New rules adopted under the Denver Police emergency response system would let “dignitaries” cut in line when requesting police dispatch, according to the Denver Post.  We assume this means not just Governor Hickenlooper and Mayor Michael Hancock, but also the numerous bureaucrats in the city and state government puzzle palace.  From the report:

The policy change, which went into effect at the end of December, requires Denver police dispatchers to notify a patrol supervisor when “Federal, State or Local Dignitaries (such as the Mayor or Governor) or personnel within their office requests or requires a police response on the dignitary’s behalf.”

By comparison, Aurora dispatch doesn’t have such a policy.

The new rules may have gone into effect after Mayor Hancock’s office was frustrated by a long wait time following a report of a break-in.  The Denver Post noted that the dispatcher who handled the break in maintains that the Mayor’s office should be treated like everyone else.  That dispatcher was subsequently fired. Hancock’s office denied that it asked that the dispatcher be fired, but the reason for her termination was her performance related to that issue.

A retired dispatcher, Gloria Glidden, called BS on the new policy in the Post article:

“Of course, if the mayor’s office has something going on that involves threats or bodily harm or a problem that will affect the city in any way or their operation, absolutely you need to send a car,” Glidden said. “But I don’t think they should come above and beyond what a normal taxpaying citizen asks for in terms of help.”

The revelation of this new rule comes at a particularly bad time (although, is there ever a good for the people of Denver to be informed that elected officials are more important than they are?).  Just last month, a woman who called 9-1-1 died in a domestic violence incident after waiting for 13 minutes for police to arrive.

Just cross your fingers, PeakNation™, that when you call 9-1-1, Governor John Hickenlooper or Mayor Michael Hancock doesn’t have a more “important” emergency that you do.