El Paso County Sheriff’s Office launches data collection on relationship between crime and marijuana
The claims have been made for years, law enforcement has said there’s a connection between the legalization of marijuana in Colorado and increased crime.
The El Paso County Sheriff’s Office is looking to back that up with statistics.
“We decided to start collecting some data so that we could show and prove that connection,” Commander John David with the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office said.
David said just one of many areas they’re seeing marijuana’s effect is in illegal growing operations in the county.
“To kids in possession of marijuana at schools, or things where people are stealing mail, or cars, or burglarizing houses to get money for marijuana,” David said.
What deputies are seeing on the streets is pushing them to collect data. All deputies are now being asked to identify in their reports if a crime has a connection to marijuana.
“The amount of times that these crimes relate to the things we’re doing on a daily basis,” David said.
The new Colorado Director of Marijuana Coordination, Dominique Mendiola, also said last month in an interview with KRDO NewsChannel 13 that data collection is one of her top priorities.
Adding crime impact statistics are needed, but they’re not always easy to get.
“The state can’t mandate that local authorities collect that information,” Mendiola said.
Data collection on the relationship between crime and marijuana is just beginning this year in El Paso County.
As for how they might be able to get a baseline to tell if there’s a statistical connection between the two, David said it’ll take time.
“I don’t know what the timeframe looks like, but over a period of years, if we can show pre and post legalized marijuana and show the difference in violent crimes,” David said.
David added they’ve had trouble getting deputies to remember to add the marijuana connection in reports if it warrants it.
He estimates initial statistics should be available by the end of this year and hopes to use that data to deploy resources where they’re most needed.
