Reader: Cops Shoot Innocent People and Then Ban Businesses?

On July 17, Denver Police Department officers fired into a crowd in the 2000 block of Larimer Street, injuring seven people – including the man they were trying to subdue. While the city is still investigating the incident, the DPD made a move: It booted food trucks from several blocks of the LoDo/Ballpark neighborhoods on the weekends.

One food truck owner who was parked just down the block that night says that the businesses were not consulted by the DPD before they were banned; she’s started a petition to get the trucks back in the area.

In their comments on the Westword Facebook post of her story, readers question the DPD’s moves – both banning the trucks and firing their guns in the first place. Says Joe: 

Why close down the food trucks in this part of town? It’s not like those six innocent bystanders were hit by flying tacos. They were hit by bullets fired by the Denver Police Department.

Melody:

I don’t go to LoDo at all, so I really don’t have a dog in this fight, but it seems to me the City is looking for the easiest solutions that hurt the most people. Here are my questions: Why do bars have mandatory closing times? What if bars closed when they wanted to? Would that naturally stagger closing times based on commercial needs (staffing, etc.) and prevent crowds choking the streets at the same time? Just musing here….

Responds Jake:

Nah… it just means the shit show down there would go on longer.

Counters Nick:

This works for the largest cities in the world.. it’s almost like those running Denver are incompetent? It’s absolutely absurd these local business were ordered to shut down because the city doesn’t know how to do its job.

Adds Caleb: 

Thank y’all for taking the opportunity to tackle this and highlight how horribly mismanaged the situation is. I feel for the food truck owners. On conditional permits, they risk making themselves a target for retaliation if they speak up for themselves. Most are immigrants with their food truck as their sole source of income. Glad to see the public and many Denver restaurant owners going to bat for them. It’s horrendous overreach by an exceedingly insensitive and mismanaged public governance. Vote for change.

And Jake concludes:

So, idiot cops shoot innocent people and their response is to overstep and shut down businesses? Fire those fuckers. Need a complete overhaul of Denver PD. If you can’t competently do your job, you don’t deserve to wear the badge.

Food truck owners say they were told the ban was temporary, but they have yet to hear when it might be lifted. In the meantime, what do you think of the city’s move to boot these businesses from parts of the LoDo/Ballpark neighborhoods on the weekend? Post a comment or share your thoughts at editorial@westword.com.