February Bulletins

**DENVER MAYORIAL CANDIDATE AURELIO MARTINEZ PRESS STATEMENT

Mike Johnston takes credit for crime reduction ** 

February 3, 2026

Denver residents deserve clear, honest information about public safety—not slogans that outrun the data. Recent statements from Mayor Mike Johnston claim that Denver has seen a “sharp drop in shootings” and “the largest reduction in homicides of any city in the country.” While any reduction in violence is welcome, these claims are not supported by the full, transparent data that the public deserves.

Denver Police Department data does show a decline in homicides over the past year. That is meaningful progress, and every life saved matters. But the Mayor’s assertion that Denver leads the entire nation in homicide reduction has not been backed by any publicly released national comparison. Without transparent, peer‑city data, this claim remains unverified.

The same is true for the Mayor’s statement about a “sharp drop in shootings.”
The City does not publish a clear, year‑over‑year shootings dataset that allows residents, journalists, or community leaders to independently confirm this claim. If the administration has the numbers, it should release them in a simple, accessible format.

Public safety is too important for selective statistics. Denver remains a city where many neighborhoods—particularly working‑class, Black, Brown, and immigrant communities—continue to experience violence at levels far above the national average. These communities deserve the full picture, not partial data framed to support a political narrative.

I am calling on the Mayor’s Office to immediately release:

  • Year‑over‑year data on shootings, homicides, aggravated assaults, and carjackings
  • Neighborhood‑level breakdowns for all major violent‑crime categories
  • Any national comparison data used to justify claims of leading the country in crime reduction

Denver residents can handle the truth. What they cannot accept is being asked to take major public‑safety claims on faith alone.

If the administration is confident in its numbers, it should put every dataset on the table and let the public see the full story. Safety without transparency is not real safety—it’s messaging. Denver deserves both.

Contact Aurelio Martinez via email aurelio@amfdm.com or phone (303) 257-6989. Visit https://amfdm.com and www.youtube.com/@AurelioMartinez2027

February 5, 2026

DENVER MAYORAL CANDIDATE AURELIO MARTINEZ CALLS ON DPS BOARD TO IMPLEMENT PREVENTIVE MEASURES AGAINST ICE AMBUSHES AT SCHOOLS

Denver, CO — Denver mayoral candidate Aurelio Martinez is urging the Denver Public Schools Board of Education to take immediate action to protect students and families from potential ICE enforcement operations on or near school campuses.

Martinez warns that recent reports of ICE activity targeting school communities across the country have created widespread fear among immigrant families in Denver. He says the district must act now to ensure that DPS schools remain safe, trusted spaces for all children.

“When students are taken into custody by ICE agents and separated from their parents, their lives are devastated and destroyed,” Martinez said. “No parent or scholar should ever be traumatized by the violent actions of ICE agents. Schools must be places of learning—not ambush sites.”

Martinez notes that many parents are already afraid to bring their children to school, calling the fear “real, justified, and preventable.”

Earlier this week, Martinez sent a formal letter to all DPS board members outlining several proactive steps the district could take to safeguard families. His recommendations include establishing clear protocols to prevent ICE access to school grounds, providing remote‑learning options for high‑risk families, and ensuring staff are trained to respond appropriately if ICE attempts enforcement near a school.

“This is about the safety, health, and dignity of Denver families,” Martinez said. “DPS has both the responsibility and the ability to protect its students. We cannot wait for ICE to strike before we act.”

Martinez emphasized that his call to action is rooted in community concerns and the urgent need to prevent traumatic family separations.

Contact Aurelio Martinez via email aurelio@amfdm.com or phone (303) 257-6989. Visit https://amfdm.com and www.youtube.com/@AurelioMartinez2027

Below is a copy of the letter sent to DPS school board members:

Open Letter to the Denver Public Schools Board Members

Preventative Measures to Protect Students and Families from ICE

January 22, 2026

Dear Denver Public Schools Board Members,

My name is Aurelio Martinez, and I have lived my entire life in Curtis Park, in the heart of the Five Points neighborhood. My community—along with Cole, Whittier, Globeville, Elyria, Swansea, Clayton, Skyline, and Northeast Park Hill—is diverse, vibrant, and home to many Latino families who contribute deeply to the fabric of Denver.

Our concern is urgent: ICE. Not if they strike Denver, but when. When ICE violently detains parents and children, they tear families apart. Children go one direction, parents another. The terror of not knowing where your loved ones are—or whether you will ever see them again—is devastating and traumatic.

We must be prepared.

We, the residents of Denver, are asking you—our elected DPS board members—to take preventative measures now to protect students and families from the trauma, violence, and potential loss of life that ICE raids bring. One immediate step is to offer online learning options similar to those used during the height of COVID‑19: teachers on one end of the computer, students on the other.

This option would allow high‑risk families to keep their children safe from potential ICE ambushes while still ensuring they receive the education they deserve. No family should have to choose between safety and schooling.

I will be signing up to speak at the next available DPS board meeting to further express our community’s concerns about the hardships, trauma, mental distress, and violence that ICE actions inflict on our city.

Sincerely,

Aurelio Martinez

(303) 257‑6989