School of Public Affairs’ Paul Taylor Serves As Facilitator for CU Boulder Community Safety Task Force

Paul Taylor, an assistant professor in the CU Denver School of Public Affairs, is working with the CU Boulder Community Safety Task Force as an external facilitator to help in increasing accountability, transparency, engagement, and trust between the University of Colorado Boulder Police Department (CUPD) and the broader university community. Taylor, a CU Denver graduate and former CU Boulder police officer, focuses his academic research on human factors, system safety, and organizational learning in the context of police interactions with the public.

“The key is relationships. We have to establish and maintain those relationships. When there is something controversial, it’s knowing who you can get an answer from. We are looking for local solutions with national implications,” Taylor said.

Taylor received his bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from CU Denver’s School of Public Affairs and has more than 10 years of law enforcement experience, including time as an in-service instructor, field-training officer, patrol sergeant, and department training manager.

Last fall, Taylor taught an introduction to law enforcement course that virtually connected several law enforcement officers from across the Front Range with CU Denver students for candid conversations surrounding police. Topics covered included defunding the police, police brutality, controversial force, police leadership, media, and more. Because of this class, he’s been asked to facilitate a similar program for the community of Atlanta, Ga. and its police department, he said.