Denver's Director Of Safety Replaced, Moves To Different City Position
By Tori Mason
DENVER (CBS4)- Denver's Director of Safety, Stephanie O'Malley, will be replaced and she will move to a different position within the City of Denver.
O'Malley will now serve as Special Assistant to the Mayor. She has taken a pay cut to help Denver Mayor Michael Hancock expand opportunities for Denver's minority communities. Her salary will drop from $168,861 per year to $145,000 per year.
Denver Mayor Michael Hancock made the announcement on Monday morning.
After four years of leading the Department of Public Safety, O'Malley will serve as Special Assistant to the Mayor to strengthen the city's work with minority and women-owned businesses.
The switch comes amid the controversial investigations into Denver Police Chief Robert White and Deputy Chief Matt Murray.
The mayor says those investigations have no bearing on the moves announced Monday.
O'Malley will be replaced as Director of Safety by Troy Riggs, already a deputy in the office.
Troy Riggs joined the department as Deputy Director last year. Riggs came to Denver from Indianapolis where he served as the Police Chief managing over 1,600 officers and nearly 200 civilian personnel.
Riggs also used to work with Chief White in the past. He admits to having a former relationship with White, and says it won't affect how he handles the investigation.
While Riggs will have his hands in the investigation, the mayor says any punishment regarding the chief will come straight from him.
Riggs also says that he did not take the Deputy Director job last year with the expectation of O'Malley's spot becoming available. He says he was happy to come to Denver for a lesser position because he was impressed with the mayor's leadership.
Tori Mason is an award-winning reporter for CBS4 This Morning. Follow her on Twitter @ToriMasonTV.