Clean & Safe Resource Guide

Clean and Safe Resource Guide

Public Safety

Based on the successful implementation of the Downtown Denver Partnership’s Security Action Plan in 2015, the second phase of the Security Action Plan is currently underway. VISIT DENVER is dedicating resources to the plan focused on enhancing the visitor experience including expanding security staffing and deployment, establishing a downtown Code of Conduct, enhancements to the Block Captain program, mobile applications to enhance reporting capabilities and tracking, and the use of Smart City technologies to integrate surveillance solutions, enabling public and private services and property owners to work together more efficiently.

The Business Improvement District (BID) deploys a security team on the 16th Street Mall and convention corridor, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.  Private security officers welcome employees, residents, and visitors while playing an ambassadorial role, help direct individuals in need of social services, and work closely with Denver Police Department officers and private businesses in addressing unlawful behavior. See the Downtown Denver Partnership for more information. 

Download the Downtown Denver Partnership's Clean and Safe app.

DPD dedicates a substantial amount of police resources to the downtown region with a focus on providing high-quality public safety services to our residents, businesses, and visitors in the downtown region.  In addition to our Precinct Officers, several District 6 Proactive Enforcement Units conduct a variety of patrols along our 16th Street Mall, and Convention Center corridors. 

Downtown Recovery and Activation

A new downtown recovery investment led by Denver Economic Development & Opportunity (DEDO) and approved by Denver City Council is directing $2.4M in a contract with the Downtown Denver Partnership and the Downtown Denver Business Improvement District to create an 18-month activation push involving investments in pop-up and existing businesses, restaurants and events, support for entrepreneurs, and design elements for crime prevention and reduction.

The 16th Street Mall is one of our city’s most vital pedestrian and transit connectors and important public spaces, and stewarding its successful future is a key priority for many stakeholders. The Mall is undergoing a $150 million redesign, which will include relocating the bus transit lanes to the center, expanding sidewalks for walking, more café seating and programming.  These updates are designed to enhance the Mall experience while improving pedestrian safety and mobility.   

Clean and Welcoming

The Business Improvement District (BID) provides 24/7 maintenance support with a team of dedicated support members. Maintenance services include daily waste and recycle collection from 400 receptacles, regular sidewalk cleaning, trash and graffiti removal, snow removal, and regular inspection of downtown hardscapes. 

Directly report non-emergency public safety and maintenance concerns occurring in the Downtown Denver area through the BID’s Clean and Safe app. Message directly with the Clean and Safe team to identify maintenance and safety concerns like overflowing trash cans, graffiti on public property, and public safety concerns. The Clean and Safe Program covers the Business Improvement District for the 120 blocks of Downtown Denver. These areas include LoDo, Upper Downtown, and the Convention Center corridor.

Mayor’s Public Safety Action Plan

The new Mayor of Denver, Mike Johnston, is passionate about building a vibrant Denver.  In the few months he has been in office, his primary initiatives are addressing homelessness, affordable housing, and public safety.
 
Mayor Johnston’s budget for 2024 calls for $8.2 million to support hiring 167 more officers. Johnston also allotted nearly $15 million to expand programs that provide help to people suffering from a mental health crisis, limit their interactions with police and provide them with alternatives to jail.

The Mayor’s House1000 initiative seeks to end homelessness across Denver and is a top priority for Mayor Johnston. This initiative permanently closes homeless encampments and moves those individuals into micro-communities and hotels where they can receive a variety of services to get them back on their feet and into permanent housing. As of December 31, 2023, more than 1,100 individuals experiencing homelessness were moved into shelter. The City developed a dashboard to track the mayor’s progress.
 
The City has implemented a Downtown Denver Grant Program, providing the region with $350,000 in grant funding to enliven downtown neighborhoods. Grant amounts will range from $500 up to $25,000 and will fund events and activations that celebrate the vibrancy, history, arts and culture, and future of our city, powered by the diverse communities that are Denver.
 
Clean and Safe Downtown Initiative:
The “Clean and Safe Downtown Initiative” is a six-prong plan, and a collaboration with the Downtown Denver Partnership. It includes:

• Keeping people experiencing homelessness from camping downtown
• Creating “easy reporting;” a new app called clean and safe, speeding up response times for intervening in everything from infrastructure issues to public drug use and crime.
• Appointing 650 Denver Ambassadors, a mix of city workers, private security, nonprofit outreach workers and others, to wear yellow vests and help residents.
• Money for people activating downtown called the Dynamic Downtown Denver Grants
• Business support throughout the city.

Innovative Programs

• Walk the Beat, a Denver police foot patrol team actively monitors the downtown corridor and 16^th Street Mall providing safety, security, and informational resources.
• Downtown Motor Unit and Mounted Police Unit.
• The Homeless Outreach Team (HOT), a program through the Denver Police Department serves the downtown corridor and connects individuals experiencing homelessness with support, supplies, and resources.
• The Support Team Assisted Response (STAR) program deploys paramedics and mental health clinicians to respond to non-emergency, non-violent calls as an alternative to engaging police. STAR is supported by a mental health sales tax measure supported by VISIT DENVER and approved by Denver voters.
• A public radio/shared radio network program has been implemented between downtown security officers, police, and building and hotel security departments within the Business Improvement District.
• Additional security Halo Cameras have been installed in the Business Improvement District with sophisticated visual and sound technology.
• Violence Mitigation Operations – A Mobile Command Post along with pro-active enforcement teams are deployed to high-density night club areas in an effort to detour crime, mitigate violence, and locating & recovering illegal firearms.

Downtown Denver Action Partners

A broad-based coalition of public, private and nonprofit partners are leading tactical strategies utilizing an approach that joins strong enforcement with compassionate, community-minded response. This effort is led by the Downtown Denver Partnership; The City and County of Denver; the Department of Public Safety, including Denver Police Department, Denver Fire and Denver Sheriff; the Regional Transportation District (RTD); and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado, and supported by many advocacy partners, including VISIT DENVER.

The goal is to address both immediate health and safety concerns while targeting root problems and identifying long-term solutions to the challenges facing the center city.

These actions will include:

• Mobilizing the Downtown Action Team, a cross-agency effort to join enforcement and outreach. The Action Team joins responders from the Denver Police Department, the Department of Safety Street Enforcement Team, Denver Fire Department Medical Unit, WellPower (mental health) clinicians, and DDPHE’s Substance Abuse Navigators and public health inspectors, DOTI graffiti and trash, with support being provided by the Downtown Denver Business Improvement District Clean and Safe teams. Efforts will be focus first on areas of heightened concern downtown, including the Colorado Convention Center Corridor.
• Significantly growing response teams across the Denver Police Department (hiring 180 additional officers citywide throughout 2023), the Downtown Denver Business Improvement District, RTD Police, U.S. Attorney General for the District of Colorado, and other agencies to ensure that teams are adequately staffed.
• Implementing public realm improvements grounded in Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) strategies, including enhanced lighting, wayfinding and music, in partnership with Denver’s Department of Public Safety and downtown property owners utilizing $500K in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds.
• Increased coordinated advocacy for local, state and federal policies that strengthen the critical tools needed to meaningfully address crime and provide resources to address mental health and drug misuse.

Read more about the Downtown Denver Action Partners.

Covid-19 Protocols and Resources

Capacities

There are no capacity limits in Denver for indoor or outdoor events, offices, retail businesses, restaurants, gyms, recreation centers, personal services or bars.

Mask Requirements 

In Denver, the decision to wear or require face coverings is currently at the discretion of individuals, each business or facility. All individuals must comply with any state or federal mask requirements.

Resources

• Colorado Convention Center’s ASM Global Environmental Hygiene Program and Sodexo Best Practices
• Covid-19 information for the City and County of Denver
• Colorado Department of Public Health and the Environment Covid-19 information