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Department History

In 1969 Lakewood and several sister communities bordering Denver, which until that time were part of unincorporated Jefferson County, came together to create a single municipal entity. It was then, and perhaps still remains, the largest municipal incorporation in US history. Overnight Lakewood became Colorado's fourth largest city.

A principal motivation expressed by the voters at the time was their desire for effective, modern, and responsive law enforcement.

The Lakewood Department of Public Safety was formed in 1970, the year following incorporation. Its first police chief (the title then was director of public safety) was a young Dade County, Florida police commander, Ronald G. Lynch. Director Lynch, who was also a lawyer, brought with him a number of innovative ideas. At the heart of his visionary efforts was the belief that police needed to adopt the highest values and principles of their profession, employ the most modern methods of policing, and form trusting partnerships with the public. This view was strongly influenced by a 1967 report by The President's Commission on Law Enforcement and Administration of Justice. That report, The Challenge of Crime in a Free Society, examined the reasons for the riots and turmoil of the sixties decade and made recommendations for police reform. From these views, and Director Lynch's own commitment to build a model police agency, arose the new department's motto: Intelligence, Initiative, Integrity.

Core values of the department were reflected in its openness of operation, allowance for public inspection and participation, and a robust internal affairs program that would reflect the high values and standards of the department, assure accountability, and reassure the community of police adherence to its motto. Integrity was everything, and the recruiting process placed this quality above all others, even experience. An applicant whose background evidenced lapses in integrity would not be hired, and an employee whose actions violated this precept could no longer serve.

A less visible but well-known feature of the Lakewood police was the requirement of a college degree for its police agents; they were to be qualified "generalists," that is, to handle all basic services demanded of police, from the initial call to complicated follow-up. Lakewood was one of the first cities in the nation to require its police agents to complete a four-year college degree before applying for a job. This high standard of excellence has paid off in a better and more informed police agents who have leadership and professional skills.

The organization placed the police agent at the tip of the spear in community services in an effort called "neighborhood team policing," in which the police agent acted as a community organizer and coordinator. Community policing, building partnerships and trust with its citizens, became the standard model.

The most visible aspects of the new police department were not uncontroversial. The uniform was different than most municipalities. In 1970, the agents wore gray slacks, a light blue shirt and a navy blue blazer. It was soon determined that the uniform incorporating the blazer made it difficult for members of the community and other law enforcement officers to identify Lakewood personnel as law enforcement officers. The uniform was modified to include a light blue uniform shirt with shoulder patches and gray slacks. The blazer was to be worn for court appearances and more formal occasions such as funerals.When women joined the force in 1972, the uniform was modified to include a light blue shirt worn with a blue blazer and arm patches.

The uniform, the agency's name - Department of Public Safety, its uniform, and the title of "police agent" were questioned and in some cases, scoffed at. Even the college degree requirement was sometimes a target of derision. Lakewood agents' salaries, slightly higher than those of other police agencies, also became a point of contention with officers from surrounding departments.

Pierce R. Brooks, a 48-year-old retired Los Angeles police captain, became Lakewood's next director of public safety in 1971. Brooks, who had won a good deal of acclaim as a homicide detective credited with solving several high profile cases in Los Angeles (he was the lead investigator in the 1963 "onion field" murder of a police officer). recognized that although many of the innovations at Lakewood were functioning well, some were not.

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