SALT LAKE CITY, Utah — Romy Colvin spends his nights downtown with a camera, documenting what he sees and helping people when he can.
Some of his videos appear on Salt Lake City Scoop, where recordings of fights have raised questions about safety in the city’s nightlife district.
Colvin says he has witnessed repeated confrontations involving some of the same people. Salt Lake City police say their statistics show violent crime is declining.
WATCH | Documented fights cause concern in SLC
Colvin said his desire to help others grew out of his own experience seeking treatment for alcohol use. He said he learned accountability at Odyssey House, and that experience changed his life.
“Who’s there for the little guy when there, there is nobody, when nobody’s watching?” Colvin said.
He said he has helped stop thefts and assaults and has looked out for people waiting for rides downtown. He also said he normally is not paid for his work. Some of the footage he and others collect is shared through Salt Lake City Scoop.
Last month, Colvin was outside Shades on State, near 400 South and State Street, when he recorded a fight in which a young man was beaten.
“At first when he hit the ground the first time I thought it was over,” Colvin said. “But then it just, it kept going and nobody stepped in, and I was outnumbered.”
The video eventually reached the young man’s mother, Lisa Candelaria, whose son does not want to be identified.
“I was just wondering if he was alive, cause no one told me,” she said. “The first thing I asked, uh, is he alive? Tell me he’s alive.”
Candelaria said her son told her the attack was random. She said he suffered a concussion, experienced blurred vision and had injuries involving his throat and neck.
Police tell FOX 13 News the young man initially wanted to file a report but changed his mind when officers contacted him. His mother said she believes he was scared. She said she believed the attack could be gang-related, but Detective Ruff said police had no indication of gangs targeting people downtown.
In fact, according to Detective Michael Ruff, with Salt Lake City Police Department, violent crime downtown is down "remarkably."
Colvin said he offered officers video of the fight that night, but they declined it after telling him the young man did not want to press charges. Ruff said he had no information confirming that anyone had contacted police about the video and said the department did not have a report from the victim.
Colvin said the following weekend, he videotaped another confrontation involving the same group in the Shade's incident. But, this time they had weapons.
“I did witness one with a firearm and another one with a kitchen knife,” he said.
Colvin said he believes the violence he sees downtown is a serious problem. He questioned whether the reported crime figures capture everything happening on the streets.
Ruff said police statistics do not show an increase in fights or violent crime. He said he checked addresses around Shades on State and did not find a spike in calls.
He said social media may make fights more visible, and that videos of the same incident can circulate from different angles. He also said some websites pay for videos, giving people more opportunity to film and share what they witness. Ruff said he could not determine whether particular fights were staged.
The detective urged victims and witnesses to call police so officers can investigate.
Candelaria said she worries fear can keep people from speaking up.
“Other people won’t speak because they’re scared,” she said. “So they back down. How can we get this to stop if we don't speak up for people”
Colvin said he does not know the solution to the violence he sees. But he believes documenting what happens can help hold people accountable.
“Talking about it and showing proof is where you get the results,” he said.