Crime Prevention and Control Commission

The Crime Prevention and Control Commission (CPCC) was formed by an ordinance(PDF, 483KB) in 2005 in partial response to the overcrowded and unsafe conditions at the jails at the time. Said then-Mayor Hickenlooper, “This Commission represents the City’s commitment to strategically pursue evidence-based diversionary alternatives to sentencing programs that not only reduce recidivism but also increase public safety.” (Press Release 09/27/05)

The commission has, for nearly 18 years, worked to that end – developing and implementing a variety of programs to decrease the use of the jail and reduce recidivism. In 2018, City Council expanded the role of the Commission to include a behavioral health element – specifically identifying the “extent to which addressing behavioral health needs may affect those who become involved in the justice system before, during and after systems’ involvement” (§ 2-255.54 (c)). Additionally, the Commission is charged with fostering “innovation and alternatives in the criminal justice system and to provide initial funding opportunities for projects that advance these ideals” (§ 2-255.54 (l)).

According to the ordinance, “the legislative intent of this division is to implement an evidence-based, accountable, and efficient public safety strategy to reduce crime, including juvenile delinquency, and to increase neighborhood safety. To that end, the council establishes a crime prevention and control commission which shall have the following purposes:

1. To reduce crime, partly by reducing criminal recidivism;
2. To facilitate coordination among justice system agencies;
3. To support the development of a data-driven criminal justice system that offers a range of evidence-based sanctions and programs;
4. To facilitate the development of information technology and data necessary for effective criminal justice policy development, jail population management, and evaluation of sanctions and programs to hold offenders accountable;
5. To facilitate efficient use of jail space by encouraging alternatives, where appropriate; and
6. To recommend expenditures from the crime prevention and control fund” (§ 2-255.48).

Commission Details