Denver homeless advocates call for end to civilian enforcement team

Gabrielle Franklin
·3 min read
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DENVER (KDVR) — A group of advocates for the unhoused said Monday that Denver’s enforcement of laws against homeless people is up almost 50% under Mayor Mike Johnston and called for an end to the city’s civilian enforcement team.

Housekeys Action Network Denver held a rally and shared data highlighting the city’s enforcement of what they called anti-housing law. HAND and other advocates for the unhoused are asking the city to dissolve its Street Engagement Team, which permits civilian enforcement of some city ordinances.

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According to Ana-Lilith Miller, with HAND, the Denver Police Department and SET “are not taking a much more compassionate, lowered approach.”

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HAND released new data with the help of the Newman McNulty law firm. The group said the numbers reflect what they have been experiencing over recent months.

“Where the general public looks and doesn’t see large visible encampments, it’s not just through getting people into units. It’s primarily through policing,” HAND’s Terese Howard said at the rally on Monday.

Denver Police Department figures show 1,017 incidents where police made contact for unauthorized camping between January and March of this year. That’s up 46.5% compared to January through March of last year, when the department only recorded 694 such incidents.

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Reading real-life experiences from their peers, folks in the unhoused community said the enforcement gives the city the illusion that unhoused people are off the streets when they are instead being shuffled around.

“They kind of just forced me to be out of the public eye. It is public property,” Jerry, with HAND, said as he read testimonies to members of the press. “When told to leave, you just kind of go. They brought the police with them. They said we can’t be in tents and we can’t be in the park, so I don’t know where to go.”

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The groups say data around the Street Enforcement Team show all encounters from the civilian team involved homeless people. Advocates are now calling for that team to be dissolved.

“We’re calling on him to drop SET, change course, and invest those resources instead with the on-the-ground communities who are already doing the work,” said Lisa Calderón, who placed third in the mayoral race that Johnston won in 2023.

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Calderón said she endorsed Johnston partly because of his commitment to a humane approach to housing. On Monday, she gave Johnston a grade of D following the release of the data, telling the press that he has failed to meet his promises.

Johnston’s administration sent FOX31 a statement following the rally:

“Mayor Johnston and his administration took bold and decisive action on homelessness on his first full day in office and has since helped more than 1,500 Denverites get off the streets and into housing while permanently closing 14 encampments. This administration has also drastically reduced the number of encampment sweeps, instead working to permanently resolve encampments and connect individuals to the housing and services they need to be successful.

Our first priority is always to connect people with resources and housing first – which is why we’ve strongly prioritized encampment resolutions that bring people directly into individual units. We know that we can build a Denver that ensures individuals have safe and stable housing while ensuring sidewalks, parks, and public spaces are open and accessible for all by pairing outreach with fair and compassionate enforcement that connects people to resources first.”

Jordan Fuja, spokesperson for Mayor Mike Johnston’s office

HAND members and other advocates testified about the issue before Denver City Council on Monday night.

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