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It was January 18th, 2024. I had just published my report on drug overdoses in Boulder in 2023. On this occasion, five women spoke during Open Comment on this topic. These women described deaths, overdoses, and the need to address addiction. Four of them read shortened excerpts from the above report.
Speakers here are named in the public video. I am not including their names in this document.
Speaker #1
Described a November 4th fatal overdose in a tent near Foothills and Walnut. She also discussed the woman’s children and family history.
Website listing: https://boulderpublicsafety.org/drug-overdoses-boulder-2023/#11-4-23_foothills-walnut
Video: https://www.youtube.com/live/dH2E625t4aU?si=DcTaHZxE0rw19TzB&t=2557
Speaker #2
Described an August 30th overdose in Central Park. The woman survived the August 30th overdose but subsequently died on September 8th.
Website listing: https://boulderpublicsafety.org/drug-overdoses-boulder-2023/#8-30-23_1236-canyon
Video: https://www.youtube.com/live/dH2E625t4aU?si=OmFzwv9apjGz9VIB&t=3454
Speaker #3
Described an October 22nd welfare check at a South Boulder affordable housing complex, where officers found a man deceased.
Website listing: https://boulderpublicsafety.org/drug-overdoses-boulder-2023/#10-22-23_south-boulder-complex
Video: https://www.youtube.com/live/dH2E625t4aU?si=WYAK2gyTNKieWGHy&t=4238
Speaker #4
Described a March 27th unattended death at a Housing First facility. This man was found dead three days shy of his 21st birthday. Per the autopsy report, this was an accidental meth overdose.
Website listing: https://boulderpublicsafety.org/drug-overdoses-boulder-2023/#3-27-23_housing-first-facility
Video: https://www.youtube.com/live/dH2E625t4aU?si=b4IOSJlRfx7yWmvk&t=4786
Speaker #5
She was actually the first to speak. She did not mention the overdose report, but she reminded listeners that she had lived experience with homelessness in Boulder and strongly advised council to take the drug situation more seriously.
Video: https://www.youtube.com/live/dH2E625t4aU?si=6BVylpLelTgSJzjY&t=2412
Following Open Comment
The City Manager and City Attorney were both asked if they had any responses. They both said no.
Video: https://www.youtube.com/live/dH2E625t4aU?si=YYpADRnxGeDmnE41&t=4913
In the exchange immediately following Open Comment, no council member specifically acknowledged the overdose-report readings or the speakers’ requests to prioritize addiction treatment.
Council members present included Aaron Brockett, Taishya Adams, Tina Marquis, Ryan Schuchard, and Tara Winer, all candidates in the upcoming 2026 election. (Adams, presently a council member, is running for mayor.)
Background:
~ On 9/28/23 – about four months earlier – Boulder’s then-police chief Maris Herold delivered a sobering report about drugs and overdoses in Boulder. This was when I decided to begin aggressively researching this topic. Later on in that same meeting, one council member, Nicole Speer, suggested paying campers $10 to stay at the shelter. In her remarks, she did not discuss funding or addiction treatment.
~ Several of the speakers on 1/18/24 referenced an idea which was circulating that Boulder should have a sanctioned campground, and suggested that efforts should instead focus on treatment. (Boulder did have an informal homeless campground back during the Great Recession. This was discontinued in 2012 after complaints from neighbors.)
~ On 10/2/18 – eight years ago – Municipal Court Judge Linda Cooke and Municipal Prosecutor Chris Reynolds presented to city council about meth use in Boulder. Reynolds was especially direct. At one point, he described how, per BPD, roughly 80% of the homeless in Boulder were using meth, and the homeless who were here before were “scared” of the new meth users. You can view this presentation here. Mr. Reynolds’s part starts here.
About the overdose reports:
~ The research for my 2023 overdose report took about two months and cost several hundred dollars.
~ I also researched overdoses in Boulder for 2024, but did not publish a full report. The material was broadly similar to what I had documented in 2023, with little new information to add. Writing these reports is also emotionally draining.
~ I did publish a similar report for 2025, this one focused specifically on overdoses which were fatal and in public spaces. I sent that report to City Council on 1/25/26. Only one council member, Tara Winer, responded with a brief acknowledgment.
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