Key Points

Nearly 60 volunteers fanned out across Durango this week to launch a citizen‑driven petition for a local ordinance that would prohibit masked law‑enforcement officers, require visible identification, and ensure policing in Durango remains local, constitutional, and accountable. If 1,500 signatures are gathered by March 6, the City Council must either adopt the ordinance or send it to a special election—putting the safety of our community and the threat of a “secret police” directly before the people.

A real conversation about lawless federal policing is overdue. A successful petition forces that conversation into the open. Silence is not safety, and many of us no longer feel safe.

Why a Citizen’s Initiative

• Traditional legislative channels are stalled by a culture of “stay quiet and in your lane.”

• A citizen’s initiative bypasses that obstruction and gives the people the power to act.

• History shows that when institutions fail to protect rights, citizens must step forward.

Constitutionality and Local Protection

• The ordinance aligns with constitutional principles; we are not discarding our rights. As long as the constitution remains enforceable, this ordinance is enforceable.

• Surrendering constitutional protections is the opposite of safety.

• Durango Police operate with clear identification, ethical standards, and accountability.

• Federal officers operating anonymously have no ties to our community and pose real risks.

The True Account of the Threat

• Domestic killings and violent encounters are being carried out by masked, quota‑driven federal teams acting with impunity.

• These units arrive armed, anonymous, and eager for confrontation—conditions that can erupt in any neighborhood.

• Their tactics are designed to intimidate, injure, and remain unaccountable.

• Staying silent invites further erosion of constitutional rights.

Why This Ordinance Matters

• When the truth is denied or twisted into propaganda, communities must push back.

• The ordinance is about protection, not confrontation—ensuring that Durango residents are shielded from lawless federal actions.

• Violations are reportable to Durango Police, reinforcing lawful local policing rather than obstructing it.

Our Rights and the Threat of Retaliation

• Exercising constitutional rights should not expose citizens to lawsuits or intimidation.

• Government‑sponsored coercion thrives when people stop resisting.

• We retain the right to self‑defense, to protect others, to speak out, and to be secure in our homes and our bodies.

The Larger Fight

• The federal argument—that our constitutional rights obstruct their ability to deploy secret police—cannot be accepted.

• This ordinance is one part of a broader movement to push back, protect communities, and inspire further action.

• If this ordinance fails, the fight for constitutional safety and local control continues. Time to break silence.