Denver, a Democrat-controlled city, recently announced $45 million in funding to help deal with the increasing number of migrant arrivals it is facing. This has resulted in over $8 million in budget cuts for the police department. Mayor Mike Johnston stated that the additional funding would fully support programs for newcomers and prevent worst-case scenarios projected by the city. Spending on migrants in Denver rose significantly last year, from $2 million a month in August to $15 million in December. In January, the number of migrants peaked at around 5,000 in shelters, but has since decreased to around 1,000.
The mayor’s office plans to avoid layoffs or furloughs of employees, but cuts will need to be made to find the extra $45.9 million in funding. The mayor’s office will see its budget reduced by nearly 10%, while the police department will have its budget cut by $8.4 million, about 1.9% of its budget. Some of this funding will come from restricting hiring for open positions. The fire department will also see its budget cut by less than 1%, about $2.5 million, largely by not filling open positions.
Funded as part of the new spending will be a program called “Denver Asylum Seekers Program,” which will connect around 1,000 people in the shelter system with housing assistance options for six months until they can get a work permit under their asylum claims. There will also be a program named “WorkReady” that connects migrants with training opportunities, including language instruction. Denver claims to have helped more than 40,000 migrants in 16 months at a cost of more than $68 million.
A spokesperson for Mayor Johnston rejected claims that the cuts were “defunding” the police and stated that 167 new police recruits would be added to the force in 2024. The spokesperson clarified that the 1.9% cut was less than the average cut of 2.5% to all city agencies and that there would be no impact on public services or officers being taken off the streets. The city of Denver is making adjustments to the police department’s budget to ensure public safety is maintained.
Liberal cities like Denver, New York City, and Chicago have been facing challenges due to the surge of migrants into their communities. While New York City initially proposed significant budget cuts, including to the police department, they later reversed them due to increased revenue. Chicago has also been under pressure due to the influx of migrants. Denver’s approach to providing support for newcomers and managing the budget cuts for the police department highlights the broader issue faced by cities across the country.
