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Denver's New Manager Of Safety: 'People Anxious To Be Led'

DENVER (CBS4)- Denver's new Manager of Safety said he knows it'll be a tough job. Alex Martinez stepped down this week as a Colorado Supreme Court judge to take on the position.

Martinez will be the sixth Manager of Safety for the City of Denver in the last 18 months.

See the recent people who held the positions in the photo gallery below.

Martinez knows he will be challenged.

"There's a public clamor especially around police discipline and that police are very concerned in this area. What everyone truly wants in that is fair and impartial results and confidence in that, and so I am hoping that I bring that to the table," said Martinez.

The number of complaints to the Denver Police Department over brutality and the criticism over the city's handling of the issues are part of the reason why Martinez left the bench for the position.

He believes he is the right guy to help restore public trust and confidence in Denver's safety agencies.

"There is a lot of strength and a lot of character in the department and a lot of people who are in the department are anxious to be led," said Martinez.

Martinez helped hire the new Denver Police Chief Robert White. He said their approach is very similar, but he expects he'll have to make tough decisions and knows he'll have to explain that decision making.

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