City Park jazz concert a no-trouble triumph

Estimated 8,000 attend, backed by dozens of police

Stuart Steers And Bianca Prieto, Rocky Mountain News

Monday, June 18, 2007

Opening a picnic basket filled with grapes, Bing cherries, a baguette and a bottle of wine, Julie Jarvis stretched out in a shady spot at City Park.

She had come to listen to Chris Daniels & The Kings perform as part of the City Park Jazz free summer concert series, but there was more on her mind.

"Everybody is taking back the park tonight, that's what it's all about," Jarvis said.

She was joined by as many as 8,000 others with similar feelings. During the first two concerts this month, dozens of young people paraded in gang colors, and a fistfight broke out June 10. That led to concerns that gang members would frighten people from coming to City Park, but that didn't happen Sunday.

Many community activists and city officials attended the concert, partly as a show of support and partly to keep the peace. Dozens of police officers patrolled the parking lots and grassy areas of the park, and officials sought to reassure the public.

"The message is for people to come out here and enjoy the park," said Manager of Safety Al LaCabe, who regularly attends the weekend events with his family. "We'll do everything possible to make sure people are safe."

Memories of a previous Denver summer seemed to be on the minds of city officials. In 1993 a series of gang shootings that injured bystanders - including a baby struck by a stray bullet at the Denver Zoo - led to widespread fear in what came to be known as the "Summer of Violence."

Sunday, the Metro Denver Gang Coalition had a table at the concert, selling yard signs with a peace symbol that read "Summer of Peace."

"We want people to be unafraid to attend and have a great time," said Denver City Councilwoman-elect Carla Madison. "Some people were worried about coming today, but it's a good-sized crowd."

Madison said it is crucial for Denver to make sure large public gatherings are safe.

"A great city is about great events," she said.

City Park Jazz is run by a nonprofit community group. In the past, the concert series has paid to have several police officers present. Madison said many such groups couldn't afford to pay for large numbers of Denver police, and she would work to make sure they receive more police protection.

The City Park Jazz group said they want to continue the concerts, but with a higher level of security.

"I think we'll have a closer relationship with the police," said Tom Quinn, president of the City Park Jazz board.

No one thinks the potential for gang problems in the park has disappeared. The Rev. Leon Kelly, who works to prevent gang violence in Denver, said many of the gang members had simply decided to hang out in a different park this weekend.

"This is about the safest place anybody in Denver could be today," said Kelly. "They knew the police would be here in force."

Kelly said people had good reason to be alarmed by the fighting June 10, because fistfights could escalate into gun violence.

Sunday's City Park Jazz show drew the largest crowd so far this year, with police estimating up to 8,000 people were on the lawn west of the Denver Museum of Nature & Science. Many of those attending said they were determined not to be scared away from future concerts.

"This is a nice relaxing way to end the weekend," said Barbara Evans, a regular concert-goer. "It should be for everybody."

steerss@RockyMountainNews.com or 303-954-2282