Longtime residents and property owners in Denver’s Capitol Hill neighborhood pressed city officials Friday for more decisive action after a rise in crime and homelessness coincided with business closures and growing fear among locals.
Residents recount loss of neighborhood businesses, safety
Those attending a meeting organized by their councilman described a neighborhood they say has deteriorated over decades. Property owner Marty Duman and his son, Chad, recounted repeated confrontations near their building on the southeast corner of Pennsylvania and Colfax, including incidents in which weapons were shown.
“I’m afraid to park in my own parking lot,” Chad Duman said. “Nobody wants to live in my building. I don’t blame them.”
Attendees cited concrete consequences: Natural Grocers closed its store on Pearl Street in late 2024 after more than 100 police calls within nine months, and a nearby McDonald’s was linked to an illicit market for apparently stolen goods, according to reporting presented at the meeting.
Police acknowledge long-term challenges, report increased enforcement
Deputy Police Chief Aaron Sanchez told the meeting that the department has historically relied on enforcement and that approach has not solved the problem.
“We, as a police department, for decades have decided to try to solve the problem through enforcement. We’ll arrest them, and it’ll make the problem go away. And we have failed miserably,” Sanchez said.
Police officials said they have intensified patrols and enforcement in the area. They reported a roughly 90% increase in arrests and noted there have been 110 more arrests year-to-date compared with the same period last year. The top charges recorded include warrant arrests, drug paraphernalia and trespassing.
| Metric | Reported figure |
|---|---|
| Increase in arrests | ~90% |
| Additional arrests year-to-date | 110 |
| Top recorded charges | warrant arrests, drug paraphernalia, trespassing |
- Neighborhood leaders demand stronger city intervention on crime and homelessness.
- Police report significant increases in arrests but acknowledge enforcement alone has not solved underlying problems.
- Businesses have closed or been affected, contributing to residents’ concerns about safety and economic viability.
The meeting brought residents, property owners and police together to discuss both short-term enforcement and longer-term strategies. Officials and attendees framed the issue as complex — involving drug activity, trespassing and visible homelessness — and emphasized that past reliance on arrests has not restored the neighborhood to what longtime residents remember.
As city officials consider responses, residents said they want tangible changes to curb crime, protect businesses and make the area livable again. Police leaders signaled an ongoing effort to increase patrols and enforcement while acknowledging that enforcement alone has not resolved the neighborhood’s problems.
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