DENVER — Two Denver parks less than two miles from each other are now closed after officials say there's been an increase in drug sales, violent incidents and vandalism at the parks.
La Alma-Lincoln and Sonny Lawson Parks had barricades and signs pointing to the closures surrounding them on Monday morning.
Officials with Denver Parks & Rec say the effort to close the parks was coordinated with council offices, Denver's Department of Transportation and Infrastructure, Denver's Department of Public Health and Environment, Denver Police, and the Dream Center.
According to officials, the two parks will be closed for at least 30 days. The ultimate hope is that the closures will deter illegal activity.
"It's at least 30 days, and that's the important part, because if we're seeing that those things aren't improving, then that could be extended," a spokesperson with Denver Parks & Rec said. "It's like a trial period."
District 9 Council member Darrell Watson told Denver7 that Sonny Lawson Park means a lot to Five Points community members.
"The community wanted action from my office, from Denver Parks and Rec," Council Member Watson said. "They are absolutely supportive. The community members have been asking for action for a very long time."
He told Denver7 that Sonny Lawson Park was experiencing many of the same issues seen at La Alma-Lincoln Park.
"We were having increased fights around Sunny Lawson Park. We were having very clear drug use and drug sales in the park, and those things are not acceptable," said Council member Watson.
Denver
Caught on camera: Denver park ranger helps save man's life
Eric Abell, who's lived in the La Alma-Lincoln Park Neighborhood for nearly two decades, says he understands the park closure but feels that it has only pushed the issues into the neighborhood even more.
"This has made it better for the park," he said. "It's made it better for the neighbors directly across from the park. It's made it worse for everyone that lives along Colfax.
Abell told Denver7 he's seen more police presence in the neighborhood, but the issues have persisted.
"It's definitely gotten worse as they push everything north and around the encampments that are still there," he said. "Everyone's clearly rattled."
This isn't the first time Denver Parks & Rec has decided to close city parks as a way to deter crime in and near them.
In 2022, La Alma-Lincoln Park and nearby rec center were closed after a 63-year-old man was shot and killed after trying to break up a fight, according to police.
In recent years, Denver Parks & Rec has also closed Civic Center Park for similar reasons, reopening it once officials felt it was in better shape.
"If you look at Civic Center, we've closed it multiple times in the last decade for the same, you know, same kind of reasons," a spokesperson with Denver Parks & Rec said.
For residents like Abell, figuring out a more permanent solution to the violence and illegal activity in his neighborhood is top of mind.
"It's making us unsafe in our neighborhood," he said.
