Denver crime-reducing commission needs better oversight, city auditor says

A new city audit found that delayed hiring caused a lack of oversight at a Denver commission tasked with improving safety and reducing recidivism.

The city said it began an audit of the Crime Prevention and Control Commission after council members raised concerns about the commission's transparency and oversight. The commission funds four vendor-run programs in the area aimed at helping people at risk of going to jail.

The audit, which focused on two contracts with the city for the Denver Dream Center and Tribe Recovery Homes, found that the Department of Public Safety was not collecting required quarterly data reports from the vendors and was not validating the data provided to the commission. It also determined that agreements on the scope of work the vendors are to perform were not clearly defined, thereby reducing the commission's ability to make informed funding decisions.

"The commission cannot make meaningful suggestions to fund vendors if the information about vendors' achievements is inaccurate," said Auditor Timothy O'Brien. "However, I am encouraged the Department of Public Safety agreed with all our recommendations. This is a collaborative commitment to make improvements and a win for government oversight."

According to the audit, the department said it doesn't have policies outlining invoice processing, a situation the DPS attributed to the lack of a program manager to perform those administrative duties.

The audit states that between Sept. 2023 and March 2025, the department said the Position Review Committee denied hiring for the position. A new manager was hired in April 2025.

"This is another concerning instance where the Position Review Committee's delay in hiring impacts a city agency. By hiring a program manager, Public Safety will be in a better position to fix areas of concern," O'Brien said. "I commend the department in its responsiveness to our audit recommendations and to prioritizing accountability. I look forward to reviewing its progress when we complete a follow-up report of this audit."

Most of the auditor's suggestions, including processes to validate information, review documents, implement a formal training process, and improve communication, are set to begin on June 5.

We have reached out to DPS for comment and will update this story when we receive a response.