Denver homeless camp has decked-out open-air BAR that also rents out tents for prostitution
- A pop-up bar has been set up in Denver on sidewalk at 23rd and Champa streets which the city’s growing homeless population has turned into an encampment
- It features lounge chairs and umbrellas and one of the the tents looks to have been transformed into a streetside bar with reports of alcohol being sold
- The camp has been decorated with couches, rugs and tables and dozens of liquor bottles have been proudly put on display
A homeless camp in Denver has a decked out open-air bar that also rents out tents for prostitution.
The pop-up tavern has been set up on the sidewalk at 23rd and Champa streets which the city’s growing homeless population has turned into an encampment.
It features lounge chairs and umbrellas and one of the the tents looks to have been transformed into a streetside bar with reports of alcohol being sold.
The camp has been decorated with couches, rugs and tables and dozens of liquor bottles have been proudly put on display.
Denver Police are investigating it following ‘numerous complaints’ the encampment has been blocking the sidewalk and it is being used for prostitution.
A homeless camp in Denver has a decked out open-air bar that also rents out tents for prostitution
The pop-up tavern has been set up on the sidewalk at 23rd and Champa streets which the city’s growing homeless population has turned into an encampment
https://youtube.com/watch?v=C6g4MiejOyE%3Frel%3D0
‘We’re hearing there was an open bar, sales of alcohol, things like that,’ Denver Police Patrol Division Chief Aaron Sanchez told CBS Colorado.
‘We have officers looking into that.’
He surveyed the camp on Monday alongside other officers and city officials and they saw a collection of liquor bottles on display on dressers and bookcases.
A large number of complaints have been made by pedestrians who say they have been forced to walk in the road.
Police chief Sanchez confirmed they are investigating reports about the open-air bar.
‘We are looking into all other allegations in regards to the bar setup and along those lines,’ he said.
He added that there have been complaints about the couches and tents inside the encampment being rented out for prostitution and authorities are looking into that.
Denver Police are investigating it following ‘numerous complaints’ the encampment has been blocking the sidewalk and it is being used for prostitution
Denver Police Patrol Division Chief Aaron Sanchez surveyed the camp on Monday alongside other officers and city officials and they saw a collection of liquor bottles on display on dressers and bookcases
Meghan Shay, an executive at homeless aid group Step Denver, has been driving past the encampment every morning on her way to work and noticed the makeshift bar.
She said serving alcohol to vulnerable people would worsen the city’s homeless issue and pointed to a report which shows over 80 percent of homeless people have experienced lifetime alcohol and, or drug problems.
Shay added that a report on street mortality showed drugs and alcohol caused 60 percent of homeless deaths in 2022.
Her organization Step Denver helps homeless men deal with mental health issues and recover from addiction.
The Denver metropolitan area has seen a 32 percent rise in homelessness this year compared to 2022.
It had 9,065 unhoused people in January compared to 6,884 the year before, according to data collected by the Metro Denver Homeless Initiative.
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