Hancock: Marijuana is attracting “urban travelers” to 16th Street Mall

Denver Mayor Michael Hancock blamed marijuana Thursday for more so-called urban travelers coming to the city.

Adrian D. Garcia

Jun. 30, 2016, 1:45 p.m.

Denver Mayor Michael Hancock addresses the press at a conference concerning a new use of force policy for the Denver Sheriff's Department on June 16, 2016. (Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite)

mayor michael hancock; press conference; use of force; police; sheriff; city and county building; denver; denverite; kevinjbeaty; colorado — In this file photo, Denver Mayor Michael Hancock addresses the press at a conference concerning a new use of force policy for the Denver Sheriff's Department on June 16, 2016. (Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite)

Denver Mayor Michael Hancock blamed marijuana Thursday as the reason for more so-called urban travelers coming to the city. Earlier this week, the mayor pledged to stop a “scourge of hoodlums” on 16th Street.

Hancock made the comments to reporters after a jarring video depicting an assault on 16th Street Mall was released Wednesday evening. The attack was the latest in a string of violent incidents on the mall.

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The city plans to spend $650,000 on increased patrols on the mall over the next few months, while the partially tax-funded nonprofit Downtown Denver Partnership will spend about $1 million a year on a new security manager, private security patrols and other measures.

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