With a great deal of admiration for his fine work along with a real sense of loss, I learned Commander Tony Lopez has recently left Police District 6 to command the Airport Police Operations.  It will be difficult to find a better example of excellence in police command performance and a real dedication to the practice of community policing, especially in one of the most challenging areas of our City.Commander Lopez had been a member of the Denver Police Department since March, 1983.  Prior to District 6, some of his past responsibilities have included working on the Denver “Weed and Seed” Team of the Gang Unit and the City’s first attempt at community policing; Vice/Drug Control Bureau, serving as Commanding Officer of the Street Enforcement Section; Criminal Investigations Division, serving as the Commander of the Intelligence Bureau, the Fugitive Unit, the Bomb Squad, the Complex Investigations Unit, the Internet Predator Unit, and the Fugitive Location and Apprehension Group (FLAG). Most importantly, he has served successfully as the District 6 Commander for the past six years, protecting and serving the residents, homes, and businesses of our City District 10.

It could not be said better than his own words when describing community policing.  “We at District 6 feel very fortunate to have many good friends and partners working in both the public sector and the private sector that continuously lend a “helping hand” in the fight against crime.  We are truly grateful for these efforts in helping us make our district a safer place to live, play, and work.”

All of us extend our sincere appreciation to Commander Lopez for his loyal public service and wish him the same success in his new responsibilities at the Denver International Airport.  DIA could not be receiving a more professional and effective police commander than Commander Tony Lopez.

In 2016, Denver Public Works is designing and installing a parking protected bike lane on 14th Avenue in the Golden Triangle. The project will extend from the Cherry Creek Trail to Acoma Plaza. A parking protected bike lane is a bicycle facility where the parking lane and bike lane are swapped; the bike lane is adjacent to the curb and the parking lane protects the bike lane from the travel lane. This parking protection offers a higher level of comfort to people on bikes, and is intended to enhance the street.To learn more, check out the project details here or attend the upcoming public house on the project: August 2, Denver Central Library (10 W 14th Ave Parkway), 4-7pm.

Denver City Council’s General Public Comment Session FAQ’s

Denver’s first mobile restroom, which opened in March on Clarkson Street just north of Colfax Avenue, has been well-received by the community. The unit, which is open daily with an attendant, is close to major pedestrian corridors, points of interest, bus stops, bicycle routes, B-cycle stations, restaurants, bars and entertainment venues.  The restroom has been helpful in reducing impacts to areas businesses that deal with larger concert crowds and is serving other populations as well, including those that are homeless or commuting through the area.

In addition to the Clarkson restroom, Denver started rolling out a second public restroom on the weekends in downtown Denver in locations where people are likely to gather. Weekend restroom locations are communicated on the city’s website at www.denvergov.org/publicrestrooms and on Twitter @denpublicworks. Use of the downtown mobile restroom has been higher than the Clarkson restroom, averaging about three times as many users per day. Both restrooms are receiving high marks for cleanliness and convenience.

Denver’s public restroom pilot program is part of a larger initiative to meet a growing and universal need for publicly accessible restrooms in the central part of the city.  As Denver continues to create a more vibrant and sustainable city, where people are out walking and biking to their destinations, it is addressing the related need for restroom facilities. Accessible, comfortable facilities can improve the way Denver looks and functions, improve quality of life, and help us keep streets and alleyways clean.

In addition to piloting the mobile unit and exploring locations for a fixed unit, the City is reactivating existing public restrooms, including the restroom at Skyline Park downtown, and is working to reopen restrooms in Commons Park and at the McNichols Building in Civic Center Park. For more information on the public restroom program, to offer feedback, or provide suggestions on locations for a new fixed public restroom in the central part of the city, visit our website or contact Denver Public Works at PW.Comms@denvergov.org.

Denver has a new toolbox for enhanced emergency response – 911NOW. 911NOW includes three key tools – Smart911, Swift911, and Text to 911 – that will help residents get the assistance and information they need now.The first 911NOW tool – Smart911 – is a private, secure service that allows residents to create a safety profile that provides 911 and emergency responders with important information residents want them to know to assist with an emergency. The information in the profile automatically displays on the 911 call taker’s screen when a call is placed from a phone number connected to the profile and can assist in a number of situations including:

• When the address or location is unknown. Over 90% of calls made to Denver 911 come from mobile phones, and while they can be an important public safety tool, mobile phones can also create unique challenges for emergency responders. When calls to 911 are placed from a mobile phone, the call taker has very little information – only the phone number and a very general sense of the caller’s location. The Smart911 profile links resident’s mobile phone numbers to their home, work, and school addresses, arming emergency responders with information about who is calling and possible locations where they may be found.

• When the caller cannot communicate. There are times when residents may not be able to communicate due to an allergic reaction, heart attack, or home invasion. The Smart911 profile ensures residents’ information is immediately available and that the caller is not the sole source of information. If a member of a household is deaf or hard of hearing, or English is not their primary language, dispatchers will also know immediately that an alternate form of communication is needed.
• When there is a medical emergency. The Smart911 profile provides emergency responders with important information about household members including medical conditions, physical disabilities, allergies, and medications that may cause dangerous drug interactions during treatment. Knowing this information in advance allows first responders to know how to help before they even arrive.
• When a member of a household goes missing. Residents can add key information about members of their household including their names, ages, a physical description, and recent photos. They can also list who should be contacted in the event of an emergency, including family members, friends and neighbors.
• When there is a fire. Gate codes, access points, floor layouts, and other visual details that may be obstructed when a household is on fire can be added to the profile to help facilitate a faster response or rescue.
• When a vehicular accident occurs. Residents can upload vehicle information for all members of their household to the Smart 911 profile. Having the description and license plate of household vehicles can quicken response in an accident, or when residents need help while in their vehicle.

The second 911NOW tool – Swift911 – is Denver’s high-speed emergency notification system that alerts residents to emergency situations in their neighborhood like police activity, evacuations, and severe storm warnings in real time. Residents decide how they want to receive these alerts – via phone, mobile phone, email, text message, or a combination of each – and multiple phone numbers for multiple members of a household can be included for each residency.

Swift 911 alerts are sent to all land line telephone numbers in Denver that are publicly listed, but residents must sign up to receive alerts for private land line numbers and for alerts they want to receive via mobile phones, email, or text. Once residents register for Swift 911 at www.denvergov.org/911now, they can log in at any time to update their contact information or opt out from the notification list.

Denver 911 will utilize Swift911 in coordination with first responders to alert residences to take the proper action during emergency situations.

The final 911NOW tool – Text to 911 – supports residents who are deaf, hard of hearing, or speech impaired. It can also be used when residents are:

• Unable to speak as a result of an injury or medical emergency
• Facing a threatening situation where a voice call could increase the threat or compromise safety
• In an area where a text message is the only option to request emergency services due to limited coverage
• In an area where phone lines and cell towers are overwhelmed and only a text can get through to request emergency services

Together, these three tools will help Denver’s first responders – Save time. Save lives. To learn more visit www.denvergov.org/911now.

Have you gone through foreclosure? Do you know someone who has gone through foreclosure? If your house sold at a foreclosure auction within the last two years, Denver Clerk & Recorder Debra Johnson may have money for you.Can you help us find the folks on this list? They may have money waiting on them at the Clerk & Recorder’s office. You can view the full list here or by going to www.denverclerkandrecorder.org, Foreclosure Information, Did Your House Sell? Then click on the “List of Excess Funds” button.

Registration is now open for Denver Recycles’ and PaintCare’s free paint recycling collection event on Saturday, August 27, from 8:00am to 3:00pm in the South High School parking lot (1700 E. Louisiana Avenue). You must make an appointment to participate! Click here to select an appointment time or visit, aug27-paint.eventbrite.com. The event is open to all Colorado residents, as well as small business owners.Most types of paint, stain, and varnish will be accepted. All containers must have original labels.

Materials Accepted

• House paint and primer (latex or oil-based)
• Stains
• Deck and concrete sealers
• Clear finishes (varnishes, shellacs, etc.)

Businesses that produce less than 20-30 gallons of hazardous waste per month:

• Any amount of latex or oil-based paint accepted

Materials Not Accepted

• Leaking, unlabeled, or empty containers
• Drums or containers larger than 5 gallons
• Aerosol spray paints
• Other hazardous waste or chemicals, such as paint thinner, solvents, motor oil, spackle, glue, adhesive, roofing tar, pesticides, or cleaning chemicals.

Businesses that produce more than 20-30 gallons of hazardous waste per month:

• Oil-based paint will not be accepted, but may bring any amount of latex paint

For Denver residents, materials on the not accepted list can be disposed and/or recycled through Denver Public Works’ Household Hazardous Waste Collection Program. For more information, visit denvergov.org/trash and click on the “Hazardous Waste” tab.

Event Reminders

• Arrive no more than 10 minutes before or after your scheduled appointment.
• All materials must be in the original manufacturer container lid with a label and secured lid.
• Do not leave paint outside the site before or after event hours. Illegal dumping is punishable by fine.

This free community workshop covers Landlord/Tenant rights and issues related to; Common lease types, rent increases, notices (3-Day demand/Notice-to-Quit), rent receipts, money orders, security deposits, Amendment 64 (Marijuana), the Warranty of Habitability Act (roaches, bed bugs, mold, no hot water, no heat etc.), domestic violence, FED’s aka “Evictions”, and a brief overview of housing discrimination, reasonable accommodation requests and service animal disputes.

This FREE workshop is provided with the support of the City & County of Denver, Office of Economic Development, Housing Department, in partnership with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

* Due to the HUGE demand for this free event and limited seating available, this workshop is limited to the first 36 people that register in advance. Standing room available for walk-ins.

** CALS is a valuable community resource to those individuals who cannot afford, or otherwise lack access to legal representation by providing a variety of legal services to improve the lives of Colorado tenants by not only defending their rights, but also by providing advocacy for the preservation of affordable housing, defending their right to request repairs to improve housing conditions, collaboration and education;  all of which creates a stable home environment, increases access to justice and prevents homelessness for at-risk populations of the community.