Allison Sherry/CPR News Community members listen to Denver police officers describe a new program that requires officers to fill out 34 pieces of demographic information about every person they stop—including race and gender.

Denver police officers have started collecting 34 pieces of demographic information — including gender and race — on every person they stop.

Right now the program is in the pilot stage, and only in the police district that encompasses the Park Hill and City Park neighborhoods. It will go citywide in the fall, officials said.

The idea behind demographic data collection is to detect whether officers have any inherent biases in how they approach policing. The data not only collects demographic information, but also how long an officer spent at a stop.

Division Chief of Patrol Ron Thomas, who is leading the effort, said most officers don’t believe they use race or other "improper justifications" for making a police stop.

"But obviously people aren’t aware of their own implicit biases sometimes," Thomas said.

The demographic data collection program started with a community push after unsuccessful attempts to get a similar statewide program passed in the state legislature.