Denver (KDVR) — City officials are currently reconsidering the current food truck ban in the Lower Downtown District.
Food trucks have been banned from operating in the area for several weeks due to safety concerns. The Denver Police Department hopes the move will reduce and calm crowds at closing.
Problem Solvers has learned that city officials are considering lifting the ban as early as next weekend, though no official announcement has been made.
“The city is working on an emergency rule that will allow meters to issue permits on the recently red-bagged blocks, but details are yet to be finalized,” said Nancy Kuhn of the Denver Department of Transportation and Infrastructure. ‘ said.
This comes days after a scathing letter from a non-profit law firm calling it a constitutional ban.
But lawyers representing food truck workers said the DPD had already decided to return the six food trucks to the area early next week. He said the city could not simply draw lots for people’s constitutional rights.
LoDo’s Food Truck Ban Targeted as Unconstitutional
The ban now prohibits trucks from operating between blocks 1900 and 2200 of Blake, Market and Larimar Street on Friday and Saturday nights.
This came as a result of a shooting in which police wounded six bystanders when they opened fire on a suspect who they claimed pointed the gun at them.
“The city should have completely repealed this food truck ban and should never have created it in the first place,” said Justin Pearson. He is a senior attorney at the Institute for Justice, a privately owned law firm.
“The food truck owners are innocent, law-abiding business owners, but the fact that they are being targeted while brick-and-mortar bars and restaurants are allowed to operate there — because of that distinction. There is no constitutional justification for this,” Pearson said.
Lawyer: Food trucks keep communities safer
It’s a distinction that leaves a bad taste in the mouths of many food truck owners, including Gyros Town owner Mohammad Alissa.
“It’s good business,” said Alyssa. “I serve my community, I am happy and I never shut down. [coronavirus] At that time we were open and served through a window. ”
“When powerful people make mistakes, they try to blame less powerful people,” said Pearson. “Food truck owners don’t have much to do with politics, do they? They tend to come from disadvantaged backgrounds.
Pearson also argued that food trucks keep communities safer.
“We’ve actually looked into this many times. Research shows that if you want your neighborhood to be safer, bring in your food trucks,” Pearson said. Citizens who comply and keep an eye on the streets, sometimes helping police officers.So generally speaking, if you want to make the world a safer place, you should love your food trucks. , is doubly true in LoDo, where there are people who leave the bar drunk and go home, and we want them to stop by the food truck to eat and calm down before heading home.”