Security Posture (or lack there of) at the City & County Building

While my wife prepared for Sunday, the kids and I hopped on the W-line this evening and went downtown to see the light displays. The mall was as expected, but we spent 15 minutes at the City & County Building as saw not a single LEO. Maybe they were incognito, or just inside a door, but giving the current climate, I would have expected a bit more visible presence at probably the biggest holiday focus point in the state on a Friday two nights before Christmas. DPD did, however, have enough manpower to execute a traffic stop on a bicyclist who ran a red light on one of the mall cross streets- gotta have priorities.

Never mind this bit of information...

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U.S. federal authorities cautioned local law enforcement on Friday to be aware that supporters of Islamic State have been calling for their sympathizers to attack holiday gatherings in the United States, including churches, a law enforcement official said.

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http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-security-warning-idUSKBN14D007

How many people were in the vicinity of the City and County Building?

How many more people were on the 16th Street Mall?

Did you check any of the doors on the City and County Building?

I'd guess there were still quite a few people at the Christkindl Market at Skyline Park. I would bet the same DPD officers covering the 16th Street Mall are also covering the Market. I never see any officers at the Denver Performing Arts Center. During intermissions and just prior or after shows let out there are hundreds of people milling about in the covered courtyard.

There are just so many soft targets and no one wants to pay the tax bill for rent a cops much less actual police officers to cover half of those targets. Cops respond, and in major cities they are only five minutes away. Its just a tragedy for those innocent people who are there for the five and a half minutes before the cops get there.

People who assume the government can secure anything 24/7 forever and ever have an interesting way of looking at the world. Sort of like Alice and a looking glass.

Be safe.

The crowd density at the county bldg was higher than the mall, and the vehicle traffic passing in front was very heavy. There was a police presence on the mall.

For all I know, there a SWAT team sitting behind the side door waiting to pounch, but I would have EXPECTED a couple of uniforms to be pleasantly meandering through the crowd.

The two DPD Explorers parked in the classic drivers door-to-drivers door stance about halfway between the two locations on Cleveland Place sure seemed to be enjoying the evening.

You just don't see us.

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Originally Posted by BushMasterBoy

You just don't see us.

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I hope that is the case.

They jumped the bicycle guy as a preemptive measure. Potential for random attacks, bicycle rider runs stop sign. Yeah I'd want to know who it was, too.

How big a target is that though?

Real security is a) expensive and b) intrusive. It starts to look downright Orwellian when done properly. Most people/cities/states just don't have the budget or tolerance. The article you posted wouldn't be enough reason for me to change security posture.

"Jerks plan to try to be jerks while others go about their lives" just isn't, and I would argue shouldn't be, a good reason to act.

Random violence/lone wolf attacks, regardless of the inspiration, are scary because they are hard to foresee, hard to intercept and impossible to stop 100% of the time. I certainly wouldn't want to live in a society that was set up to try.

Eh. I don't need the presence of uniformed officers to give me a false sense of security.

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Originally Posted by .455_Hunter

The two DPD Explorers parked in the classic drivers door-to-drivers door stance...

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Adam-69

We have zero presence at the county building in Adams County... But more than 20 deputies and at least 4 security officers at the courthouse. I don't think a city/county building ranks very high on terrorist targets. The capital building is another story.

Sent from my XT1585 using Tapatalk

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Originally Posted by BushMasterBoy

You just don't see us.

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This.

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Originally Posted by Ronin13

We have zero presence at the county building in Adams County... But more than 20 deputies and at least 4 security officers at the courthouse.I don't think a city/county building ranks very high on terrorist targets. The capital building is another story.

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ANY place is a potential terrorist target. It's not a matter of how high it ranks importance wise. You think salah el dumbfuk just sent pieces of his body and that of 1/2 doz plus people at a coffee shop to the afterlife because it was a high priority target?

IMHO... Those of us who plan to attend church this Sunday morning... please raise the awareness factor up a notch or two. And bring a few extra magazines....

I must ask: How was your security posture whilst walking around in a crowded venue that you think could be targeted?

If I thought something was going to be targeted by terrorists, I would definitely not go there just to hang around and wait for it to happen.

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Originally Posted by Pistol Packing Preacher

IMHO... Those of us who plan to attend church this Sunday morning... please raise the awareness factor up a notch or two. And bring a few extra magazines....

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Yes, this. Keep your eyes open. Sit in a seat with good lines of sight and access to aisles and exits.

Went to the DAM this week to see the Star Wars exhibit (highly recommended btw). Zero security.

Had a nice dinner afterwards on Larimer Square, sat by a window to people watch, didn't see any DPD.

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Originally Posted by Skip

Went to the DAM this week to see the Star Wars exhibit (highly recommended btw). Zero security.

Had a nice dinner afterwards on Larimer Square, sat by a window to people watch, didn't see any DPD.

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May I assume you didn't see any crime or terrorism either?

Sounds like where ever the security is, they were keeping the criminals and terrorists away from you. Merry Christmas!

The 16th street mall has also been in the news for the asshattery of the "travelers" attacking people and harassing them. The city/county building also has metal detectors and security checkpoints. It's an enclosed area that has a specific amount of people going about their court and city business- and likely a good number of them had already taken off for the holiday. The mall, on the other hand, is wide open and likely had a large presence of people doing last-minute shopping.

If I were DPD and if I had the opportunity, I'd stop a damn cyclist flying through a red light every day and twice on Sunday. Especially if I were sitting there in plain sight. Red-light runners cause enough near-accidents and false starts-and-stops for the rest of traffic to deserve to get their asses kicked at every opportunity. Most bicyclists (I know there are some of you on here that don't fit this category) I've seen flaunt the traffic laws nonstop, despite the special measures laid out for them to share the road. Scofflaw cyclists are one of my pettest of peeves. I have no sympathy for them.

Besides, if the cops hadn't stopped the red-light runner, I imagine the post would include how the police weren't doing ANYTHING, not even stopping people running red lights. Damned if they do, damned if they don't.

I am so confused by this thread... Are people here actually begging for a police state? It sounds like people want a police state. Trust me people, you don't want a police state.

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Originally Posted by TheGrey

The 16th street mall has also been in the news for the asshattery of the "travelers" attacking people and harassing them. The city/county building also has metal detectors and security checkpoints. It's an enclosed area that has a specific amount of people going about their court and city business- and likely a good number of them had already taken off for the holiday. The mall, on the other hand, is wide open and likely had a large presence of people doing last-minute shopping.

If I were DPD and if I had the opportunity, I'd stop a damn cyclist flying through a red light every day and twice on Sunday. Especially if I were sitting there in plain sight. Red-light runners cause enough near-accidents and false starts-and-stops for the rest of traffic to deserve to get their asses kicked at every opportunity. Most bicyclists (I know there are some of you on here that don't fit this category) I've seen flaunt the traffic laws nonstop, despite the special measures laid out for them to share the road. Scofflaw cyclists are one of my pettest of peeves. I have no sympathy for them.

Besides, if the cops hadn't stopped the red-light runner, I imagine the post would include how the police weren't doing ANYTHING, not even stopping people running red lights. Damned if they do, damned if they don't.

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This was all I could think of while reading the thread. I was just happy a red-light runner got stopped.

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Originally Posted by cstone

May I assume you didn't see any crime or terrorism either?

Sounds like where ever the security is, they were keeping the criminals and terrorists away from you. Merry Christmas!

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Other than the "contemporary" exhibits at the museum, we witnessed no crime. We actually went back to the DAM to buy a Christmas present the day after and weren't even stopped (didn't have passes/tickets).

There were pot needles everywhere (in the air) which was a little disturbing outside the museum since there were so many families/kids.

They don't have police at the DAM, they would have the Coast Guard.

http://youtu.be/SBQ-vW6rz_Y

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Originally Posted by Gman

http://youtu.be/SBQ-vW6rz_Y

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[ROFL1]