Every third Thursday, District 6 Commander Aaron Sanchez and officers hold a community meeting at the District 6 station on Washington Street just north of Colfax. All community members are invited. Meetings are posted on NextDoor, and with 3 days’ notice, an ASL interpreter can be present.
The meetings are at 10:00 a.m., but recently the Commander has begun to alternate times: every other month, there’s an evening convening instead. You can contact one of the two community officers, Officer Gillian Teresa.Gillian@denvergov.org (720) 913-2908 or Officer Munson Austen.Munson@denvergov.org (720) 913-2906 for more information.
Package thefts are up, way up. With Amazon Prime delivering stuff to our doorsteps, the likelihood of that stuff being stolen increases.
Do what you can to minimize the visibility of packages on your doorstep or to have the packages delivered to you at work or when you are home. Track your packages so you know when they are coming. Install a camera. Sign up for Key by Amazon: those are a few ways to make theft less likely, but those of course won’t work for everybody.
Neighborhood Watch is another way: get everyone’s active eyes on the activity in the neighborhood. Consider forming a Neighborhood Watch on your block.
Homelessness and related concerns: Sgt. Brian Conover is the supervisor of the Homeless Outreach Team. They have two teams active, one day and one night. Their primary role is outreach. It is more difficult, without the camping ban, to approach and connect with people living outdoors: the ban gives police a reason to approach and to find out if they can get people help, services, etc. Living outdoors on the streets in the city is bad for everybody, and the DPD is committed to trying to get folks situated in the safest indoor places they can. Citations are rare and are a last resort (emphatically so, and repeated: a last resort).
There are usually 100-150 available beds in Denver at any time. Not everyone wants to use them: shelters feel unsafe, other options are limited (although in some cases, motel rooms are provided) and not everyone wants to be indoors.
The police work closely with a number of organizations to do outreach, needle cleanup, connection with services, etc.
Protests: With divisive discourses abounding, the impeachment and the upcoming elections, this coming year is expected to be a doozy for protests, and the DPD are prepared.
Mounted patrol: the Mounted Patrol are looking for events where community members, especially kids, can get to know them and the horses. Contact one of the Community Officers for our district, Teresa Gillian (720) 913-2908 or Austen Munson (720) 913-2906.
