Latest news with #DowntownSafetyPlan
Yahoo
30-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Richmond County Sheriff's Office meeting with downtown businesses owners
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WJBF) – This effort is part of Sheriff Eugene Brantley's plan to build the relationship between the sheriff's office and downtown business owners. Part of the new Downtown Safety Plan is to have at least two deputies on each downtown block of Broad street from 9pm-3:30am. This plan has been fully implemented, and one business owner says he has already seen the impacts. 'I think it's pretty amazing to see how this is almost an overnight difference, in 6 months to have this difference of policing and the initiative that they're trying to do and how they're going about it is pretty amazing and you don't see this very often,' said Dylan Pope, Augusta Business Owner. There was a chance for business owners to be able to meet with and ask members of the sheriff's office any questions they had. Pope says it's imperative for not only the sheriff's office but also the Augusta commission to speak and listen to business owners and residents. 'I think that's what we've all been talking about, the lack of communication, the lack of transparency in the past and to see that the commission wants to have these meetings, to see that the sheriff wants to have these meetings, it goes to show that we're trying to make these steps in the right direction for a better downtown,' Pope said. Pope continued to say, 'We all want a better downtown, and we all want downtown to grow in a positive and safe way and Sheriff Brantley and his staff have definitely given that route and have already made big changes in the last 6 months.' Statistics show crime has decreased tremendously since Sheriff Brantley took office but he says there are always things they can improve. 'I think you could hear that what we've down thus far is better than what was previously being done. We still have some things we have to tweak and work on to continue to make downtown safer,' said Eugene Brantley, Richmond County Sheriff. The sheriff's office plans to have these meetings every 4 months. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
CBS News
05-05-2025
- CBS News
Denver increases police presence downtown with Mounted Patrol
Denver Mayor Mike Johnston says the city is making progress on its goal to reduce crime. The mayor's office is touting a 63% reduction in firearm-related homicides and a 56% drop in homicides overall. The mayor's Downtown Safety Plan, announced just last month, aims to continue that trend. The Denver Police Mounted Patrol CBS The plan includes increased police and outreach resources along the 16th Street Mall, so the mayor is designating Denver Police's Mounted Patrol downtown. The officers and their horses work together to curb crime and engage with the public. "We're the Wild West, and so having the Mounted Patrol just re-instills that," said Sgt. Austen Munson, who oversees DPD's Mounted Patrol unit. The unit is one of the last of its kind in Colorado, with officers on horseback patrolling the city and engaging with the community. "They start asking questions about our horses, they'll pet them," said Officer Aaron Carson, who's served with the unit the last four years, "and then they'll start asking questions of us, like, 'Hey, I saw this thing in my neighborhood the other day, what do you think about that?'" Carson's horse, Ollie, and his partner's named Max, aren't just conversation starters – they're crime stoppers. Just recently, Carson said they were called to a park near the mall where a woman was threatening people with a knife. The Denver Police Mounted Patrol CBS "We came up to her on our horses and she dropped the knife just like that," said Carson with a snap of his fingers. "I think seeing the horses was just something different that person hadn't seen before, and it just de-escalated it immediately without me even saying anything. She saw the horse and just dropped it." While the mounted patrol is nothing new, they do have a renewed presence downtown as part of the mayor's directive to improve public safety. "When we look at the stats, it looks like crime is trending downward. But, I understand that when we have incidents that occur on the mall, that perception is really what we need to address," said Munson. "So, having our mounted patrol down here, having officers visible really addresses that perception of feeling safe." Members of the six-person, five-horse unit are out on the mall several days a week, as well as for big events like the Nuggets' NBA Playoffs run. "As it gets busier down here, having them at that higher vantage point allows them to see things that officers at the ground level may not," Munson said. The Denver Police Mounted Patrol on the 16th Street Mall. CBS Denver may be part of the Wild West, just not too wild… at least when the DPD Mounted Patrol rides in. "Whether you're up to no good or not, or whether you have the best of intentions, just seeing these [horses] makes you think," Carson said.
Yahoo
04-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Businesses near Coors Field ready for a huge economic boost but there are concerns too
DENVER (KDVR) — The Colorado Rockies home opener marks a new season every year for both the team and the businesses near the ballpark. There is a lot of excitement around the Ball Park neighborhoods as businesses get ready for huge crowds to come their way for the Rockies home opener. 'Opening day is always the greatest day of the year. It's the one day when people in Denver all come down and let loose and celebrate,' Star Bar owner Justin Lloyd said. 2025 Colorado Rockies home opener could be one of the coldest in franchise history Business owners said baseball fans help generate profits that help keep them going, and they are ready for the games to begin. At the same time, people who live and work near the ballpark said there are improvements that are needed to help make the area safer and more profitable, but there are problems, too. 'We definitely need more of a police presence and support from the city,' Frank's Gentlemen's Salon owner Lisa Franz said. At the salon on Thursday, the Rockies' flag and décor were on hand for the big day. Franz said that while the Ball Park neighborhood is ready for baseball, they are also hoping the City of Denver will help take care of some of the issues when it comes to crime here. Many had hoped the mayor's recent announcement of the Downtown Safety Plan would benefit this neighborhood, but Franz and others said it would not. 'It feels like we are being left out again, and we would like to work very closely with the city and Denver Police to bring some of those services this way,' Franz said. Justin Lloyd, who owns the Star Bar, agrees. 'This neighborhood is continuously forgotten about. This neighborhood is continuously put on the outside of any those plans,' Lloyd said. The Ball Park neighborhood is home to many small businesses like Billy's Gourmet Hot Dogs. The owner, Bill Feid, said more must be done to attract more people to the area year-round. 'The Rockies home opener, that's a great event. A lot of people will come down for that. But I think we need to do more than rely on baseball games on opening day. We could have other activities,' Feid said. Timing, totals and impacts of Thursday through Saturday snowstorms Feid said businesses are still struggling with the economic challenges of the pandemic. He, like many others, is hoping for a winning season for both themselves and the Rockies. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
