Retiring Officer: "I Am Leaving Colorado For Less Communism"

An Aurora, CO, police officer, sent a department-wide email this month as he announced his retirement, offering some barbs and harsh assessments of the current climate for law enforcement.

“I am leaving Colorado for palm trees and less communism,” wrote Daniel Bertelson, who spent 16 years with the Aurora Police Department.

“Try to ignore the politicians and media,” he wrote to his colleagues. “They know nothing of this profession or honor; they’re self-serving con artists, well-dressed pimps and prostitutes at best.”

The number of officers leaving APD has been increasing in recent years, jumping more than 60% from 2019 to 2020. The city is experiencing a significant increase in crime, CBS Denver reports.

“Never forget,” wrote Bertelson, “you are all capable of incredible things in and out of law enforcement, never lose faith in yourself.”