New Downtown Safety Plan will Provide Expanded Police and Outreach Resources

Today, the Downtown Denver Partnership joined Mayor Mike Johnston, Denver Police Department (DPD), Denver’s District Attorney’s Office and other partners and downtown champions in announcing new resources to ensure downtown is clean, safe and beautiful. The comprehensive plan will enhance public safety downtown while strengthening collaboration across partners and services, and meeting Denver’s Safe and Vibrant goals.

"Revitalizing downtown has been a core focus for our administration since we took office, and investing in our safety and outreach resources is the clear next step,” said Mayor Mike Johnston.

“Downtown Denver is not just the backbone of Denver’s economy, but it's the cultural and civic heart of the Mountain West. These new public safety resources -- coupled with $570 million in economic investments through the Downtown Development Authority, the completion of construction on 16th Street, and non-stop events and attractions all summer, downtown is well on its way to being the vibrant core of our city once again.”

Ahead of Rockies Opening Day, the 16th Street Summer Kickoff, and steadily increasing foot traffic downtown, the Downtown Safety Action Plan will create a permanent downtown police unit, expand additional safety resources, and provide higher levels of outreach to those who need support.

“A safe, beautiful environment is the absolute cornerstone of a thriving downtown, and especially key as we continue our collective efforts to revitalize the heart of our city,” said Kourtny Garrett, President & CEO of the Downtown Denver Partnership. “Creating a safe urban center – one that not only is safe but also feels safe – cannot happen without deep collaboration and a shared commitment to dedicating the resources and services necessary to meaningfully address challenges and ensure that all users of downtown are well-supported. This effort reflects a strong commitment to our center city and is indicative of the pride and optimism we all feel for downtown’s next chapter.”

As downtown comes back to life after years of construction and post-pandemic revitalization efforts, a new dedicated downtown police unit that will increase services and greater visibility to build upon our progress. This 10-officer unit will patrol the area on foot, bicycles and motorcycles. In addition to this new dedicated unit:

• There will be 10 extra foot patrols each day to help deter incidents, respond quickly, and be a resource to the community.

• DPD's mounted horse patrol will be dedicated to downtown.

• A new DPD Downtown Kiosk at 16th and Arapahoe streets will serve as a hub for officers and give residents and visitors an easy way to get questions answered or report any issues quickly and safely.

Beyond the increased police presence downtown, investments will be made in other proven safety support resources to maintain a feeling of safety, cleanliness and vibrancy, including:

• Five additional private security officers through the Downtown Denver Business Improvement District

• Three additional shifts of Park Ranger patrols downtown to maintain safety and vibrancy

• Increased work by the Department of Transportation and Infrastructure downtown to address infrastructure upgrades and cleanliness

Under Mayor Johnston’s All in Mile High initiative, Denver has made significant progress in closing encampments and helping more than 2,400 individuals get off the streets and into housing, The Partnership, whose team includes two full-time outreach workers through a partnership with the Caring for Denver Foundation, joins Mayor Johnston and community partners in being committed to continuing to build upon this progress by expanding outreach services downtown to connect people with high-quality support, including:

• Downtown mental health and substance use support team, including Roads to Recovery

• Expanded Denver Fire Department medical unit presence to respond to medical crises

• Denver Health bicycle paramedics and other quick-response vehicles prioritized to downtown locations

As part of this effort, the Denver Downtown Development Authority has approved funding to invest in extra Denver Police foot patrols. This funding will ensure visitors and residents alike feel safe going downtown which will increase foot traffic and expand opportunity across the center city.