Fire in Lakewood Raises Policy Concerns

As reported by CBS News, a fire in an abandoned gas station on February 3 endangered 20-30 homeless people who were using the building as a shelter. The situation underscores the need to re-examine several ongoing strategies, such as:

1. West Metro Fire unofficial policy of not enforcing fire safety standards in homeless encampments. West Metro officials have said these fires are a matter of life and death so encampment fires are typically allowed or deprioritized for enforcement activity.
2. Lakewood police official policy of deprioritizing drug paraphernalia and trespassing
3. Lakewood code enforcement for occupancy standards
4. Lakewood’s penalty fee on vacant property

Which of these policies were effective in de-escalating the ongoing safety situation?

From CBS News, by Karen Morfitt

Fire in vacant Colorado gas station doubling as shelter for unhoused highlights concerns of neighbors

At around 10 p.m. on Monday night a fire tore through a vacant Colorado building that was once used as a gas station. The building at the corner of Alameda Avenue and Harlan Street in Lakewood was being used as a shelter.

A resident of the apartment building next door captured video of flames shooting out of the building’s windows.

“Thank God the response was quick,” Victor Garibay said.

Garibay didn’t take the video, but he lives in the same apartment building. He and his neighbors raised concerns about people coming and going from the building several times.

“A lot of people have gone to the police have gone to the fire department and told them about the issues here — people coming in and out. The drug use, of course. The police have come, the fire department has come but they never seem to really be able to do anything about it,” he said.

Read article from CBS…