DENVER — Recent data shows a notable decrease in homicides in Denver and Aurora during the first quarter of the year, aligning with the overall trend of reducing violent crime in major U.S. cities.
In Denver, the homicide rate saw a significant 58% drop, outperforming the 21% average decline observed among the largest cities in the country, according to a report from the Major Cities Chiefs Association.
Denver Police Chief Ron Thomas attributed this positive shift to the efforts directed towards empowering communities and avoiding over-policing, instead focusing on providing resources and fostering connections with community-based organizations. Thomas highlighted the role of groups like Struggle of Love in engaging with underserved communities, leading to decreased violence levels. He noted the minimal instances of gang-related homicides this year as evidence of their impactful violence prevention work.
Thomas said youth leaders have also played a significant role in helping reduce gun violence.
“I really would like to give a shout out to East High School Students Demand Action,” Thomas said. “They have been a huge advocates in making sure that we have safe communities and that people are much more responsible with their guns. And so I think it’s just really a collection of all of these things that is responsible for our numbers being what they are.”
Major Cities Chiefs Association
But despite statistics, many residents and visitors to downtown Denver continue to express safety concerns. A few weeks ago during a news conference, DPD leaders and Mayor Mike Johnston discussed the overall reduction in crime while also responding to calls from business owners to increase police visibility.
“I think, sometimes, perception is based upon what you see, and so even though downtown Denver and Denver generally as a whole, I think, is a relatively safe city as it relates to violent crime, I think when you see open drug use, when you see, you know people that are unhoused, sleeping in alleys and on the sidewalk, I think that gives you a perception of unsafety,” Thomas told Denver7. “When your local grocery store or corner store has to close because of theft, or when you go into a convenience store and everything that you want to buy is locked up behind a case, I think that leads to the perception that maybe this isn’t such a safe city.”
But Thomas said he recognizes the importance of matching perception to reality.
“Which is why, you know, we reinvested officers in downtown Denver so that there was a greater presence. We pay attention to statistics every day, and so where we see spikes in crime, where we see a need to address the concerns that people have for safety, that we’re making sure that we make those adjustments,” he said.
The one category where violent crime increased in Denver based on the report was rape, with 134 cases reported in the first quarter of this year compared to 126 last year.
“I think that we saw… a lot of those being related to our nightlife, our downtown activity and concerning behavior. I think that there’s some work that we need to continue to do with our restaurant and bar owners,” Thomas said. “We have been collaborating with them on ways to reduce that crime, working with our rideshare programs as well, recognizing that sometimes those are used to victimize people as well.”
Thomas said his department will continue to work with community partners to fight violent crime and to address quality of life issues.
Denver violent crime rates see a big drop in the first quarter of 2025, early numbers show
