McCann

Beth McCann has an agenda - and that's to be transparent, accountable and earn the trust of Denver communities.

McCann, who in November became the first woman elected Denver district attorney, started her position at the helm of the 2nd Judicial District in January. Since then, she's already put in motion new plans to meet with communities when police involved in fatal shootings aren't charged and to revamp how the criminal justice system deals with juvenile offenders.

The Denver Herald-Dispatch sat down with McCann June 28 to get to know her and her plans better.

How long have you been a local?

"I've been here for about 40 years, so I kind of consider myself a native," McCann, 68, said. "I've been here ever since I graduated from law school.

She went to Georgetown University law school in Washington, D.C., and she was born in Virginia.

"I was a state representative for eight years, in (north) Denver," said McCann, who was a four-term mainstay until 2016 for Colorado House District 8.

Did you always want to be a DA?

"I'd say I've always been interested in the job," McCann said. "After I'd worked in the DA's office for a while, I was interested then ... I ran for DA in 2004 as well, and came in second."

McCann was the deputy and then chief deputy district attorney in Denver for eight years before working in private practice, serving as the deputy attorney general for civil litigation and employment law in the Colorado Attorney General's office for eight years, and later running for the state house.

"I believe we could do a lot better job in the criminal justice system. I guess you could call me a progressive DA," McCann said. She said several progressive DAs were elected throughout the country in 2016.

What does being progressive mean to you?

"I'm (concerned) about mass incarceration, particularly for people of color," McCann said. "I gave every member of my staff a copy of 'The New Jim Crow.' "

McCann said she brought a University of Denver law school professor who teaches a class on that book to talk to her staff.

"We opened up a conversation about race and the criminal justice system and making sure we  don't have bias in our office," McCann said. "We're bringing a professor from (the University of Colorado Denver) who's going to help look at our data to see if we have some implicit bias in our office."

What's one of the biggest issues here?

"One of my big interests is in youth justice reform," said McCann, who talked about a "diversion" program in Denver. Under that program, juvenile offenders have to plead guilty, she said, but they are given opportunities that benefit them, like drug abuse help, for example.

"It's so one mistake doesn't ruin a kid's life," McCann said. "We're expanding it - we're going to do more restorative justice."

That's a program in which juveniles take responsibility for what they've done, but also work with the victim and the community to make sure the harm is repaid in a way that the victim agrees upon. McCann calls it "traditional restorative justice."

Crimes like getting in a fight, criminal mischief and drug-related crimes can apply - typically crimes with no weapons or major violence involved, McCann said. It's generally given as an option on the first offense, but she said she's looking at expanding that to offenses after that as well.

Currently, it only applies to offenders younger than 18, but starting in August, McCann's office will try it for those up to age 26, she said. The process can involve options like community service and paying back part or all of the monetary damage caused by a crime.

What are you proudest of in your time so far?

"Probably getting the juvenile (diversion) effort underway so quickly," McCann said. "We've been working since (April) to figure out better ways to have DA communication in the diversion program."

The Denver Department of Public Safety is involved in the diversion program as well.

McCann has made advances in other areas, too. She's already sent her deputies to meet with communities around Denver to make them more familiar with what DAs do - which, for a short list, includes prosecuting crimes in the area, investigating crimes along with other law officers and bringing evidence that may lead to indictments for alleged crimes - and to hear neighborhoods' concerns. That's a new practice for the DA, said McCann, who mentioned a Harvey Park neighborhood group in the conversation.

She also has a new policy of meeting with communities when there's an officer-involved fatal shooting for which she decides not to file charges. She's already had one such meeting in Montbello in May on a shooting that happened during her predecessor's term.

"I talked about transparency ... when I was running," McCann said. "It's important for people to understand why I make decisions I make."

Is there anything else you want people to know?

"I have an open-door policy - I like to talk to neighborhood and civic groups about what we do so they can feel more comfortable about what we do," McCann said. "We do some really important work."