Join us for public forums in Aurora, Lakewood

This summer, anti-immigrant extremists are gathering signatures to put mandatory vehicle impoundment initiatives on the ballots in Aurora, Denver, and Lakewood. The Interfaith Alliance of Colorado (TIA-CO) opposes these proposed ballot initiatives that would require law enforcement officers to immediately impound the vehicles of individuals not carrying a driver’s license and fine them each $2,700. In order to help our members and the community at-large better understand these ballot initiatives, TIA-CO will host public forums in both Aurora and Lakewood in July.

The Aurora public forum will be held from 7-8:30 p.m. Wed., July 8 at Mountain View United Church, 10700 E. Evans Ave., in Aurora.  The Lakewood public forum will be held from 7-8:30 p.m. Wed., July 15 at Lakewood United Methodist Church, 1390 Brentwood St., in Lakewood. Guest presenters at both events will be Shannon Masden, the Denver Civic Engagement Lead Organizer for the Colorado Progressive Coalition, and Mark Silverstein, Legal Director for the American Civil Liberties Union of Colorado.  Both events are free and open to the public. There will be ample time for questions, as well as information on how to help oppose and defeat these ballot initiatives.

In the meantime, if you are approached to sign a petition to get these proposed measures on the ballot, we encourage you to decline to sign. Here are a few reasons why:

1. Officers already have the authority to impound vehicles for certain offenses and it is already against the law to drive without a driver’s license.

2. These initiatives mandate police procedures and take away an officer’s discretion in deciding whether to impound a vehicle. Law enforcement officers will be left on the side of the road waiting for tow trucks rather than using their judgment and time to fight more serious crimes.

3. Impounding vehicles does not make the roads any safer.

4. If you forget your wallet at home you could find yourself stranded on the road with a $2,700 fee standing between you and your vehicle. The punishment does not fit the crime.

5. Comprehensive immigration reform is needed in our country. Car impoundment is simply not the answer to this complicated public policy issue.

For more information, contact Jeremy Shaver, Executive Director for the Interfaith Alliance of Colorado, at 303-733-4089 or outreach@interfaithallianceco.org.