Colorado Bureau of Investigation data shows rise in violent crimes in Colorado Springs
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- According to data from the Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI), violent crimes increased in the city of Colorado Springs from 2022 to 2023.
However, the upward trend in Colorado Springs contrasts data from other parts of the state where violent crimes appear to be going down.
Within their data, CBI defines violent crimes as consisting of "murder, non-consensual sex offenses and aggravated assault." The agency further explains that they count one offense for every victim.
The data reveals that violent crimes in Colorado Springs increased by 7.2% from 2022 to 2023. Over the same time period, violent crimes decreased in Denver by 4.4%, they decreased in Aurora by 15.3%, and they fell in Pueblo by 11.2%.
Ira Cronin, Public Information Officer for the Colorado Springs Police Department (CSPD), says there are nuances in how you look at data.
Though the Colorado Bureau of Investigation and CSPD use the same data, CSPD says the way they categorize violent crimes is different.
Cronin gave an example concerning the counting of aggravated assaults. While CSPD records the number of aggravated assaults by the number of cases, CBI reports the number of aggravated assaults by the number of victims.
Still, CSPD agrees there has been a slight increase in violent crimes, and they believe collecting data is incredibly valuable.
"We're always going to watch what the trends are doing, and we're always going to prioritize responding to violent crimes or crimes where people's lives are literally in danger," said Cronin.
Right now, CSPD is working to grow the number of officers on Colorado Springs streets. They believe they will reach their targeted goal of 819 officers by the end of 2024.
