Activism

Occupy Denver: State Patrol spokesman says approach to dealing with protesters "evolving"

As we reported yesterday, Governor John Hickenlooper said Occupy Denver protesters can't continue camping overnight near the State Capitol -- but he acknowledged that jurisdictional issues have complicated things. Such issues have yet to be resolved, says a Colorado State Patrol spokesman. But various agencies are working on figuring out the next step.

As we've reported, the area where campers have set up is under the jurisdiction of the State Patrol. However, Hickenlooper noted on KOA yesterday that "we don't have a jail to put them in, and we haven't been able to find a way that the city, that the district attorney will prosecute,"

Thus far, representatives of Governor Hickenlooper have not responded to multiple requests for an update about Occupy Denver. However, CSP spokesman Sergeant Mike Baker confirms that his agency has held conversations in the past 24 hours with representatives of Occupy Denver as well as the Denver Police Department, the Denver District Attorney's Office, the City Attorney's Office and the Governor's Office. "We're trying to consult with everyone, to make sure we're all on the same page," he says.

Baker describes the strategy to address the ongoing tent city as "still evolving... We're continuing to develop a strategy to find a course of action that will work for all parties, including Occupy Denver, to resolve the situation."

An announcement on the subject could come as early as today. But that doesn't necessarily mean action -- such as possibly evicting the campers, or giving them a deadline to leave before being forcibly removed -- might follow a similar schedule. "A time frame is something we're working on -- if we do take action, when will it be," Baker points out.

In the meantime, the protest continues... for now.

More from our Videos archive: "Occupy Denver video collection chronicles ongoing protests."

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Michael Roberts has written for Westword since October 1990, serving stints as music editor and media columnist. He currently covers everything from breaking news and politics to sports and stories that defy categorization.
Contact: Michael Roberts

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