A community activist said he plans on turning away anyone who comes to City Park this afternoon for a gun buy-back event following a dispute with the city over his permit.
But the city claims it has given Alvertis Simmons the go-ahead to collect the guns outside the park.
“I’m not going to allow anyone to get arrested on my watch,” said Simmons, who noted that it is illegal to bring a gun to a city park.
Last night, Simmons showed reporters a city permit he received three weeks ago to hold a rally against gun violence at the Martin Luther King statue in City Park. He said the city’s Parks and Recreation Department pulled the permit Friday when a staffer strictly interpreted the city ordinance banning guns in a park.
But Parks and Rec Manager Keven Patterson said he’s been trying to reach Simmons on the number listed on the permit application to allow the buy-back to go forward. He says Simmons hasn’t returned his call.
Simmons held a press conference at the park Friday afternoon complaining about the city’s unwillingness to let him conduct the gun buy-back operation, which he said is supported by Manager of Safety Al LaCabe, City Councilors Carla Madison and Michael Hancock, as well as the police at District II.
During the press conference, Simmons answered his cellphone at least three times.
Patterson said he first heard about the permit revocation this afternoon.
“My staff looked at the rules, which specifically prohibit guns in the park,” he said, referring to Simmons’ plan to purchase the guns at the Martin Luther King statue 100 yards inside the park from East 17th Avenue.
“I’ve been trying to catch up with Alvertis to let him hold his rally, but to buy the guns outside the park,” Patterson said. “We want him to have the rally, even though his application had no language about buying back guns.”
Simmons said he has raised $2,000 to buy pistols from their owners at $50 each, with no questions asked. He said he chipped in the first $500 and that the Ministers’ Alliance contributed another $200. Simmons said a recent buy-back in Cleveland pulled in 325 guns.
“The Tre Crips gang has told me they’re tired of the violence. They want to stop using guns. Six of them told me they would be here tomorrow to turn their guns in,” Simmons said.
Simmons said he didn’t want to risk something going wrong by holding the rally without a permit. So he’s going to have a gun buy-back program at the New Covenant Christian Church, 825 Ivanhoe St., at noon, Dec. 27. He won’t need a permit to hold it in the church, he said.
Kirk Mitchell: 303-954-1206 or kmitchell@denverpost.com
