The approach of Election Day has brought high tensions and uncertainty about basic questions such as whether a winner will even be crowned that night, and concerns about possible unrest or volatile protests.

In a regular question-and-answer session with media Thursday, Denver’s public safety executive director, Murphy Robinson, said he hopes any protests will remain peaceful, but that the city is prepared to respond however necessary.

Rumors of voter intimidation at polling locations or ballot drop boxes in Denver have proved unfounded, according to Robinson and previous news reports.

The Denver Post reported Oct. 17 that the Office of the Clerk and Recorder investigated claims of voter intimidation at two drop boxes, but found no evidence of it after reviewing video footage.

Robinson said any reports of incidents at voting sites are first investigated by the clerk’s office. 

“We’re very strategic on when we have a law enforcement response,” Robinson said. “And the reason we do that is we don’t want to be a perceived law enforcement, voter-suppression thing, and we don’t want folks to see cops at a voting center and get nervous about that.”

He said he’s concerned that any unrest will be exacerbated by a nationwide spike in gun sales.

The New York Times reported the FBI processed more background checks for gun purchases in the first nine months of this year than it did in any previous full year. Nonprofit news organization The Trace reports gun purchases tend to go up in anticipation of elections or following mass shootings, when people expect stricter gun regulations. 

But news outlets have reported this year has also brought spikes in gun sales to first-time buyers and people who previously considered themselves anti-gun, fueled by fears for safety brought on by the impending election, the past months’ racial protests and the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Robinson asked people not to bring weapons to demonstrations in Denver because of their potential to worsen volatile situations.

“When you have that many guns being sold, you know, we can’t have those guns in the wrong hands. And people tend to leave guns in their cars and in places that they can be stolen and used in the wrong way,” he said. “And that’s my major concern. And that correlates with the amount of violence that we’re seeing right now.”

But Robinson gave sparse details about the city’s contingency plans if protests erupt on or after Election Day. He declined to say how many law enforcement officers Denver will have on hand. 

“There’s a contingent of folks out there that try and think ahead of us and figure out what we’re going to do and counteract that,” he said. “And so while we can plan and plan and plan and process and plan even more, people that are intent in causing harm also are doing that. And so it is an ever evolving thing.”

He also did not give information about groups or people that have inquired about permits for protests on Election Day or the days following, citing privacy considerations for those who have not actually applied for permits. Robinson said he wants demonstrating groups to have permits, because it allows Denver to coordinate its response such as blocking off streets. 

On the subject of demonstrations, Robinson defended Denver law enforcement’s response to opposing rallies in Civic Center on Oct. 10, which ended with the fatal shooting of Lee Keltner as the two rallies dispersed. Matthew Dolloff, a man contracted by 9News as private security during the rallies, has been charged with second-degree murder for the shooting.

Law enforcement surrounded the park and restricted access to a “Patriot Muster” rally throughout the afternoon. People could freely access a BLM-Antifa Soup Drive held at the same time in a different section of the park. Law enforcement also stood in a buffer zone keeping the two groups separate during the rallies. But he added that media outlets have to notify the Department of Public Safety if they plan to have armed security at events. 

“The very fact that we were able to keep them separate, and they were able to do their things was just a beautiful thing,” Robinson said. “And that that event happened was unfortunate, but it casts a negative light on something that actually was otherwise positive.”