Do Better Denver breaks cover, says her mission is “calling out the failures of our elected officials”

By Shaun Boyd | CBS Colorado

Denver Mayor Mike Johnston has no shortage of critics, but perhaps his harshest is the mysterious person behind “Do Better Denver.” The social media account — on X and Instagram — launched right after Johnston took office two years ago and has amassed a following of more than 150,000.

The manager of the account is anonymous and has never granted an in-person interview until now. She spoke exclusively with CBS Colorado Your Political Reporter Shaun Boyd, but insisted she remain anonymous.

Her critics say she hides her identity to avoid accountability for what she posts online. She says she’s concerned for her safety, especially with the recent rise in political violence. She shared some of the threats she’s received.

She is a polarizing and powerful voice in the city and, given how increasingly influential she’s become, CBS Colorado felt it was important to hear from her directly, so we agreed to maintain her anonymity.

She will tell you she’s not your typical dissident. She’s unaffiliated, she says, has never been politically active, and didn’t set out to be an activist. “Do Better Denver,” she says, was born out of frustration with a city that she felt had become numb to human suffering.

“Some of these videos, like, deeply impact me. I see suffering, and I see the pain in people’s eyes. I think everybody else needs to see these videos to understand the true humanitarian crisis that’s unfolding on our streets,” she said.

She says she’s lived in Denver for more than 20 years and doesn’t recognize the city anymore. The videos — submitted by her followers — show people lying on sidewalks, openly using drugs, and experiencing mental breakdowns in public.

Her critics accuse her of exploiting people at the lowest point in their lives.

“I don’t think that documenting reality is exploiting people. My videos are meant as a call to action out of complacency,” she said.

The comments that follow some of the videos can be cruel and degrading. She says she doesn’t condone them but doesn’t believe in censorship either.

“My posts are always directed at calling out the failures of our elected officials,” she said.

READ THE FULL STORY AT CBS COLORADO