Law Enforcement Information

The Role of the District Attorney's Office in Criminal Investigations:
The Office of the District Attorney consists of attorneys and staff who are dedicated to excellence in the prosecution of criminal cases.  We are not a law enforcement agency in the traditional sense of the word, and we neither initiate or conduct criminal investigations nor recieive or investigate criminal complaints. Instead, our job as attorneys is to shepherd criminal cases through the court system and to seek justice on behalf of the People. 

It is the role of the law enforcement officers with whom we work to investigate criminal complaints and, if enough evidence is developed to prove that crime occurred, to present the case to our office for consideration of potential criminal charges.  If we determine that enough evidence is present to ensure a reasonable likelihood of conviction at trial, we accept the case for prosecution and the criminal justice process plays out as described here.

If you feel that a crime has been committed and you wish to file a criminal complaint, you should contact your local law enforcement agency to make a statement.

Law Enforcement Officer Credibility Disclosure Notifications:
Consistent with the Office of the District Attorney’s mission to improve transparency and provide the public with information regarding the criminal justice system, we are making available our policies and procedures regarding officers who have credibility disclosure notifications from law enforcement agencies, known as “Brady” letters.  Those documents can be found here: Sixth Judicial Policies & Procedures for Credibility Notifications  

More information about officers with credibility disclosure notifications can be found on the Colorado Attorney General’s website via the Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) Board.   

Open Letter to Law Enforcement Agencies Submitting cases to the Office of the District Attorney:
The Office of the District Attorney sets high standards and expects our law enforcement partners to submit thorough and complete investigations before criminal charges will be filed.  We have specific ethical and statutory obligations with which we must comply, and we expect our law enforcement partners to assist us in meeting those duties.  To that end, the Office of the District Attorney is publishing this letter, which has been submitted to all local law enforcment agencies with whom we work on a regular basis.

Officer Invovled Incident Team:
Pursuant to § 16-2.5-301 and § 20-1-114 of the Colorado Revised Statutes, the Office of the District Attorney is required to publish the protocols for our multi-agency Officer Involved Incident Team (OIIT) and publicly disclose reports generated following the investigation, evaluation, and review of incidents involving discharge of a firearm by a peace officer that resulted in injury or death.  Those documents can be found here:
OIIT Protocols
Incident Involving Durango Police Officer Padriac Ingle- 7/1/2020
Incident involving Pagosa Springs Police Officer Justin Taylor-10/19/2020
Incident Involving Archuleta County Sheriff's Office Deputy Hayleigh Brown-1/4/2023