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Paul Pazen is a Denver native and lifelong resident, Marine Corps veteran, former Denver Police Chief, husband, who holds a graduate degree in Emergency Management from the US Naval Postgraduate School, and father who has spent his life serving the city that has given so much to him. Born and raised in Denver by a single mother - the hardest-working person he’s ever known -&nbsp; Paul learned early that leadership is about showing up. His mother often brought him to community meetings after her work day, telling him, “If you care about your city, you show up for it.” That lesson shaped his life.

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“District 2 is where Shirley and I raised our kids and we've called home for over 30 years. Denver has its challenges, but we've always met big challenges with bigger solutions. Let's get to work!"-Paul

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<h2>“If you care about your city, you show up for it.”</h2><img src="https://run.imgix.net/e3008554-93f0-4c60-a365-6f9f510ce72b/d9cb365e-1c65-4cb4-97aa-44e2b601bd06/d9cb365e-1c65-4cb4-97aa-44e2b601bd06.jpg?ixlib=js-3.8.0&amp;bri=2&amp;con=0&amp;sat=0&amp;high=0&amp;shad=-30&amp;usm=0&amp;rect=0%2C0%2C5504%2C8256&amp;w=1500" alt="" caption="Paul and his wife, Shirley. " align="left" alignwidth="32" tiltdirection="left" variant="framed">Paul and his wife, Shirley. <img src="https://run.imgix.net/e3008554-93f0-4c60-a365-6f9f510ce72b/673f428e-815a-4986-81cd-7e46b13dd4a9/673f428e-815a-4986-81cd-7e46b13dd4a9.png?ixlib=js-3.8.0&amp;bri=0&amp;con=0&amp;sat=14&amp;high=0&amp;shad=-14&amp;usm=0&amp;rect=0%2C36%2C2397%2C3504&amp;w=1500" alt="Paul = Marine Corps" caption="Paul during his time in the US Marine Corps" align="right" alignwidth="25" tiltdirection="right" variant="base">Paul during his time in the US Marine Corps<h4>A graduate of Denver North High School and a member of the school’s Hall of Fame, Paul went on to serve in the United States Marine Corps during the Gulf War. The Marines instilled in him discipline, integrity, and teamwork, values that guided his 28-year career with the Denver Police Department, where he rose through the ranks to serve as Chief of Police.</h4><h1>A LIFETIME OF SERVICE </h1><img src="https://run.imgix.net/e3008554-93f0-4c60-a365-6f9f510ce72b/f4612c49-6b3e-4683-830e-9a357811f368/f4612c49-6b3e-4683-830e-9a357811f368.png?ixlib=js-3.8.0&amp;bri=0&amp;con=0&amp;sat=0&amp;high=0&amp;shad=0&amp;usm=0&amp;rect=799%2C913%2C1540%2C2116&amp;w=1500" alt="Paul coaching his son's soccer team" caption="Paul coaching his son's soccer team" align="left" alignwidth="25" tiltdirection="left" variant="framed">Paul coaching his son's soccer team<h3>As Chief, Paul worked to make public safety in Denver smarter, more humane, and more effective. Paul worked with community leaders to create nationally recognized programs like the Support Team Assisted Response (STAR) program, which sends mental health professionals — not armed officers — to people in crisis. He expanded the mental health co-responder program, launched the Domestic Violence Prevention Program, strengthened Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion (LEAD) to connect people to treatment instead of jail, and created specialized units to combat human trafficking and hate crimes. He also expanded officer training from 24 hours to 80 hours annually, emphasizing de-escalation, accountability, and compassionate service.</h3><h3>In addition to his work, he has volunteered extensively in the community, serving on the boards of multiple non-profits including NAMI Denver, Servicios de la Raza (including as the board President), and The Center for Trauma &amp; Resilience. He is a proud graduate of the Latino Leadership Institute.</h3><h3>Paul and his wife Shirley, who immigrated to the U.S. at age eleven, have been married for over 30 years and have lived in District 2 for more than three decades. They raised their three now grown sons in Southwest Denver, where Paul spent weekends and evenings coaching their soccer teams and building lasting relationships with neighbors. Their family’s roots run deep in the community.</h3><h3>After retiring, Paul settled into the private sector and watched his sons move on to the next phases of their lives. But as more families in District 2 expressed concerns about safety, affordability, and feeling unheard, he felt called to step forward once again.</h3><img src="https://run.imgix.net/e3008554-93f0-4c60-a365-6f9f510ce72b/d0b1e377-3fc6-4be3-b44d-81fadf5c3951/2b0edf92-532b-416d-af0d-10f3dd7126ab.webp?ixlib=js-3.8.0&amp;bri=0&amp;con=0&amp;sat=0&amp;high=0&amp;shad=0&amp;usm=0&amp;rect=114%2C188%2C3237%2C2683&amp;w=1500" alt="" caption="Photo: Courtesy of Tony Kovaleski" align="left" alignwidth="40" tiltdirection="left" variant="framed">Photo: Courtesy of Tony Kovaleski<h3>As a candidate for Denver City Council District 2, Paul is focused on the fundamentals that strengthen neighborhoods: safer streets, improved infrastructure, responsive city services, support for small businesses, expanding and protecting open spaces, parks, and trails, and cutting red tape that delays housing solutions. He believes public safety and compassion go hand in hand, and that Denver must work for everyone: families, seniors, young people, long-time residents, and newcomers alike.</h3><h3></h3><h3>For Paul Pazen, service has never been about a title. It’s about protecting what makes Denver special and ensuring that every family in District 2 feels safe, valued, and at home.</h3>

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February 4, 2026By Brian Maass | <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/colorado/news/paul-pazen-police-chief-run-denver-city-council/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">CBS Colorado</a>Former Denver Police Chief Paul Pazen, who&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/colorado/news/denver-police-former-chief-paul-pazen-reflects-time-with-department/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">retired as chief in 2022</a>, plans to announce next week that he is running for a seat on Denver City Council.Pazen confirmed his intentions Tuesday night, telling CBS Colorado, “I’m running for Denver City Council District 2 because southwest Denver deserves leadership that listens, shows up, and will work tirelessly for the people who live and work here.”READ THE FULL ARTICLE AT <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/colorado/news/paul-pazen-police-chief-run-denver-city-council/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">CBS COLORADO</a>

the Rocky Mountain VoiceFebruary 4, 2026By Brian Maass | <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/colorado/news/paul-pazen-police-chief-run-denver-city-council/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">CBS Colorado</a>Former Denver Police Chief Paul Pazen, who&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/colorado/news/denver-police-former-chief-paul-pazen-reflects-time-with-department/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">retired as chief in 2022</a>, plans to announce next week that he is running for a seat on Denver City Council.Pazen confirmed his intentions Tuesday night, telling CBS Colorado, “I’m running for Denver City Council District 2 because southwest Denver deserves leadership that listens, shows up, and will work tirelessly for the people who live and work here.”

Former Denver Police Chief Paul Pazen Enters City Council Race in Southwest Denver

The former chief told Denver7 he wants to focus on public safety, affordability and city services in District 2By: <a href="https://www.denver7.com/oscar-contreras">Óscar Contreras</a>Posted 8:11 PM, Feb 04, 2026and last updated 8:20 PM, Feb 04, 2026DENVER — 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, <a href="https://ballotpedia.org/Kevin_Flynn_(Colorado)" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">who was elected to serve District 2 in 2015</a>, 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 MartinezA brief summary of Pazen’s résuméPazen, <a href="https://www.denver7.com/news/local-news/new-denver-police-chief-gets-to-work-sets-his-sights-on-social-harms-domestic-violence" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">who was profiled by Denver7 in 2018</a>, 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 <a href="https://www.denver7.com/news/local-news/mayor-hancock-announces-transformation-and-policy-division-to-address-violent-crime-police-reform" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">violent crime "hot spots"</a> and was a supporter of the city’s <a href="https://www.denver7.com/news/local-news/new-program-diverts-some-911-calls-from-police-to-a-mental-health-team" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">STAR program</a>, 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, <a href="https://www.denver7.com/news/local-news/denver-police-department-chief-and-protesters-react-to-departments-use-of-force-policy-change" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Pazen banned the use of chokeholds by police</a>, 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 <a href="https://www.denver7.com/news/local-news/denver-police-releases-bodycam-footage-of-lodo-shooting-that-left-6-bystanders-injured" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">injured six bystanders in 2022</a> 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.

By: <a href="https://www.denver7.com/oscar-contreras">Óscar Contreras</a>Posted 8:11 PM, Feb 04, 2026DENVER — 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.

Former Denver Police Chief Paul Pazen to run for City Council in 2027

<a href="https://denverite.com/2026/02/04/paul-pazen-denver-city-council-race/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color: var(--color-text); text-decoration-color: var(--color-text);">Paul Pazen hopes to succeed Kevin Flynn in District 2, which covers southwest Denver.</a><a href="https://denverite.com/about/andykenney/">Andrew Kenney</a>A familiar face wants to become an elected official in Denver: the city's former police chief.Paul Pazen said this week that he would enter the 2027 race to become the next Denver City Council member representing southwest Denver's District 2.Pazen was the city’s police chief from 2018 until his retirement in 2022. He told CBS that his campaign would include a focus on “safe and affordable” neighborhoods. A formal announcement is planned for next week."I see this as an opportunity to continue to give back to the city that has given me so much. I'm born and raised in this city, and there was a time I needed help up. We needed help up as a family. We got it. And I think it's important to give back," Pazen said in a phone interview Wednesday.He named public safety and supporting small businesses as top priorities. He also wants to prevent the gentrification of southwest Denver, pointing to north Denver as a cautionary tale."A lot of the neighborhoods in southwest Denver have those starter homes ... around $400,000, $450,000. What I don't want to see is those starter homes, affordable homes being purchased, scraped, and too many parts of our city turned into four units and each one of those units selling for $750,000," he said. "So density by itself does not equal affordability. We have to do it a smart way."Who else is in the District 2 race?The district’s current representative, Councilmember Kevin Flynn, cannot run again due to term limits. He is in the middle of his third term.His competition in the 2027 election will include Tran Nguyen-Wills, a leader in Mayor Mike Johnston's administration. Nguyen-Wills is deputy director of outreach for the mayor’s office.CBS Colorado first reported Pazen's candidacy.What’s on Pazen’s resume?Pazen attended North High School, served in the U.S. Marines and worked for the local police department for nearly 28 years. He earned a bachelor's in organizational leadership from Colorado State University Global in 2017 and a master's in homeland security and defense from the Naval Postgraduate School in 2021, among other educational experiences. He has lived in southwest Denver for 30 years.His time as chief included the 2020 racial justice protests following George Floyd’s demonstrations. He marched with demonstrators. The city has since paid more than $18 million in settlements over allegations of police brutality and misconduct during the protests.As Denverite’s Kyle Harris reported in a 2022 retrospective, Pazen “navigated the tensions between tough-on-crime policing and harm reduction efforts, often attempting to appeal to proponents of both methods in addressing drug crimes.”The article continued: “He has championed community policing and supported programs like STAR and LEAD designed to keep low-level offenders out of jail and instead connect them with services.”Election Day is April 6, 2027, and, if necessary, will be followed by a runoff on June 1, 2027.Editor's note: This article was updated with comment from Paul Pazen.

<a href="https://denverite.com/about/andykenney/">Andrew Kenney</a>Feb. 04, 2026A familiar face wants to become an elected official in Denver: the city's former police chief.Paul Pazen said this week that he would enter the 2027 race to become the next Denver City Council member representing southwest Denver's District 2.Pazen was the city’s police chief from 2018 until his retirement in 2022. He told CBS that his campaign would include a focus on “safe and affordable” neighborhoods. A formal announcement is planned for next week.

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Former Denver Police chief Paul Pazen to run for City Council

By Brian MaassUpdated on: February 3, 2026 / 10:21 PM MST / CBS ColoradoFormer Denver Police Chief Paul Pazen, who retired as chief in 2022, plans to announce next week that he is running for a seat on Denver City Council.Pazen confirmed his intentions Tuesday night, telling CBS Colorado, "I'm running for Denver City Council District 2 because southwest Denver deserves leadership that listens, shows up, and will work tirelessly for the people who live and work here."The seat will be vacated by current councilman Kevin Flynn, who will be term limited out after serving three terms.Pazen was with DPD for 28 years, serving his last four years with the department as chief."I care deeply about the things that impact our daily lives: I believe in safe and affordable neighborhoods, city services you can count on, supporting our small business and helping the hardworking people of southwest Denver have a better life now and in the future," Pazen told CBS Colorado.The election will be held in April 2027 and Pazen is the second candidate to announce his candidacy for the seat.

By Brian MaassUpdated on: February 3, 2026 / 10:21 PM MST / CBS ColoradoFormer Denver Police Chief Paul Pazen, who <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/colorado/news/denver-police-former-chief-paul-pazen-reflects-time-with-department/">retired as chief in 2022</a>, plans to announce next week that he is running for a seat on Denver City Council.Pazen confirmed his intentions Tuesday night, telling CBS Colorado, "I'm running for Denver City Council District 2 because southwest Denver deserves leadership that listens, shows up, and will work tirelessly for the people who live and work here."

Paul Pazen, former Denver police chief, to run for Denver City Council

Former Denver Police Chief Paul Pazen announced his bid for the District 2 City Council seat to be vacated by Kevin Flynn in 2027.Flynn is term-limited.Pazen, who began his law enforcement career in 1995 with the Denver Police Department, rose through the ranks to become the agency’s chief, retiring in 2022 after close to three decades of service.<h3>“I’m running for city council for many reasons,” Pazen told a crowd of about 70 people gathered on Wednesday at the Cultivar Cafe on West Yale Avenue.</h3>“Council District 2 has a long, rich history of strong, stable leadership that goes back decades,” he said. “If you look at the people that have served in this seat, they generally serve on multiple terms. That is a foundation, and that is a legacy that I want to build upon in order to serve the people of southwest Denver.”Pazen, a graduate of North High School, served in the Marine Corps.As Denver’s top cop for four years, Pazen launched an initiative nicknamed “hot spot policing,” which focuses department resources in areas that, the police said, experienced a disproportionate share of Denver’s homicides and shootings. At the time, Pazen said the idea was to prevent crime, rather than just respond to it. The effort drew criticism from people who said it leads to over-policing of poor communities and people of color. Others lauded it, saying it worked. Back in 2022, the police said gun violence decreased in four of the five “hot spots” in the year before.He also supported the city’s STAR program, which dispatches some to low-risk 911 calls away from police officers and to a mental health team instead.“You can’t serve the people if you don’t know the people,” District 2 Councilmember Kevin Flynn said. “And that’s where I think Paul brings a lot of experience, a lot of know-how, because he’s been here for so long, and I appreciate that someone with his experience, with his knowledge of city government, is willing to step up and serve the community again.”Denver District 2 Councilmember Kevin Flynn speaks briefly at small gathering where former Denver Police Chief Paul Pazen officially announced his bid for Flynn’s seat, which he will vacaste in 2027 due to term-limitation. (Deborah Grigsby, The Denver Gazette)Outlining his campaign goals, Pazen said he plans to “focus on safe and affordable neighborhoods, public safety that is smart, fair and community focused, affordable housing that focuses on the people that live here, as well as preserving these amazing neighborhoods that we have in southwest Denver.”Pazen’s other priorities include strengthening both current and future jobs and businesses, as well as services and safeguarding parks. “And lastly, veterans and seniors,” Pazen said. “Our veterans and our seniors have given so much to our community, we need to make sure that we take care of them.”Pazen was police chief during the protests following the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis officers. In early 2022, the city lost a $13.75 million trial judgment in a landmark federal excessive force lawsuit over how the police department handled the 2020 Black Lives Matter protests. The city has appealed the court’s ruling and the case is still pending.Pazen has frequently criticized state policies concerning pretrial release, supervision and sentencing reforms, which he believes are too lenient. A Denver Gazette investigation found nearly half of the people arrested for homicides in Denver in 2020 and 2021 were under some kind of pretrial supervision at the time.Denver’s Municipal General Election will be held on April 6, 2027. Should a runoff be needed, that would set for June 1, 2027, according to the Office of the Denver Clerk and Recorder..

<a href="https://www.denvergazette.com/2026/02/11/paul-pazen-a-former-police-chief-launches-bid-for-denver-city-council/?fbclid=IwY2xjawQArSlleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEeWH-4O09sZ3ihvihHDJCkzX2Z-rgrLiwHwvgF5zZSMsja6KPfjf9RU-eLx34_aem_JMmNLYWa78zoxOFJ5u7yWA&amp;utm_content=buffer27030&amp;utm_medium=social&amp;utm_source=facebook.com&amp;utm_campaign=buffer" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Deborah Grigsby</a>Feb. 11, 2026 Former Denver Police Chief Paul Pazen announced his bid for the District 2 City Council seat to be vacated by Kevin Flynn in 2027.Flynn is term-limited.Pazen, who began his law enforcement career in 1995 with the Denver Police Department, rose through the ranks to become the agency’s chief, retiring in 2022 after close to three decades of service.

Paul Pazen, a former police chief, launches bid for Denver City Council 

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