DENVER POLICE DEPARTMENT
Gerald R. Whitman, Chief of Police
The mission of the Denver Police Department is to deliver high quality public
safety services so all people may share a safe and healthy environment.
PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release
Date: June 6, 2008
To: All Denver Police Officers, Media, Denver City Council, and Denver Community Associations.
Contact: Sonny Jackson
Address: Office of the Chief
1331 Cherokee St., Denver, CO 80204
Phone: 720-913-6534
Fax: 720-913-7021
Denver Crime Continues Fall, Down 11.5% in 2007
69 of 78 Neighborhoods See Crime Reduction
(DENVER) Crime in Denver continued to fall in 2007, dropping 11.5% following a similar decrease the previous year, according to data released by the Denver Department of Safety today. Figures compiled by the Safety Office of Policy Analysis show that both violent and property crime were down in 2007, significantly outpacing the national average. When comparing the first half of 2007 to the first half of 2006, property crime decreased 2.6% and violent crime decreased 1.8% nationally - while in Denver, property crime decreased 11.2% and violent crime decreased 14.6% during the same six-month time period.
"To have two consecutive years of double-digit crime reduction is a testament to the hard work of Denver police officers and the neighborhoods they serve," said Mayor John Hickenlooper. "Denver continues to see a payoff from the close partnerships among our police department, city agencies and community groups. In the years ahead, we will continue our citywide focus on the root causes of safety issues while fostering the internal and external collaboration required for long-term success."
Overall, there were 581 fewer violent crimes in 2007 than in 2006, a drop of 14.7%, compared to a 3% decrease in 2006. This includes a 9% decrease in homicides, 17% decrease in aggravated assaults, 14% decrease in robberies and 5% decrease in sexual assaults. Serious property crimes - including burglary, larceny, auto theft, and arson - fell by nearly 3,000, a drop of 11.2%. Fraud grew by 38 offenses (3.4%) and Disorderly Conduct by 83 offenses (11.2%), the latter attributable to the emphasis on community policing and confronting problems before they escalate to more serious crimes.
Crime per capita has dropped significantly in recent years as a result of multiple environmental factors and citywide efforts. The strategic allocation of sworn personnel to geographic areas of crime concentration has improved productivity and resulted in decreased crime despite population growth.
|
|
Total Offenses |
Population (Est.) |
Crimes per 1,000 Citizens |
|
1998 |
41,904 |
501,700 |
83.5 |
|
1999 |
40,827 |
507,500 |
80.4 |
|
2000 |
41,120 |
554,636 |
74.1 |
|
2001 |
46,157 |
557,093 |
82.9 |
|
2002 |
48,145 |
560,777 |
85.9 |
|
2003 |
47,616 |
567,526 |
83.9 |
|
2004 |
48,958 |
572,862 |
85.5 |
|
2005 |
50,940 |
579,744 |
87.9 |
|
2006 |
45,909 |
582,474 |
78.8 |
|
2007 |
40,625 |
592,052 |
68.6 |
* Note: population figures supplied by Denver Regional Council of Governments
"Officers have continued to work hard to address crime in our neighborhoods," said Police Chief Gerald Whitman, who noted that measures of police activity, including citations, arrests and other officer-initiated actions, were all up in 2007. "The police department welcomes continued community involvement as we jointly hone our comprehensive approach to safer communities. Public safety is a citywide team effort."
Civilians in the Crime Lab and Crime Analysis Unit support Denver's sworn personnel. Denver's Crime Prevention and Control Commission develops and implements effective strategies targeting mental health issues, drug abuse, gangs, graffiti, reentry, and other issues that impact the root causes of crime. Denver's Road Home works to reduce the factors related to homelessness that contribute to crime. Denver's Office of Drug Strategy engages citizens at all levels of substance abuse and addiction, helping resolve a clear contributor to crime. These and numerous other efforts count on community involvement to achieve success.
Eighty-eight percent (88%) of Denver neighborhoods (69 of 78) experienced reductions in total crime in 2007. (One neighborhood experienced no change.) Given that neighborhoods vary greatly in size and population, comparisons are generally made by analyzing crimes per 1,000 residents. However, when measuring crime in this manner, it is important to note that crime travels to and from neighborhoods irrespective of population, and the crime per capita measure is flawed in this respect. For example, Sun Valley experiences a significant number of thefts from motor vehicles related to the parking lots at Invesco Field at Mile High, yet few of these thefts are directly related to the Sun Valley residential community.
The following table shows that, in 2007, overall crime dropped in most of the neighborhoods with the highest per capita crime rates, such as Sun Valley, Five Points and City Park/City Park West. Additionally, these neighborhoods have already experienced significant crime reductions in the first quarter of 2008.
|
2007 RANK PER 1,000 PERSONS |
2007 NEIGHBORHOOD RANK PER 1,000 PERSONS |
2006 REPORTED OFFENSES |
2007 REPORTED OFFENSES |
06 TO 07 NUMERIC CHANGE |
06 TO 07 PERCENT CHANGE |
2007 CENSUS POPULATION |
2007 RATE PER 1,000 PERSONS |
2006 RANK PER 1,000 PERSONS |
|
1 |
Sun Valley |
435 |
361 |
-74 |
-17.0% |
1,417 |
254.8 |
1 |
|
2 |
North Capitol Hill |
615 |
615 |
0 |
0.0% |
2,893 |
212.6 |
5 |
|
3 |
Stapleton* |
933 |
977 |
44 |
4.7% |
6,446 |
151.6 |
N/A |
|
4 |
Five Points |
2,027 |
1,863 |
-164 |
-8.1% |
12,730 |
146.3 |
2 |
|
5 |
City Park |
363 |
285 |
-78 |
-21.5% |
2,094 |
136.1 |
3 |
|
6 |
Lincoln Park |
976 |
788 |
-188 |
-19.3% |
6,196 |
127.2 |
4 |
|
7 |
Capitol Hill |
1,725 |
1,449 |
-276 |
-16.0% |
12,667 |
114.4 |
15 |
|
8 |
Baker |
783 |
641 |
-142 |
-18.1% |
5,714 |
112.2 |
9 |
|
9 |
Globeville |
504 |
419 |
-85 |
-16.9% |
3,819 |
109.7 |
7 |
|
10 |
City Park West |
592 |
449 |
-143 |
-24.2% |
4,120 |
109.0 |
8 |
In these neighborhoods with the highest 2007 per capita crime rates, January-March 2008 crime rates show significant reductions from the same time period in 2007. When comparing the overall crime rate for Q1 2008 to Q1 2007, these reductions were as follows: Sun Valley (19.5% decrease), North Capitol Hill (7.4% decrease), Stapleton (19.5% decrease), Five Points (13% decrease), City Park (41.6% decrease), Lincoln Park (15% decrease), Capitol Hill (9.3% decrease), Baker (20.4% decrease), Globeville (19.8% decrease), City Park West (27.7% decrease).
Detailed information on DPD crime statistics is available online at http://www.denvergov.org/sopa/2007CrimeStatistics/tabid/425656/Default.aspx.
# # #
*A few items to note in regard to the 2007 Stapleton data: (1) the 2007 census population data has not yet caught up with the actual growth experienced in Stapleton - thereby artificially inflating the per capita crime statistic;(2) the statistics include offenses committed by inmates inside the County Jail, which is geographically located in Stapleton (3) the opening of MLK Boulevard has resulted in increased accessibility to Stapleton; (4) Stapleton residents have a strong perception of safety, contributing to behaviors that leave them vulnerable to crimes of opportunity (ie: unlocked cars, unlocked doors); (4) the large amount of construction at Stapleton has resulted in construction site theft of supplies, materials, etc. Addressing these issues is a major problem-solving and community-education project for Denver Police District 2, and Stapleton United Neighbors is actively promoting their neighborhood watch program. While property crimes in Stapleton increased 4.7%, part 1 person crimes decreased 46.8% and part 2 other crimes against persons decreased 34.0%.
Sonny Jackson