violent or dangerous they are hand-patted daily for weapons. What has happened to the old-fashioned, perhaps, but effective remedy of expulsion? If the courts or the law have sidelined this option, the legislature still has time this session to expressly re-authorize expulsions. Parents, irrespective of their ethnicity, economic status or religious belief, expect our schools to protect their children. This isn’t complicated. The governor, both our senators and Congresswoman DeGette should all be commending Superintendent Marrero.

Yes, it’s a crying shame Colorado’s public schools must be safeguarded with metal detectors. I will attend my 60th High School reunion later this year. Surprisingly, more than half our class plans to make the trip. I wish the same opportunity for East High’s class of 2023. We owe them that chance.

Miller Hudson is a public affairs consultant and a former Colorado legislator.