As the number of incidents mounted, state lawmakers asked Denver Mayor Mike Johnston to help provide security due to growing criminal activity and harassment around the Colorado state Capitol.

On Tuesday morning, a body was discovered on Colfax Avenue, about a block away from the state Capitol.

Last week, police responded to an assault in the parking lot across the street that spilled over onto Capitol grounds.

Several weeks ago, gunfire erupted along Colfax in front of the state Capitol.

And last week, a legislative aide had to walk into traffic on Colfax to avoid being harassed by someone yelling in a threatening manner.

Lawmakers and staffers said they are being verbally and physically accosted as they walk across Colfax to the Capitol, including an incident in January, in which two lawmakers were yelled at and then spat on.

“All of us in and out of this building notice a lot of safety issues,” said Rep. Dan Woog, R-Frederick, the lawmaker who was spat on in an incident on the first day of the session.

It’s bad for the businesses in the neighborhood, too, he said. 

“It is worse in my eyes,” Woog said, adding that some of the people are violent and it’s frustrating when there are people coming to the Capitol who are under threat.

The State Patrol provides security at the Capitol complex, which includes the State Services Building on Sherman Street, where almost half of the General Assembly has offices.

But once off Capitol grounds, including crossing Colfax, lawmakers, staff and members of the public must tread carefully.

On Monday, House Republicans sent a letter to Johnston, pleading for help with safety around the Capitol.

Denver has become a “neglected metropolis where violent crime, drug overdoses and lawlessness have made it unsafe for those who work and live here and the state Capitol sits in the heart of this crisis,” House Republicans wrote in the letter to Johnston.

Crime around the Capitol neighborhood is nothing new. With homelessness on the rise a few years ago, Lincoln Park, across the street from the Capitol, became a haven for drug use and other problems until the park was closed. Lawmakers described witnessing drug use daily, as well as facing aggressive or even threatening behavior from people who wander up and down Colfax in front of the Capitol.

Rising crime is putting members, staff and the public at risk, the lawmakers wrote.

The letter noted shootings, open drug use and overdoses on the steps of government buildings, and lawmakers and staffers who have received death threats.

The lawmakers asked for heightening the law enforcement presence in the area and to enforce laws around open drug use.

“The people of Colorado deserve a capital city where they can walk without fear, where citizens going to work are not looking over their shoulders, and where families feel safe to visit,” they wrote.

The caucus asked for a visit with Johnston to address those safety concerns.

Johnston’s office told Colorado Politics his office is open for a productive conversation on the issue, although the statement sent by a spokesperson did not address the crime and drug use issues around the state Capitol. 

The mayor’s office also maintained that crime has gone down in Denver. 

The spokesperson said one of the mayor’s priorities “is for residents, businesses and visitors to feel safe in the city they work, live and play.”

“In just the last year Denver has seen a 23% reduction in shootings and a 29% drop in homicides involving firearms. The city is building upon that success through proven strategies, which prevent crime before it occurs and increase police presence in areas of high risk,” the spokesperson said. “Planning is underway to further increase outreach and safety resources in the downtown area from DPD and other city agencies, as well as community and business partners. Part of this strategy will be to increase visibility of officers and private security to provide a deterrent to crime and help people feel safer.”