Residents of all ages in the West Colfax neighborhood have been complaining about an influx of homelessness and public disorder, including drug use and reports of nudity or sex out in the open, since the spring.
Councilwoman Jamie Torres, whose District 3 includes the area surrounding West Colfax Avenue from Federal to Sheridan boulevards, says her constituents have dealt with homelessness and public drug use before, but these issues flared up this year.
In May, West Colfax residents complained about public drug use, nudity and sex at a town hall event for their neighborhood hosted by Mayor Mike Johnston. At the time, Torres told Westword the timing of the meeting was perfect, as residents were complaining about more homelessness and public drug use only a few months after Johnston completed his House1000 mission to house 1,000 homeless residents by the end of 2023.
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Johnston wanted to host a town hall in West Colfax because he identified it as part of a Place Network Investigation (PNI), or strategy to reduce violence citywide by targeting micro-hot spots of crime. Other places like Las Vegas, Philadelphia and Harris County, Texas, have tried a PNI as well.
Torres and other councilmembers representing outer parts of Denver have said that House1000, which involved a series of large sweeps mostly in downtown Denver, may have pushed homeless residents out of the city center and into their districts. Torres noted that soon after Johnston finished that aggressive effort and a few more sweeps in the winter, small encampments started popping up in poorly lit greenbelts in her district, including in Paco Sanchez Park and Lakewood Dry Gulch, a two-mile trail from Federal Boulevard to the edge of Lakewood.
"A lot of that just made its way down the light-rail line," Torres said in May. "As visible as drug use and overnight camping is right now, it's never been that bad."
At the town hall in May, West Colfax residents asked Johnston directly for new lighting and fencing, especially around Paco Sanchez Park, which is near the intersection of West 14th Avenue and Federal Boulevard. In the past six months, the Denver Police Department has reported 122 reports of "all other crimes" in the neighborhood, which includes weapon violations, transporting stolen property and criminal trespassing but excludes most violent and property crimes.
West Colfax also saw 138 reports of public disorder, which includes vagrancy, vandalism, drunkenness, criminal mischief, disorderly conduct, prostitution, curfew and loitering, during that span, and about 120 violent crimes, according to DPD data.
According to Torres, the neighborhood had only 27 reports of "all other crimes" and 28 reports of violent crime in all of 2022.
Councilwoman Jamie Torres talks to her constituents in West Colfax about safety in July. At the meeting, DPD Chief Equity Officer Ben Sanders (left) gave a list of safety improvements in the area.
Bennito L. Kelty
"The area of 14th Avenue and Federal Boulevard is unique in that it is a very busy intersection that attracts a large pedestrian population due to its proximity to downtown Denver, an accessible light-rail station, and Paco Sanchez Park," Torres says. "The high crime in the area deters pedestrians from utilizing the Lakewood Dry Gulch Trail."
On October 4, the Colorado Division of Criminal Justice awarded Denver police a $250,000 grant as part of its Crime Prevention Through Safer Streets program.
Five LED lights will be installed in underpasses at Paco Sanchez Park, Torres says, while two existing lights will be updated and two security cameras will be installed near underpasses. A safety fence will also be installed to block off the high part of the underpasses, which some homeless individuals use as little niches to set up camp; the grant also pays for a mural to be painted in that fenced area.
A timeline for these improvements is still being worked out, says Torres, who is working with DPD to implement it.
The mayor's office has added some safety updates around West Colfax since the May town hall, as well. A follow-up meeting was held in July, when city officials told residents that DPD officers now patrol the West Colfax area twenty hours a week, and park picnic tables have been removed as a way of "eliminating negative activity."
On October 4, the Colorado Division of Criminal Justice awarded Denver police a $250,000 grant as part of its Crime Prevention Through Safer Streets program.
Five LED lights will be installed in underpasses at Paco Sanchez Park, Torres says, while two existing lights will be updated and two security cameras will be installed near underpasses. A safety fence will also be installed to block off the high part of the underpasses, which some homeless individuals use as little niches to set up camp; the grant also pays for a mural to be painted in that fenced area.
A timeline for these improvements is still being worked out, says Torres, who is working with DPD to implement it.
"We are not only enhancing safety and accessibility, but also ensuring that these benefits reach some of the city's most underserved populations," Torres tells Westword. "In addition to serving local residents, the area includes key community resources like RTD, local nonprofits and Denver Human Services, making it a hub for both transit and support services. In terms of impact, thousands of people living in the surrounding neighborhoods, such as Villa Park, West Colfax and Sun Valley, will be affected."
The mayor's office has added some safety updates around West Colfax since the May town hall, as well. A follow-up meeting was held in July, when city officials told residents that DPD officers now patrol the West Colfax area twenty hours a week, and park picnic tables have been removed as a way of "eliminating negative activity."
The city also updated public lighting and added streetlights along some residential streets and in Paco Sanchez Park, mostly by replacing outdated bulbs, Sanders said. At the time, Torres called these changes "marginal."
Securing the grant is "encouraging, but there's still a lot of work to be done," she says while calling for "sustained progress."
Torres also worries that Johnston may not be solving problems but pushing them around. Just as Johnston's House1000 effort may have pushed homelessness from downtown to West Colfax, Torres worries that focusing on the hot spot around Paco Sanchez Park could push crime to La Alma Lincoln Park, a part of her district where she's seen large encampments pop up multiple times. However, she's optimistic that she and the mayor's office can find a lasting solution together.
Securing the grant is "encouraging, but there's still a lot of work to be done," she says while calling for "sustained progress."
Torres also worries that Johnston may not be solving problems but pushing them around. Just as Johnston's House1000 effort may have pushed homelessness from downtown to West Colfax, Torres worries that focusing on the hot spot around Paco Sanchez Park could push crime to La Alma Lincoln Park, a part of her district where she's seen large encampments pop up multiple times. However, she's optimistic that she and the mayor's office can find a lasting solution together.
"Recently, we’ve seen an uptick in crime and negative activity in La Alma Lincoln Park, likely due to PNI efforts pushing these issues into the area," she says. "This highlights the need to connect and coordinate efforts across both locations. I’m hopeful the mayor’s office will continue to strengthen that connection between locations, and we’re starting to see that collaboration take shape."
