Achieving Justice Requires Your Participation

By Carolyn Tyler, Denver County DA’s Office

At the beginning of 2020, a man flagged down a Denver police officer on South Broadway to report that a woman was being raped. The officer stopped the attack, arrested the offender, and got the female victim the medical help she needed. That man is now being prosecuted by the Denver district attorney’s office and is charged with two counts of sexual assault. The victim is a member of our homeless community and has fallen out of contact with law enforcement despite ongoing attempts to locate her. Without her testimony, there is a possibility that her accused attacker may get off on lesser charges or get away with his crime altogether and continue to offend.   

The National Coalition for the Homeless reports that people experiencing homelessness are far more likely than the general population to be victims of violent crime — like sexual assault. Denver’s law enforcement community reports seeing an uptick of crimes being committed against the homeless, and while that trend is concerning, there are things the homeless community can do to aid in changing the trend.   

When crimes against the homeless happen, or when the homeless are witnesses to a crime, law enforcement needs the community to say something if they see something. Staying engaged until offenders are not only arrested but also charged and prosecuted is critical. The homeless community has the power to help change the trend of victimization if they do stay engaged.   

The Denver Police Department’s Homeless Outreach Team started about 14 years ago and has grown to 12 people. No one was assigned to the team; every member volunteered to work on the front lines of reaching out to the homeless community. Team members are well known to many of Denver’s homeless community and have earned the trust of many by treating people with dignity and respect. They connect people with services that can help lift them up, lend someone a phone if they need to make an important call, or give a person a ride to a shelter to spend the night or to court to testify in the morning. 

According to Denver Police Sergeant Brian Conover, “We understand and respect that we are dealing with human beings who might need our help, and we take the time to listen.”   

“As cases move through the court system, we need people to stick with us if we are to prevent those who prey on our homeless community from continuing to target them,” said Investigator John Davidson of the Denver DA’s Office. Davidson and Conover advise the community to check in with shelter staff, their case managers, or with other service providers. 

They also recommend going to a district police station for assistance, and, of course, contacting a member of the Homeless Outreach Team. But they also acknowledge that some people are apprehensive about walking into a police station. “We will often come meet the person at a time and place of their choosing,” said Davidson.

Being a victim of a crime and going through the court system can be difficult and confusing for anyone. The Denver DA’s Office is staffed by attorneys, investigators, support staff, and victim advocates. They are all are dedicated to advocating for victim rights, helping victims of crime access appropriate services, and offer many different resources and services for victims and witnesses. 

For example, there are programs that provide financial assistance to victims of certain crimes. While not all crime victims or crime-related losses are eligible for reimbursement or payment, people who are victims of a violent crime or who witness certain crimes may be eligible. Among the factors to be eligible for compensation are reporting the crime to the Denver Police Department within 72 hours and cooperating fully with law enforcement in the investigation, apprehension, and prosecution of the perpetrator.  

Again, it starts with remembering that if you see something, say something, and then stay engaged. In the meantime, Davidson, Conover, and the Homeless Outreach Team will continue their efforts to contact the rape victim from South Broadway St.. Her accused attacker will be arraigned in mid-March. ■

Carolyn Tyler is currently the communications director for the Denver DA’s Office. The office’s mission includes the prevention and deterrence of crimes, support of the well-being of victims, participation in the community, transparency, accountability, and improvement of the criminal justice system to provide fair alternatives to incarceration in appropriate cases.