Fran Gomez To Take Over After Denver Sheriff Patrick Firman Resigns

DENVER (CBS4) - Denver Sheriff Patrick Firman will resign from his position this week. Firman will be replaced by interim Sheriff Fran Gomez. Firman was first appointed sheriff in October 2015, when he arrived from Illinois.

During his leadership, Firman implemented a new Use of Force Policy, mandatory Crisis Intervention Training for all deputies and a new Denver Sheriff Department employee wellness program.

The department also faced controversy, after an inmate gave birth inside a jail cell in 2018 and filed a lawsuit, claiming medical and jail staff violated her rights.

The Denver Sheriff Department has about 1,000 employees overseeing the downtown jail and the county jail. Deputies also provide court security and transport inmates.

Gomez will be the first woman to lead the department. She will officially take over on Oct. 15.