Downtown pilot reports fewer police calls and more outreach but council flags gaps in services

Chelsea Gondek, CEO of the Downtown Partnership, reported to the City of Colorado Springs work session that the Clean and Safe pilot launched mid‑last year to boost cleanliness and safety in the downtown Development Authority area.

"My name is Chelsea Gondek, and I serve as the CEO for the Downtown Partnership," Gondek said, and she summarized results from a pulse survey and the program’s three pillars: supplemental security, ambassadors and contracted outreach. Pat Rigdon, the Partnership’s director of Downtown Environment, said the supplemental security team handled 2,850 incidents between Aug. 2025 and June 2026 and that only 2% of those required police intervention, allowing most situations to be resolved without diverting CSPD resources. "They managed, 2,850 incident, total incidents," Rigdon told the council.

Speakers emphasized outreach outcomes: Steve Wyatt of Homer Pikes Peak, the contracted outreach provider, said the team recorded contact with 221 unique individuals, 135 accepted case management and 24 people reached what the presenter called "stability," including placements into housing or sober living. Wyatt described the number as unique individuals who may be contacted many times, not a point‑in‑time count.

Council members pressed for more data and clearer funding plans. Councilman Risley and others asked how the city’s $700,000 contribution fits into the roughly $1.8 million program budget and whether businesses would sustain ongoing costs; Gondek said the city provided about $700,000 toward the $1.8 million pilot and the Business Improvement District (BID) funds some cleaning services. The presenters said security is the largest budget component; outreach began with one‑time funding from the Partnership and has been sustained in part by federal pass‑throughs managed by city departments.

Several members raised program limits and one small subgroup the presenters called the "same 10 people," individuals who repeatedly create disruptions and who are hard to move into services. Council member Lineweber said the group needs alternatives to jail; Pat Rigdon and Springs Rescue Mission CEO Travis Williams said the rescue mission provides voluntary services but cannot force engagement. Amy Cox, the city’s chief housing and homelessness response officer, said the city does not provide behavioral health treatment directly but plans to convene providers and funders to coordinate responses.

Council members asked follow‑up questions about calls for service data from CSPD and recommended annual reports and comparative data from prior years. The presenters offered to provide additional breakdowns, historically comparable call‑for‑service numbers and details on funding sources if council wants to consider continuing the program beyond the pilot’s December end date.

The presentation closed with general council support for continued review; no formal vote on continuation was held during the work session.