DENVER CITY COUNCIL MEMBER’S CODE OF CONDUCT
Introduction
The citizens of the City and County of Denver (“City”) expect their elected officials to behave in a
manner befitting the honor and privilege they hold as representatives of the City. The Denver City
Council is committed to providing and maintaining a professional work environment that is free of
threats or acts of violence and bullying. The Denver City Council is also committed to providing and
maintaining a safe, healthy, and efficient environment. Through adoption, implementation, and
enforcement of the policies set forth in this Code of Conduct (“Code”) and through continuing
education and training provided by the Office of Human Resources (“OHR”), the Denver City
Council will seek to prevent, address, and correct behavior that violates the Code.
Application
This Code applies to all Members of the Denver City Council.
ANTI-VIOLENCE POLICY
The Denver City Council strictly prohibits violence or the threat of violence, by or against any Council
member or employee of the City and County of Denver. Council members who engage in prohibited
violence or the threat of violence may be subject to censure and possible criminal charges.
Denver City Council members are required to report to the Council President and/or the Executive
Director if:
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They are the restrained party of a protection order; or
They currently have criminal charges pending.

Denver City Council members are also prohibited from bringing any kind of weapon to a City work
location or a City-sponsored event. This prohibition includes the possession of weapons in violation
of federal, state, or local law.

Definitions
“Violence” is defined, but not limited to:
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The actual or attempted: physical assault, beating, improper touching, striking, shoving,
kicking, grabbing, stabbing, shooting, punching, pushing, rape, or use of a deadly weapon;
The actual or attempted: threatening behavior, verbal abuse, intimidation, harassment,
obscene telephone calls or communications through a computer system, swearing at or
shouting at, or stalking;

Other prohibited acts include:


Any violation of a valid court order issued by any court of record within the United States of
America, which restrains and prohibits any person from communicating with or contacting in
any manner, threatening, beating, striking, or assaulting any other person, or;
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Any violation of a valid court order issued by any court of record within the United States of
America, which requires a person to leave certain premises, or prohibit from entering or
remaining on such premises or any specified area; or
Any violation of a valid court order issued by any court of record within the United States of
America, which regulates child custody.

Weapon is defined as a device, instrument, material, or substance used for, or can cause, death or
bodily injury, or damage to property. Weapon includes, but is not limited to: an explosive weapon, a
device principally designed, made, or adapted for delivering or shooting an explosive weapon, a
machine gun, a rifle or shotgun, a handgun, a firearm silencer, a switchblade knife or any other type
of knife, brass knuckles, or any other implement for infliction of bodily injury, damage to property, or
death which has no common lawful purpose. Pocket knives or knives used solely for eating, food
preparation, or food distribution are not considered "weapons" for purposes of this Policy unless
intentionally used to inflict bodily injury or damage to property.

Examples
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Bringing any kind of weapon to a City work location or a City-sponsored event;
Perpetrating any act of violence;
Engaging in or encouraging others to engage in any of the conduct prohibited in this Policy.

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 ANTI-BULLYING POLICY
The Denver City Council strictly prohibits bullying, by or against any Council member or employee
of the City and County of Denver. Council members who engage in bullying may be subject to censure
and possible criminal charges.

Definitions
“Bullying” means any repeated inappropriate behavior, either direct or indirect, whether verbal,
physical or otherwise, conducted by one or more persons against another.

Examples


Verbal bullying: Slandering, ridiculing, or maligning a person or his or her family; persistent
name calling that is hurtful, insulting or humiliating; using a person as the butt of jokes; abusive
and offensive remarks.



Physical bullying: Pushing, shoving, kicking, poking, tripping, assault, or threat of physical
assault, damage to a person’s work area or property



Gesture bullying: Nonverbal threatening gestures; glances that can convey threatening
messages.

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Exclusion: Socially or physically excluding or disregarding a person in work-related activities.

In addition, the following examples may constitute or contribute to evidence of bullying:


Persistent singling out of one person;

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Shouting or raising voice at an individual in public or in private;

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Using verbal or obscene gestures;

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Not allowing the person to speak or express himself of herself (i.e., ignoring or interrupting);

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Personal insults and use of offensive nicknames;

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Public humiliation in any form;

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Constant criticism on matters unrelated or minimally related to the person’s job performance
or description;

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Ignoring or interrupting an individual at meetings;

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Public reprimands;

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Repeatedly accusing someone of errors that cannot be documented;

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Deliberately interfering with mail and other communications;

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Spreading rumors and gossip regarding individuals;

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Encouraging others to disregard another’s instructions;

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Manipulating the ability of someone to do his or her work (e.g., overloading, underloading,
withholding information, assigning meaningless tasks, setting deadlines that cannot be met,
giving deliberately ambiguous instructions);

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Inflicting menial tasks not in keeping with the normal responsibilities of the job;

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Taking credit for another person’s ideas;

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Refusing reasonable requests for leave in the absence of work-related reasons not to grant
leave;

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Deliberately excluding an individual or isolating him or her from work-related activities, such
as meetings;



Unwanted physical contact, physical abuse, or threats of abuse to an individual or an
individual’s property (defacing or marking up property).

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