Experiencing homelessness is NOT a crime. However, all community members must follow the ordinances in place in the City of Golden.
Under current law, law enforcement must confirm that there is space available for an individual to stay at a shelter or other designated area before citing the person for a camping violation.
There are currently no shelters in Golden or all of Jefferson County. This means there will be instances when the City’s current camping ordinances cannot be enforced.
Currently, the Home in Golden Safe Parking program, sponsored by the First United Methodist Church, hosts 12 vehicles.
Every contact that law enforcement has with an unhoused individual also results in a referral to the Golden Housing and Homelessness Navigator.
Most Common City of Golden Ordinances to Impact People Experiencing Homelessness
- 5.01.070 – Specific Nuisances
- 8.04.510 – Obstructing a highway or other passageway
- 8.30.030 – Park Usage Restrictions
Ways You Can Help
- Report an issue when you see it:
- For emergencies or crimes in progress, call 911.
- For complaints of non-emergency issues currently in progress (e.g. drinking/drugs used in public, trespassing, ordinance violations, welfare check or concern for someone, suspicious behavior/activity), call 303-980-7300, or report your concern through Jeffcom911.org.
- For issues NOT in-progress (e.g. trash on public property, vandalism, graffiti, etc.) file an incident report online.
- Email the Community Resource and Housing Navigator to initiate support for the person. (Note: The navigator is not an emergency, on-call position.)
- For emergencies, Golden currently employs one co-responder who is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker.
- If you need police assistance for an emergency mental health crisis, please call 911. You can ask for a co-responder or Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) response and if available, the co-responder will accompany officers on the call. Learn more about co-responders.
