How Local City Leaders Are Implementing Safety Improvements to Protect the Community

GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (KJCT) – Violent acts across the country have encouraged local leaders to implement new city safety improvements. The City of Grand Junction is ramping up security measures.

Enhancing Public Safety Measures

Dating back to 9/11, Interim Fire Chief Gus Hendricks said the city recognized safety changes needed to be made to downtown Grand Junction.

“We added additional safety fencing access gates. We started to limit access to some of our buildings again to keep not only our employees safe, but any of the community that’s visiting our building,” he said.

Installing Safety Bollards

Most recently, safety bollards, or cement vehicle barriers, were installed around the city to prevent vehicles from crashing into buildings.

“Vehicle barriers that are in all of the access streets, such as Market on Main and some of our parades, prevent vehicles from driving up the streets during those events,” Hendricks explained.

Strategic Urban Design for Protection

Hendricks also noted that Main Street in downtown was strategically designed with raised flower beds to provide individuals with areas of refuge if needed.

Continuous Evaluation and Improvement

While community safety is always evolving, the city monitors events across the state and country to identify areas that could be upgraded.

“We look at our needs, we look at our community, and we look at areas that need to be safe and or need to be protected,” Hendricks said. “If we see something that’s being done somewhere else in order to keep everybody safe, then we definitely want to figure out how we can employ those here as well.”

The Interim Fire Chief says the city is always looking for new and improved ways to keep citizens safe.