Denver Police Implement Changes To Investigations Of Officers

DENVER (CBS4)- Police in Denver are implementing major changes in the way they will investigate complaints against their officers.

Denver's Manager of Safety and Police Chief Robert White announced Wednesday that a new department was formed to take on those complaints.

Commander Michael Battista will head the "Conduct Review Office."

The changes mean internal affairs cases will be processed in one office and will no longer be sent out to district and bureau commanders for review.

The police department believes the change will speed up the timeframe it takes to investigate the officer complaints.

"One of the complaints, many of the complaints, is the timeline it takes. I filed a complaint X amount of months ago and I haven't heard anything. I haven't gotten resolution. So that's one of the things that we will be working on," said Battista.

Last year 200 cases were investigated against police officers in Denver. The new division will be in place on Monday.