Council approves Salvation Army contract to run Crossroads shelter after security briefing

Denver City Council on Nov. 10 approved a contract with the Salvation Army to operate Crossroads, a 24/7 low-barrier emergency shelter in Council District 9, after the agency described internal and external security measures and city staff outlined plans for community coordination.

Councilmember Watson called for detail on the Salvation Army's internal and external security plans. Jeff Kuczynski, appearing remotely for the Salvation Army, described perimeter monitoring and instructions to call 311 or 911 for exterior incidents, a guest check-in process, city-required guest agreements that set behavioral expectations, interior signage reminding guests of responsibilities, and ongoing coordination with Denver Police and nonprofit outreach partners.

City staff said they are convening nonprofit outreach providers and neighborhood stakeholders to form a "good neighbor" agreement and a committee to identify specific actions to improve safety and coordination around the site, including both site perimeter measures and supports across adjacent public spaces.

Councilmember Lewis said she lacked confidence in the Salvation Army based on past performance and announced she would vote no on the resolution; other council members said they supported the contract. The roll call produced a 9-aye result and Council Resolution 13 72 passed.

The contract approval authorizes the city to enter a mandatory agreement with the Salvation Army for programmatic services at Crossroads. Officials said further operational coordination with police and outreach partners will continue as the site comes online and community concerns are addressed through the planned good-neighbor work.

What happens next: Implementation steps include continued coordination between the Salvation Army, Denver Police Department, outreach nonprofits, and neighborhood stakeholders to finalize the good-neighbor agreement and internal/external security practices.