'Protect, Serve And Feed The Hungry': Denver Police Hit The Streets With Food
DENVER (CBS4)- "Protect, Serve and Feed the Hungry" is the new motto of Denver Manager of Public Safety Troy Riggs. Hunger, the city found, is a contributing factor to crime. So, Riggs and Denver Mayor Michael Hancock thought, why not keep a few bags of food in police cars for those calls where there's a need?
In a warehouse on Denver's northwest side, a nonprofit called "We Don't Waste" joined forces with the Denver Police Department in a first-of-its-kind partnership, with a simple yet profound mission - to feed the hungry.
"It's exactly how we, as police officers, can accomplish our goals of helping people," said Denver Police Chief Paul Pazen.
Officers encounter people with food insecurity every day they say. Riggs said 14% or nearly 100,000 people in Denver live in poverty.
"That doesn't tell whole story. If you make $14,000 to $15,000 a year as a single person, the federal government doesn't classify you as living in poverty, so we're talking about the working poor," said Riggs. "How do you help someone with a mental health issue or an educational issue if they're hungry - it all begins with food."
A small bag of food, he says, can make a big difference.
"That develops a whole new relationship. So now that officer is not just an officer coming into a neighborhood, they're going to know that officer by name, that's their friend," said Riggs.
Hancock said the program grew out of the Denver Opportunity Index, which is a new approach to public safety that addresses social issues.
"When someone is hungry, and I come from a family where we had hunger often, I can tell you… you feel desperate," said Hancock. "What does it hurt to have food in trunk of the car to say that today we're going to make sure that that need is met and we've got the resources and information on how you can access that for the long term. There is nothing but value here."
The City of Denver is starting the program as a three-month pilot. The nonprofit "We Don't Waste" gets food from 150 donors and is providing the bags for free.
Those bags will be in about 20 police cars initially. If residents are receptive, police say they'll be in all patrol cars. In addition to food, the bags include a 1-800 number for people to call for long-term help with food.