DENVER — In an effort to reduce crime within one of Denver's most crime-ridden communities, the Denver Police Department partnered up with other city agencies and local organizations to host a day of service along South Federal Boulevard and West Alameda Avenue Friday.
DPD has identified that region as one of Denver's five violent crime hotspots. Together, those regions account for more than 26% of Denver's homicides and aggravated assaults and 49% of all shooting victims.
Friday's event included officers and volunteers cleaning up trash from alleys, removing graffiti from various areas and getting to know residents in an effort to build a stronger relationship.
"We're working towards that, and we're going to see what happens," Officer John Avila said. "Us providing them resources, hopefully the crime will stop dropping and more people will take pride in their community.
For Avila, building that relationship is more important now than ever before, as school resource officers continue to be transitioned out of Denver schools.
"So us being out here in the community now, we're going to do more face-to-face. We actually go knocking door-to-door and just reaching out to folks, seeing if they need help with anything because we are going to lose that with a lot of our youth," he said.
Crestena Domenguez is a resident in that area and agrees with Avila.
"It's not just about resources, it's that they [police] need to check their streets."
Avila said the department will announce a schedule for more community based initiatives in the coming days.