Parents and nonprofits urge Arvada council for action as Old Town school safety concerns rise; Mission Arvada seeks funding

Parents, school volunteers and nonprofit leaders urged the Arvada City Council on Tuesday to take additional steps to address safety concerns in Old Town Arvada near Saint Anne's School, and nonprofit leaders sought city funding to support extreme‑weather shelter operations.

Katie Lee, a parent, told the council that the growing presence of people experiencing homelessness around her child's school has directly affected students. "One of her closest friends was one of the young children who was offered something through the fence by a mission member," Lee said, describing an incident where a child was approached near the school. She urged the council to "take meaningful action" beyond increased police presence and warned that continued inaction could have "serious and lasting consequences."

David Holland, who volunteers at Saint Anne's, said volunteers and school staff have found hypodermic needle fragments on public sidewalks next to the school and reported repeated instances of people yelling obscenities, passing out intoxicated near school…