“That we, the members of the General Assembly, hereby proclaim the week commencing May 12, 2023, as Police Week in Colorado, in recognition of peace officers’ efforts in safeguarding the citizens of Colorado,” and, “That we hereby proclaim the day of May 15, 2023, as Peace Officers’ Memorial Day in recognition of those officers who, through their courageous deeds, have made the supreme sacrifice or who have been disabled in the line of duty.” 

That language appeared in a simple joint resolution of the Colorado House and Senate on May 2 that not only recognized Police Week (May 12-20)  but also Peace Officers Memorial Day. The resolution was one that had been introduced and approved for many years with little fanfare. I think most citizens of our state would support the resolution that expresses appreciation to law enforcement officers in our state and also memorializes the 377 law enforcement officers that have died in the line of duty since 1862.

Joint resolutions, like this one, are fairly common at the General Assembly. For the most part they recognize or honor people or events that we all generally agree upon as being worthy and deserving of our support. This bipartisan resolution recognizing law enforcement officers appeared to be no different.  Further it provided an opportunity for a unifying moment at the Colorado General Assembly in a year that had been fairly divisive. It’s evident that the leadership in both houses felt that would be the case. Instead to the surprise of many, six members of the legislature chose to leave the chamber and be recorded as excused prior to the vote taking place.

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My mother used to mention that there is a time and place for everything. If those parties wished to make a statement related to concerns about law enforcement actions, this was not the time or place. Walking out was a nonsensical act that was not only disrespectful to the law enforcement members in attendance but also the the family members of fallen officers who were invited. One has to ask what purpose did this serve? 

In response to questions by some in the press as well as criticism by others of the six excusing themselves from voting, a press release, issued by their supporters, cast doubt on the motives and biases of those who questioned their action. The statement further noted that members are routinely excused for various reasons when a vote may be taken. That may be true but the action of the six members in walking out was a fairly public display and those members were still inside the Capitol. 

I’m not going to mention the names of the representatives that excused themselves because they had every right to do so. I also don’t wish to bring umbrage upon them or have them subject to abuse on social media. More importantly, mentioning them would take away from the fact that 94 other Democratic and Republican senators and representatives did vote for the resolution. Supporters of the resolution included individuals from across the spectrum from the far-left to the far-right, who came together to express their thanks, honor those who were injured or died in the line of duty and convey their appreciation for those individuals currently serving in law enforcement and  performing a difficult job that few of the rest of us would do.

In addition for those brief few minutes at the State Capitol, the attention and focus of legislators should have been on our peace officers across the state along with the family members of the three law enforcement officers who lost their lives in the the line of service over the last 12 months. Those officers included Deputy Sheriff Andrew A. Peery of the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office,  Officer, Dillon Vakoff of the Arvada Police Department and Officer Julian Becerra of the Fountain Police Department. 

Let me note that it is fair to criticize and question certain actions by the police.  Even those in law enforcement recognize reforms and improvements are needed. If the purpose was to bring light to that issue, this was the wrong time to do so. This should have been a day to recognize the important role that law enforcement officers serve in our state as well as to honor and respect those individuals for the difficult and dangerous job that those officers perform daily. 

Years ago during a primary campaign, a candidate ran an ad stating, “It’s 3 a.m. Who do you want answering the phone?” The ad implied that you are hoping  that someone competent will answer the call and be up to the task of addressing the problem. For the six who walked out, I’m guessing that if they feel threatened at 3 a.m., and call 911, they will be hoping that one of those same police officers, whom they chose not to honor, will answer and be willing to place themselves at risk to help them. And, the truth is, they will.

Greg Fulton is the president of the Colorado Motor Carriers Association, which represents more than 600 companies directly involved in, and affiliated with, trucking in Colorado.