Denver Mayor Mike Johnston on Wednesday announced the creation of a new police unit focused on downtown safety, a move that another official said would yield “significant changes in the crime map” for the corridor within a year and encourage people to come back.

Joined by Denver Police Chief Ron Thomas and other city officials on the 16th Street Mall, Johnston said the success of the city depends on the success of downtown.

“Downtown Denver is not just the backbone of Denver’s economy, but it’s the cultural and civic heart of the Mountain West,” Johnston said in a news release. “These new public safety resources — coupled with $570 million in economic investments through the Downtown Development Authority, the completion of construction on 16th Street, and non-stop events and attractions all summer — downtown is well on its way to being the vibrant core of our city once again.”

Downtown Denver has struggled ever since the pandemic hit five years ago, when governments shut down businesses and limited public gatherings. It’s dealing with rising office and retail vacancies, further strained by the years-long 16th Street Mall renovation construction project, homelessness, and some high-profile violent and drug crimes recently. Foot traffic has yet to fully rebound.

Part of the city’s “Safe Downtown Action Plan,” the new unit will include a 10-officer force that will patrol the area on foot, bicycles and motorcycles.

In addition to the new dedicated unit, there will be 10 extra foot patrols each day, which official said would help deter crime.

The Denver Police Department will also reestablish downtown as the permanent home of the city’s mounted horse patrol.

“Again and again, one message has been loud and clear — safety must come first,” said Denver City Council President Amanda Sandoval.

The city’s Department of Public Safety and the Denver Police Department will fund the new unit, and the Downtown Development Authority has approved $3.7 million for overtime and 10 extra patrol shifts per day within the downtown core for the next 12 months.

Overtime pay is $81.90 per hour, according to the city.

The city asked for funding for 3,680 hours of overtime per month.

Chairman Doug Tisdale said Downtown Development Authority anticipates “that within that 12 months, we will see significant changes in the crime map that we have for downtown Denver, which will encourage people to come back to downtown Denver.”

Downtown merchants have long expressed safety worries, arguing it has been a major factor in driving away visitors and potential customers.

Derek Friedman, owner of SportsFan and Sock ‘Em, said that 100% of the items he sells are discretionary — jerseys, hats, and “ridiculous socks.”

“And so our stores require foot traffic from people who are just out wandering, people who are relaxed and exploring,” Friedman said. “And a safe environment is crucial to getting people to wander, and that’s one of the reasons why I’m excited about this initiative.”

Three years ago, Friedman implemented a “crime spike” surcharge, which added a 1% fee to every transaction made at his 16th Street Mall store.

“Last week, I decided to end a 1% fee that started in 2022 to address shoplifting and crime, not because of today’s announcement, but because downtown had started to look and feel normal, like how it looked and felt when I bought the business more than 10 years ago,” Friedman, said. “This plan for horses and bikes and foot patrols is exactly what we need, and I’m hopeful that it will bring the safety and vibrancy we deserve.”

DPD Police Chief Ron Thomas acknowledged that Denver has seen a spike in its 2025 crime statistics, highlighted by the deadly stabbings in January — which were believed to be random. He said the numbers seem to have returned to 2024 trends.

The stabbing incident rattled downtown.

Last month, several Denver restaurants said they are at a boiling point with the state of downtown, expressing frustrations with the mayor and noting his promise on the campaign trail to turn the area around.

Dave Query, owner of Jax Fish House & Oyster Bar, said the situation has gotten worse since Johnston took over as mayor. The Boulder-based chef behind BRF Restaurant Group said downtown’s traffic plan and new bike paths implemented in the last two years have taken up parking spaces and made it more difficult for customers to come to their businesses. In addition, food trucks are taking parking spots and bringing in more competition, he said.

He also pointed to the stabbings on 16th Street Mall over a January weekend, when two people were killed and two injured.

On Wednesday, Johnston said the city will also add three more park ranger shifts, and the Downtown Denver Partnership will fund five private security officers.

Additional officers will be added on Friday and Saturday nights to handle the “surge” of crowds leaving the area after bars close.

Beyond the increased police presence downtown, Johnston said the city will also invest additional medical and mental health substance use support for the area, including bike paramedics from Denver Health and two medical units from Denver Fire.

“We’re committed to doing our part,” Johnston said. “We want to ask the city to share in doing your part by saying these businesses who have fought so hard to make this downtown vibrant are ready for you to come back, and we are as well.”

Denver Gazette Reporter Bernadette Berdychowski contributed to this story.