CSPD to target repeat offenders downtown
Police said they’ll be paying more attention to panhandlers, trespassers and other misdemeanor offenders who repeatedly cause trouble downtown, an area with the highest number of calls for service.
Downtown visitors and business owners have often complained that such activity makes downtown more of an unsafe and undesirable location.
Police said they will use an existing provision allowing them to enforce geographical restrictions on the worst repeat offenders.
Under the provision, anyone with five or more misdemeanor convictions within 18 months has the option of accepting probation and voluntarily staying out of the downtown area for a year. 11 people have signed an agreement to do so, police said.
“It behooves them to do so,” said Lt. Catherine Buckley. “It’s better than other punishment options a judge can choose from.”
Buckley said police have used the provision since the 1980s in different areas of town, and downtown since 2006. However, public complaints about nuisance activity have led police to refocus enforcement efforts.
Keith King, president of the City Council, said some may consider the provision unfair or illegal but he has no concern about police enforcing it.
“If you’re a child abuser, they want you to stay away from schools,” he said. “I think there are a lot of things we do like that in probation, that try to restrict people’s behavior. So I don’t think this is anything that would be totally unusual.”
Several homeless people expressed skepticism about the provision.
“I’ve had a trespassing ticket at 7 Eleven and two panhandling tickets,” said Christopher Kittridge. “So I’m getting close to being a repeat offender, I’d imagine. I’m just curious as to how (police) plan to get us out of downtown. How can you tell somebody you’re not allowed to come downtown?”
James May, another homeless man, agreed.
“(Being a repeat offender) shouldn’t mean being banned from any area,” he said. “It’s a public area. Is it fair to ask someone to walk miles out of the way just to avoid downtown?”
The boundaries of the enforcement area are Boulder Street, Colorado Avenue, Cascade Avenue and Nevada Avenue.
