HOMELESS

going public surveys in a report that is set to come out in August.

Community concerns and ideas

In an earlier stage of the process, Henderson’s team conducted an informal survey with a small group of stakeholders in Littleton.

“Perspectives and experiences on what’s happening in Littleton are all across the board,” she said. “So whatever you are feeling, there are others who are feeling it and there are people who are experiencing and seeing these questions in very di erent ways.” e results of the survey showed that 44% of respondents said homelessness has impacted them or their businesses.

During the meeting, attendees held conversations in small groups to answer several questions related to homelessness and their general experiences in Littleton.

Some of their concerns included drug use, property rights, waste in the streets, vandalism and the impact of homelessness on business owners and visitors.

Some attendees also explored philosophical sides of the conversation, including how to help people experiencing homelessness who may not want help. ey discussed the nuance involved in “wanting help,” and how it can be hard for people to keep trying when they are repeatedly denied services and housing. e groups also discussed potential solutions and preventative strategies for homelessness, including eviction prevention programs, availability of case workers, shuttle services to transport unhoused folks to shelters and more.

AllHealth mobile response unit and co-responders e mobile response unit team includes mental/behavioral health case managers and a registered nurse. e team responds to calls with a large van, equipped with food, water, toiletries, clothes and more. In addition to these resources, it carries NARCAN, equipment to take vital signs and some other medical treatment materials. e mobile response unit, which is dispatched through law enforcement’s non-emergency line, can also provide voluntary transportation to crisis centers, detox centers and shelters. e team has several case managers and is hoping to add a speci c case manager for homelessness in Littleton soon, Martin said.

Several speakers highlighted programs in place to assist those experiencing homelessness and to help address some of the concerns of community members.

One of these programs is the mobile response unit from AllHealth Network, which started a partnership with the City of Littleton in April.

“ ey get calls for kind of a lower level of crisis or behavioral health concerns, mental health, substance use, homelessness, just a number of di erent needs — and can provide that person with resources,” said Andrea Martin, supervisor for the mobile response unit and co-responder programs at AllHealth.

She also explained AllHealth’s coresponder program, which sends a licensed mental health practitioner to respond alongside law enforcement to higher level crisis calls, including mental health, substance use, homelessness and other welfare needs.

AllHealth’s co-responder team serves ve cities, including Littleton.

“ ose case managers go out and do proactive work with an o cer each day and outreach individuals who are unhoused and can o er them resources and get them connected to services,” she said.

AllHealth also has a street outreach team, peer recovery coach, housing care navigators and more mental health professionals who can provide crisis stabilization support, resources and advice in the community, over the phone or in person at their crisis walk-in center at 6507 S. Santa Fe Drive.

Police response to homelessness

O cer Luke Bishard, of the Littleton Police Department, explained the responsibilities and limits of police intervention when it comes to home- lessness.

He said the department’s Special Enforcement Tacticsteam, or SET team, which does community outreach projects, collaborates on homelessness issues and conducts bike patrols on the city’s paths and greenways.

“ e SET team, speci cally, is not the end-all be-all (for issues related to homelessness),” he said. “However, we are a good resource in terms of solving problems from a proactive standpoint.”

He said the team can enforce curfew in parks but cannot do anything when people call to report someone sleeping in an open park during the day.

“We just get phone calls of somebody in a park just because they look homeless, or they have multiple items,” Bishard said. “ ey have just as much right to those parks and open spaces as somebody with their kids taking a nap on a blanket. So if we do get those calls, there’s nothing we’re going to do.”

He said the team can and does enforce trespassing laws and respond to obstruction of public ways, streets and sidewalks. He also reminded private business owners that they can “trespass” an individual from their property, which means the individual can get a citation if they enter the property.

He added that the police department works with co-responders whenever necessary and possible for issues related to homelessness.

Bradley traffics in vicious slurs

In her July 14 opinion piece (tinyurl.com/bradleycol), state Rep. Brandi Bradley responded to a piece from Chad Cox that Colorado Community Media published on July 10 (tinyurl.com/lettercox).

Mr. Cox, who is a Navy veteran, had taken issue with a post (tinyurl.com/bradleypost) on Rep. Bradley’s Facebook page in which, implicitly referencing LGBTQ Pride Month, she stated, “Our veterans and our military DESERVE a month of celebration, not naked grown men grooming our children.”

At the end of her own CCM essay, Rep. Bradley tacitly invited “constructive feedback on [her] viewpoints.” I would like to offer some here.

Rep. Bradley stated: “I question why there’s a push to elevate a particular group of people — those in the LGBTQ community — over others.”

Seems to me that very few people who are both decent and sensible would see in Pride Month any sort of elevation of the LGBTQ community “over others.” Rather, I think people who are both decent and sensible see Pride Month as an opportunity for members of the LGBTQ community to celebrate their acceptance in the community as people deserving of basic human dignity in the face of a history and a continuing present of vicious bigotry.

Rep. Bradley stated: “Mr. Cox took offense to me calling out that the rainbow flag is being used by groomers.”

Yes, Mr. Cox did, as all people who are both decent and sensible ought to do. To insinuate that all members of the LGBTQ communi - ty are “groomers” is a vicious slur. See Point 1 above.

Rep. Bradley suggested that in accordance with Pride Month : “We must pledge our allegiance, even in violation of our conscience, lest we be derided in public as an ignorant hater; or otherwise shamed and booed back into compliance.”

Actually, no one is demanding that anyone else do anything, apart from refrain from slurring whole communities with words like “groomer.” See Point 2 above.

I sincerely hope Rep. Bradley finds this feedback helpful.

Eric Brody Castle Pines

We deserve better than Bradley Colorado Community Media published a letter to the editor from Rep. Brandi Bradley (HD39) in response to one entitled “Brandi Bradley spawns hatred.” It should be noted that before this more

“polished” version was published on July 14, Bradley initially lashed out in the CCM comment section spewing vitriol, ending her online rant with “So if you think it’s the person who can scream the loudest who wins, buckle up …”

CCM would serve our community well by publishing Bradley’s online comments (tinyurl.com/ bradleyresponse) alongside her “polished” version, so we can see the whole picture of who she is as a legislator.

Bradley’s rhetoric often replicates that of Anita Bryant’s “Save Our Children” campaign from the 1970s, pathologizing the LGBTQ+ community and accusing them of being sexual predators. Bradley even continues to push the “groomer” narrative in her rebuttal to the original letter.

While she touts “freedom,” she notably does not support freedom for all, falsely equating individuals wanting to have basic civil rights with a desire to “elevate a particular group of people.”

Yoga in the Park

Join RidgeGate and South Suburban Parks and Recreation for free community yoga classes on the grass at the south end of Belvedere Park, at the corner of RidgeGate Circle and Belvedere Lane. Please bring your own mat, water bottle and towel to all classes. In case of heavy rain or lightning, class will be cancelled.

Tuesday, July 25th, 6:30-7:30pm

Tuesday, August 29th, 6:30-7:30pm

Guided Nature Hikes

Of course, Bradley is entitled to her Christian beliefs. The issue is attempting to legislate them onto others, based on what she believes is a “sin.”

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Each year, RidgeGate teams up with the South Suburban Parks and Recreation District to provide free, guided nature hikes. These hikes are led by professional naturalists from the district, and offer insight and education into the natural ecosystems within the open space at RidgeGate. Registration is required and available at RidgeGate.com

Friday, July 21st, 6-7:30pm – Urban Coyotes

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Saturday, August 5th, 9-10:30am – Reflecting on Women in Nature

Thursday, August 24th, 6-7:30pm – Leave No Trace

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Summer Beats Concerts

Enjoy these summertime concerts out on the grass with free live music, food trucks and activities for kids. It’s all happening in Prairie Sky Park, just west of the Lone Tree Recreation Center, courtesy of the South Suburban Parks and Recreation District.

Thursday, July 20th, 6-8pm – 6 Million Dollar Band

Bradley’s anti-LGBTQ+ actions and affiliations are well-documented, including: protesting drag shows in Douglas County, introducing anti trans sports legislation rooted in national efforts to restrict the rights of transgender people to exist, introducing a resolution for parental rights which would have increased the risk of LGBTQ+ students to experience bigotry and retaliation for their identity, and alignment with the so-called “parents’ rights” movement, specifically the antiLGBTQ+ group, Colorado Parent Advocacy Network.

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Tunes on the Terrace at the Lone Tree Arts Center

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RidgeGate is proud to be the presenting sponsor of the Lone Tree Arts Center’s ‘Tunes on the Terrace’—an outdoor evening concert series that will bring your summer nights to life. Check out the full schedule and buy tickets at LoneTreeArtsCenter.org

Friday, July 21st, 8pm – Pink Martini Featuring China Forbes

Friday, August 4th, 8pm – FACE Vocal Band

Experience Historic Schweiger Ranch

The restoration of the 38-acre historic Schweiger Ranch, led by the Schweiger Ranch Foundation, gives us a glimpse into settlers’ lives. Today, the ranch is open to the public for self-guided visits and a variety of events throughout the year. Register for or learn more about these events online at SchweigerRanch.org

Saturday, August 19th, 10-11am – Guided Public Tour

Saturday, August 19th, 6-7:30pm – Campfire Storytelling Series (Ranger Trey)

Wednesday, August 30th, 7-8:30pm – Natural Heritage Walking Tours with SSPRD (Blue Moon & Bats)

Additionally, while Bradley declares “I do not hate anyone,” she also advocates for Moms for Liberty to start a chapter in Douglas County, an organization classified as an extremist group in the Southern Poverty Law Center’s 2022 Year in Hate & Extremism report.

When Bradley states that she is for “all,” there should be an asterisk, explaining that all does not mean all.

What can we expect to see from Bradley this next legislative session? Will she continue down this dangerous pathway of antiLGBTQ+ rhetoric with predictable attempts at banning access to healthcare and bathrooms? With Colorado GOP Chair Dave Williams as her legislative aide, that is a realistic possibility.

Residents of HD39 deserve better. Bradley’s term is up in 2024, and voters should keep this full picture in mind.

Megan Burch Roxborough

FROM PAGE 15 LETTERS SEE LETTERS, P26

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