By Patricia McMahon | Guest Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice
I don’t typically speak out about issues like this, because I’ve always believed that complaints without solutions don’t accomplish much.
But after watching Mayor Mike Johnston’s press conference on Monday, I felt compelled to respond.
His comment about the recent stabbings on the 16th Street Mall struck a nerve. He said, “I think there is a question of the difference between perception and reality, and that is part of what we have to address. I have folks who say, ‘I don’t like to come downtown. I don’t feel safe.’ And I say, ‘Really, when did you come downtown last?’ And they say 2021. I say, ‘Okay, well, it is a very different downtown than what you saw three years ago.’”
Mayor Johnston, I work downtown at 17th and Curtis. My office overlooks Lannie’s Clocktower, and I’ve experienced firsthand what downtown Denver has become. Let me tell you — it’s not a different downtown, because it’s better. It’s worse.
The day of the Nuggets parade, there was a shooting outside my building at 17th and Curtis. A bullet went through one of our glass doors, and we were ordered to shelter in place. There is “security” in my building, but they aren’t armed. My boss, whose office has a direct view of the intersection, witnessed the entire shooting. So did a young, recently hired, employee. We got to watch Denver’s public works wash blood off Curtis Street from our windows. No one from your office or the governor’s office reached out to reassure us or acknowledge what happened. Not a word.
Ten months later, another shooting occurred near our office, forcing streets to close. Shortly after, we were told to stay in our offices because someone tried to rob the bank downstairs. A month after that, there was yet another shooting at Union Station. My boss rides the light rail. Do you think I wasn’t sick with worry until I confirmed she was safe?
This city is dangerous. My boss and I used to take walks during lunch. One day, we found an axe with dried blood sitting on a ledge near Union Station. We called 911 and stayed with the axe for 25 minutes, guarding it from suspicious people circling us. When one man came too close, we had to walk away for our own safety. He took the axe and walked off. We called 911 again, but no one came. Another time, I watched someone attack a car with a blunt object outside my office. I called the police, but they didn’t arrive until 45 minutes later — long after the person had left.
Public transit isn’t safe. Driving isn’t either. Gangs target cars at stoplights, and parking in open lots is asking for trouble. I walk from the garage to my building alone. It’s terrifying.
Mayor Johnston, you say the difference between perception and reality is part of what you have to address. Let me give you the reality: Downtown Denver is worse. Every year it gets worse. I keep hoping it will get better but it doesn’t. Crime gets worse, police response gets worse, traffic gets worse, public transit gets worse, everything is worse. And what is disturbing is that you don’t realize it. This tells me that you don’t have a clue what is happening in your city. And, that is the worst thing of all.
Editor’s note: Opinions expressed in commentary pieces are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the management of the Rocky Mountain Voice, but even so we support the constitutional right of the author to express those opinions.