The fantasy Mayor Mike Johnston paints for Congress on crime is not the everyday reality, residents say

By / / Top Stories, Local, Rocky Mountain Voice

By Jen Schumann | Contributing Writer, Rocky Mountain Voice

Jeff Workman never imagined that stepping onto his porch would leave him battered, unable to work and afraid to open his door after dark. His brutal attack wasn’t an isolated incident.

“At 10:30 p.m. on Aug. 20, my girlfriend and I were brutally assaulted while sitting on my front porch,” Workman said. “Without saying anything, the man immediately ripped me off my porch and I fell down its four steps, landing hard on the sidewalk. I was severely injured, dazed and helpless.”

The attack left Workman with a separated shoulder, multiple torn ligaments and a serious spinal injury that required emergency surgery. He is now unable to walk without a walker, unable to work and unable to care for his 98-year-old grandmother.

“This attack destroyed life as I know it,” he said.

While residents beg for change, Denver’s leadership is downplaying the crisis. Local leaders aren’t listening. 

But Colorado House Republicans are stepping in to demand action.

In a letter sent to Mayor Mike Johnston on March 3, Republicans in the House made it clear: the current state of crime in Denver is unsustainable and unacceptable.

“Denver’s growing crime problem is not just our concern — it is a crisis affecting every citizen who calls this city home,” the letter states.

Signed by Minority Leader Rose Pugliese, Assistant Minority Leader Ty Winter, Caucus Chair Anthony Hartsook and nearly two dozen others, the letter outlines urgent demands. They’re calling for stronger law enforcement presence, stricter enforcement of drug laws and a direct meeting with Johnston to discuss real solutions.

The letter comes in response to a surge in violent crimes near the Colorado State Capitol, open drug use in public spaces and increasing threats against government employees.

Businesses close, families flee

For small business owners, the impact has been devastating.

Vesper Muck, owner of Refillanthropy, had no choice but to close after suffering two arson attacks, vandalism and countless confrontations with drug users.

“I fought for my business, but the city made it impossible to survive,” Muck said. She estimates her losses at more than $80,000 before shutting down permanently.

Lauren McLaughlin, owner of Fern and Sky, has suffered multiple break-ins and daily theft, leaving her questioning whether the city will ever take real action.

“If they’re not going to protect us, what’s stopping the criminals from doing it again?” she asked.

For Denver’s residents, the threat isn’t just financial — it’s personal. Caroline Garcia, a single mother, fears for her 9-year-old daughter, who witnesses open drug use and violence near their home daily.

“My daughter doesn’t feel safe playing outside. This is our reality now.”

Lydia Leal, who lost family members to fentanyl overdoses, worries that Denver is enabling the crisis instead of addressing it: “The drug dealers aren’t scared, but we are.”

Denver police have stepped up efforts to combat the crisis, conducting major sting operations and making drug busts near problem areas like the Ross Broadway Library.

Yet residents say crime continues to thrive.

The reason? Repeat offenders cycle through a system that refuses to hold them accountable. Law enforcement sources admit that without prosecution and meaningful consequences, the city’s efforts to curb crime are failing.

Crime data from the Common Sense Institute reveals a stark reality — Denver’s crime rate has risen by 43% since 2019, with violent and property crimes overwhelming multiple districts.

Mayor to Congress: Denver is safe

Mayor Johnston was one of four large-city leaders who testified March 5 before the U.S. House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, as Republicans investigated sanctuary cities. 

Johnston painted Denver as a safe and well-managed city, claiming crime had dropped and that Denver had successfully handled the migrant influx.

“Migrants did not bring a wave of crime to Denver. In fact, crime went down. Homicides dropped 17%. Shooting victims dropped 24%, auto theft down 29%,” Johnston stated in his testimony.

U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Windsor, said that is not what Aurora saw, who received some of Denver’s illegal population.

U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Urbana, Ohio, confronted Johnston with an example that directly contradicted his statements. Abraham Gonzalez, a Venezuelan gang member with a history of felony menacing and auto theft, had been in Denver’s custody for nearly a year. 

When ICE requested a 48-hour heads-up before his release, Denver authorities instead gave them just one hour before a release “to the streets”.

Jordan pressed Johnston: “Why not just hold him inside the jail until ICE can take him?” Johnston deflected, citing a city ordinance. Jordan fired back, “No, the reason you don’t do it is because you’re a sanctuary city.”

ICE agents were forced to detain Gonzalez in the jail parking lot, where one officer was assaulted. “I read your testimony last night. You used the word ‘safety’ or ‘safer’ 13 times. You say Denver is prioritizing safety? That’s a lie,” Jordan said.

Boebert points out Denver’s 2017 ordinance prohibiting city employees from communicating with ICE about detainees before a warrant is issued. She asked Johnston if he would call for a repeal of these sanctuary policies. 

Johnston refused, maintaining that Denver does cooperate with ICE in certain cases, despite evidence to the contrary.

Boebert also highlighted how Denver allocated millions toward migrant legal aid, while crime remained a growing concern.

“You had time to put together a 25-page newcomers playbook, and authorize up to $2 million to pay Joe Biden’s former lawyer,” she stated.

Denver’s leadership appears more concerned with managing national perceptions than addressing the crisis at home. 

Johnston’s testimony before Congress painted a version of Denver that residents, business owners and law enforcement say doesn’t reflect reality.

Frustrated residents took to social media to call out the contradictions, pointing to crime data that directly refutes Johnston’s claims.