DENVER — Paul Pazen, the city’s former police chief, has confirmed to Denver7 he plans to run for Denver City Council in 2027.
Speaking to Denver7 over phone Wednesday evening, Pazen said he plans to launch a campaign for a seat in District 2, which represents southwest Denver, next Wednesday.
Details about the formal announcement were not immediately available. His candidacy was first reported by CBS Colorado.
The former chief told Denver7 he has lived in that community for 30 years and praised Kevin Flynn, the current councilmember for the district, for what he’s done for the district during his tenure.
Flynn, who was elected to serve District 2 in 2015, is term-limited and cannot run again. Pazen told Denver7 he wants to build “on the great job” Flynn has done with public safety, affordability, and city services in the district.
He will run against Tran Nguyen-Willis, the deputy outreach director for Mayor Mike Johnston’s office and Antonio Martinez.
A brief summary of Pazen’s résumé
Pazen, who was profiled by Denver7 in 2018, was a commander with the Denver Police Department, overseeing the north side of the city before he was appointed the chief of police that year.
An alumnus of North High School, Pazen served in the Marine Corps before applying for the city’s fire and police departments, eventually landing a job at DPD in 1994.
During his four-year term as chief, Pazen championed what he called “precision policing” to address violent crime "hot spots" and was a supporter of the city’s STAR program, which diverts some nonviolent 911 calls away from police officers and to a mental health team instead.
He also headed a police department that underwent reform following the killing of George Floyd in the spring of 2020. In response to the shooting of the unarmed Black man in Minnesota, Pazen banned the use of chokeholds by police, required SWAT officers to wear bodycams and instituted mandatory reporting to a supervisor if an officer intentionally points a firearm at anyone.
A month before he retired from the force, Pazen faced intense public scrutiny after one of his officers injured six bystanders in 2022 in Denver’s Lower Downtown when trying to apprehend a suspect.
Pazen retired from the post in August of 2022.
Denver's Municipal General Election will take place April 6, 2027. A runoff could follow on June 1, 2027.
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