Denver Police Department announces victim assistance coordinator for East Colfax neighborhood in pilot program.
Michelle Christiansen PhotographyCrisis Services Division, had noticed the community's lack of connection to the police back in 2019, when the CSD first began exploring the creation of a victim assistance coordinator program. "There’s no rec center there, there’s one elementary school, there’s no grocery stores. All of those things that help kind of create a sense of community are absent," he notes.
Roberts has been with the DPD since 2019, working in the CSD in district two, which covers much of the northeast section of the city, including East Colfax. Before he joined the police department, he worked in Denver Public Schools, teaching at an alternative school and doing community engagement through parks and recreation.
Because this is a new role for the DPD, Snow admits that a lot of it will be experimental; Roberts will focus on building relationships with the community."We’re approaching this more experientially," Snow says."We want to put the right person in the right role and help inform us on what are the needs, what are the gaps, what are the resources, and really have a granular perspective with Matt as the operational boots on the ground within that community.
Roberts formally introduced himself at an East Colfax Community Association meeting on September 20."I just want to be a support where you know if something’s happening over there, they’re like 'call Matt,' and I become that face of that community," he says. In his role, Roberts will be a point of contact in case of violent situations, as well as be on hand for such occasions as death notifications, suicides and traffic fatalities.