I've lived in LoDo for almost 5 years now, and have witnessed the proliferation of beggers in LoDo, and more specifically, on the 16th Street Mall. These beggers are becoming more and more aggressive. I try to deal with the problem by ignoring their overtures for money, cigarettes, etc. Some of them in turn respond by berating me and cursing me.
Enough is enough, in my opinion. Can we develop a committee to act as liasion with the City Council/ Police Department to address this growing problem? If we ignore the problem, things will only get worse. This urban blight will ultimately result in lower property values, shoppers avoiding downtown/LoDo businesses and instead electing to spend their money in the suburbs. Also, I foresee a growing threat of personal harm to LoDo residents, downtown workers, and visitors to our great neighborhood by some of these more violent beggers. Let's be proactive on this issue, not reactive.