Denver businesses board up windows ahead of Election Day
DENVER — Businesses along Denver's 16th Street Mall and other downtown areas have been busy covering windows with plywood on the days before Election Day. And the City and County Building is surrounded by metal fencing.
There is concern about the election results stirring up unrest in coming days.
The Denver Police Department has been in contact with some downtown businesses and organizations over the past few weeks discussing safety and security around the election. The advice for businesses is to do a safety assessment and determine what's most appropriate for their property.
DPD offered this statement about city plans around the election:
"With public and officer safety in mind, DPD is limited in what we can share regarding our planning for the upcoming election period. DPD will have the necessary staffing available and the Department is in communication with Denver election officials to help inform the allocation of DPD resources. As always, it’s important for the community to continue partnering with us in helping to make the election period safe by immediately reporting to police any illegal or concerning activities they see."
Theresa Marchetta with the office of Mayor Michael Hancock said, “The Mayor encourages all residents to exercise their civic duty by voting, but we discourage public gatherings due to the dramatic spike in COVID-19 cases in Denver and across the country.”
Denver is one of several cities across the country where storefronts are being boarded up.