Colorado’s Republican U.S. Representatives are asking Gov. Jared Polis to call a second special session this year to address what they call a “crime crisis.”

In a joint letter sent to Polis on Tuesday, U.S. Reps. Gabe Evans, Lauren Boebert, and Jeff Crank referenced a recent incident in Weld County in which a man who had been charged with attempted murder was released due to a change in state law regarding individuals declared incompetent.

“This embarrassing episode is regrettably no longer unique for our citizens,” the lawmakers wrote. “Over the past year, our state has unfortunately become a poster child for the havoc that soft-on-crime policies cause. Whether it’s the takeover of apartments by Tren De Aragua (now a designated Foreign Terrorist Organization) or the failure to prosecute convicted sex offender Solomon Galligan for kidnapping a child in broad daylight, Colorado has time and time again drawn nationwide ire for its public safety failures.”

The letter also included results from a recent survey conducted by SafeWise in which 65% of Coloradans said they worry about crime “on a daily basis.”

“Our constituents deserve better than incremental change, lip service, and
broken promises when it comes to public safety – they deserve robust and common-sense approaches that prioritize the protection of our communities,” the letter continued.

Evans, Boebert and Crank asked Polis to reconsider several bills that failed to pass during the regular session, including House Bill 1072, which would have prohibited pretrial release for certain violent crimes. They also referenced several bills passed during Polis’ time as governor, including several measures that eliminated cash bail in certain instances, reduced sentences for some felonies and misdemeanor offenses, and preventing state and local law enforcement from sharing information with federal immigration officers about individuals’ legal status.

“Governor Polis, you have previously expressed your determination to improve Colorado’s public safety standing,” the legislators wrote. “We stand ready to extend a helping hand and ask you to back up your words with concrete
actions and help us deliver a safer state for all Coloradans.”

In response, Polis noted that the state has seen “double-digit reductions in crime” in auto theft, property crime, and victim crime and stated he was “committed to working with local law enforcement, district attorneys, and our Congressional delegation to further reduce crime.”

Many of the laws referenced in the initial letter had bipartisan support in the legislature, Polis noted, including House Bill 1034, which had bipartisan sponsorship and passed unanimously in the Senate.

Polis argued that Evans, Boebert and Crank are trying to distract people from “issues they own,” including the impacts of the Congressional budget bill.

“Moreover, the Trump administration is withholding a significant amount of Colorado’s federal public safety funding, including funds for emergency management and response, which I hope draws the same outrage from these members of Congress,” he said. “Additionally, Trump’s FBI has cut its own staffing for investigations into domestic terrorism at a time when we need more resources to combat emerging threats. I would encourage these members to do their part to support Coloradans and help fix the problems within the federal government,” he said.