There is added security patrolling Old Colorado City this summer. “Roving security patrol is just going to be a presence,” said Old Colorado City Foundation, President, Dave Brackett. It is part of larger plan toward encouraging positive activities that crowd out negative actions that cause people to avoid the area.
The Old Colorado City Foundation, Old Colorado City Associates, and the Security Improvement Maintenance District pooled money from their budgets to fund the security patrols. “The idea is we all come together. We all make an investment in private security,” said Bracket, “And we’ll just see how it goes.”
There are already special duty officers assigned to the area by Colorado Springs Police Department. The groups hiring the security have no complaints about the police. They say they do a good job, but they also get dispatched away from the area. “They look at this as another set of ears and eyes,” said Brackett The added security will not carry any type of weapon. If there is criminal activity they will call in the police.
The plan is for the security to discourage questionable activity. “Keeping people from riding bikes on sidewalks and knocking into people,” said Brackett. They also work to discourage inappropriate loitering in Bancroft Park. That means regular conversations with homeless people. “If they’re going from a shelter and passing through here for a little bit, fine, but people who hang out all day every day is an issue and it makes it less appealing to the community the park is supposed to serve.” As more planned activities bring groups of people, there is hope it will also replace loitering with activity.
