Citizen complaints against Denver police increased 24 percent last year, the same year more aggressive law enforcement was credited with driving crime down 10 percent.

In addition to providing a one-year report card on the outcome of complaints against Denver police, the annual report released today by the Denver Independent Police Monitor sharply criticizes the city's manager of public safety for delays in processing police discipline cases and establishing a revamped disciplinary system.

It also takes the city-supported hospital to task for failing to cooperate with police investigators.

The monitor says the spike in complaints more likely reflects an easier system to report beefs with officers than it indicates an upswing in bad behavior by police.

For the second year in a row, none of the citizen allegations of unnecessary force was sustained, but that does not worry Monitor Richard Rosenthal.

"It's not uncommon," he said. "Sustained cases are extremely low nationwide."

Citizen complaints more often allege discourtesy or harassment, and several of those were sustained, Rosenthal said.

The monitor criticized Denver Public Safety Manager Al LaCabe, while also praising him to a large extent.

"I'm very supportive of Al LaCabe," Rosenthal said in an interview. "I think he is an excellent manager of safety. But he did promise that he would write these letters and these reports, and he hasn't been able to. . . . He has got to either get this done or come up with an alternative."

LaCabe said his office has been inundated with work, but is now fully staffed to fix both problems. He said he has told the monitor and the mayor that finishing the use-of-force probes and discipline issues are "our No. 1 priorities."

LaCabe added that he is currently editing the new disciplinary procedures.

The disciplinary system LaCabe is reviewing is considered crucial, but as of the end of the year LaCabe had yet to start a new program, the monitor said.

"The project is much too important to allow to languish," Rosenthal wrote.

Rosenthal also rebuked Denver Health Medical Center for a lack of cooperation in the investigation of the death of Emily Rae Rice, who died in jail custody in 2006 from injuries sustained in a car accident. Rosenthal said that nurses, fearing a lawsuit, have not cooperated with the police.

That failure, he said, "has had a negative impact in the integrity of the investigation."

Denver Health said Wednesday that its written agreement with the city requires cooperation with police and sheriff's officers "unless there is a pending claim against Denver Health."

Anything discussed with investigators, hospital spokeswoman Dee Martinez said, "would be discoverable by attorneys involved in prosecuting or defending cases."

Rosenthal said the sheriff's office should review policies that allow Denver Health nurses to work in jail facilities without a requirement that they cooperate fully with internal affairs investigations.

How to file a complaint

Complaint forms are widely distributed and are available from, among other places, the offices of City Council members. A citizen also can file them directly with the police or the monitor. Here are the addresses:

• The Independent Monitor - Webb Building, 201 W. Colfax Ave.

• Police Headquarters - 1331 Cherokee St.

To file a complaint (or commendation) online:

• The Office of the Independent Monitor: www.denvergov.org/oim

• Denver Citizen Oversight Board: www.denvergov.org/cob/

• Denver Sheriff Department: www.denvergov.org/sheriff

kilzerl@RockyMountainNews.com or 303-954-2644

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