Shootings don't deter LoDo revelers

Police commander extends off-duty officers' hours until 2:30 a.m. for crowd control

Sara Burnett, Rocky Mountain News

Published November 10, 2007 at midnight

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A few times a month, Tracy Simpson and her girlfriends get dressed up to go out.

She usually wears a dress - and always heels. Her hair is done, the makeup perfect.

And always, the women head to the same place: Market Street in lower downtown.

The area is home to a half-dozen nightclubs, several of which cater to a dressier, more upscale crowd. That's the draw of these clubs, Simpson says. It's something other than the beer, bar stool, jeans and a baseball cap of most of Denver's bars.

Not even two recent shootings downtown - including one less than a block from where Simpson was drinking Thursday night - can dissuade her from frequenting the area.

"I feel totally safe here," the 23-year-old said after leaving Monarck nightclub, near Market and 14th. "I could get shot on my street or sitting in my living room watching TV. You just never know."

Most of the area clubs have gone to great lengths to make sure Simpson and other patrons feel that way, said Denver police Cmdr. Deborah Dilley, whose District 6 includes downtown.

The police department conducts special training sessions for bar owners and staff members, and it works with them to encourage policies such as dress codes and cover charges, which Dilley said "set a tone" for the kind of behavior that will be allowed inside.

Most clubs hire off-duty Denver police officers as security guards.

"For the most part, we have responsible bar owners and good relationships with them," Dilley said.

Lots of liquor licenses

LoDo is one of the most highly saturated neighborhoods in Denver in numbers of liquor licenses.

There are 98 businesses with licenses to serve beer, wine or booze in the area bound roughly by Wynkoop, Lawrence, 14th and 21st streets, according to the city's department of excise and licenses. Those include restaurants like Qdoba and Morton's, as well as hotels and nightclubs.

Many of those businesses serve alcohol until 2 a.m., causing a flood of patrons outside when the bars close.

It was just before 2 a.m. Sunday when 25-year-old Ted Padilla and six others were shot on 15th Street between Market and Blake streets. Padilla had been with friends at Hush nightclub, on 14th and Larimer, earlier in the evening, police said. A fight broke out, reportedly over expensive jewelry that Padilla was wearing around.

The shooter's group followed Padilla and his friends as they left the club, witnesses told police. A few blocks away, one man pulled a gun and began firing. Police have issued an arrest warrant for a suspect, 25-year-old Anthony Chavez.

The second shooting downtown this week occurred around 10 p.m. Monday, near 15th and Stout streets, after a dispute over a parking spot. The victim, who was shot in the stomach, survived. Hours later, Denver police arrested two men, Ockey Peterson, 33, and Calvin Kosik, 26.

While Dilley said there are "more than enough" liquor licenses in the area, she said she doesn't think either shooting was caused by the bars or the saturation of liquor licenses.

"These were disagreements that most people would settle without using guns," she said.

Padilla's murder was the first this year in the police district known as Union Station, which includes LoDo and the area to the west, to Commons Park.

There was one homicide in 2005 and one in 2006, according to police department statistics. No homicides were reported there in 2004 or 2003.

Focus on security

In training classes with the police department, bar owners and their staffs learn about checking IDs, about signs that a customer has been over-served and when and how to cut someone off.

Bars are encouraged to kick people out - permanently - if they cause trouble. Off-duty police officers working inside the clubs are trained to stop fights before they escalate.

Dilley recently extended those officers' hours, so their shifts end at 2:30 a.m., rather than 2 a.m., so they can help with the crowds that rush outside after closing time. She also mandated that officers be outside after closing to make sure people leave peacefully.

Another way clubs try to maintain order is through dress codes. Many clubs require business casual attire or prohibit sports attire.

Outside most of the clubs Thursday night, the doormen checking IDs were wearing shirts, jackets and ties.

"You start setting a tone about what is acceptable behavior by what type of dress you allow through the door," Dilley said.

Meghan Cirelli, a 21-year-old student from Denver who was out with friends Thursday, described the Sunday morning shooting as sad and said it was "a bunch of guys acting stupid."

"Really stupid," she said.

Cirelli said she's seen words exchanged or fights start inside clubs but that it's usually quashed relatively quickly by security. Like Simpson, she said she feels safe.

"Most people are here to have fun," she said Thursday night. "They don't want to fight or be around it."

burnetts@RockyMountainNews.com or 303-954-5343

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