Colorado Springs mayor joins others in calling on legislators to address statewide rising crime

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- Tuesday, following Governor Polis's State of the State, Colorado Springs Mayor John Suthers joined two other mayors in a call for changes to address a reported statewide rise in crime.

An open letter signed by Suthers, Denver Mayor Michael Hancock, and Aurora Mayor Mike Coffman, touches on the rise in auto thefts, possession of a weapon by a previous offender, and ghost guns.

While 2022 data has not been released, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) reports there were 23,484 violent crime incidents, and 27,708 offenses reported in Colorado by 235 law enforcement agencies that submitted National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS) data in 2021.

Comparatively, the FBI found in 2020 there were 20,829 all violent crime incidents, and 24,470 offenses reported in Colorado by 225 law enforcement agencies that submitted NIBRS data.

However, it is worth noting not all Colorado law enforcement agencies submitted data for 2020 or 2021. Additionally, ten fewer agencies reported crimes in 2020 compared to 2021.

In the letter, the mayors asked legislators to reinstate the crime of possession of a weapon by a previous offender for "car thieves and drug dealers."

We should be deterring unlawful weapon possession by prior felons. Someone convicted of felony car theft or drug dealing can’t legally pass a background check, so they should be sanctioned for possessing a weapon. Further, all possession of a weapon by previous offender crimes should be a class four felony.

The letter also accuses current Colorado laws of not addressing the problem of people finding a way around background checks by purchasing nonserialized firearms - known as ghost guns - or unassembled parts.

The letter also addresses concerns surrounding juveniles and asks the state to raise the cap for juvenile detention beds in Colorado. The letter asks the bed cap be raised to at least 350.

There are now only 215 detention beds for juveniles in the entire state. The result is that juveniles who commit violent offenses or who are a danger to themselves are often discharged into an unsafe situation that seriously jeopardizes their safety and public safety.

The letter ends by saying the mayors "look forward" to working with "state counterparts to address Colorado’s crime rates in a meaningful way."

Read the full letter below:

Addressing Colorado’s crime rate

Crime remains a serious issue in Colorado and we, as mayors of Colorado’s three largest cities, are committed to working with the state legislature and governor on this issue in the upcoming legislative session. Here are some commonsense bipartisan suggestions. 

Update the penalties for motor vehicle theft and help police solve a greater number of cases. 

Colorado is in the unenviable position of having the highest car theft rate in the country. Stolen cars are often used in the commission of other serious offenses, including robberies, burglaries, and drug dealing. Colorado statutes predicate the level of the offense based on aggravating factors and the value of the stolen car. As a result, stealing a car worth less than $2,000 is often a misdemeanor, regardless of how devastating and costly the theft is to the owner. This value-based approach is inequitable and unfair to victims who own older or less expensive cars. All car thefts, other than joy riding, should be felonies.

We also need to substantially improve the solution rate for car theft. One effective way to do that is the use of technology, like license plate readers. Such technology identifies stolen cars and helps police apprehend the thieves. State assistance to help communities purchase such technology would be a great help.

Reinstate the crime of possession of a weapon by a previous offender for car thieves and drug dealers.

We should be deterring unlawful weapon possession by prior felons. Someone convicted of felony car theft or drug dealing can’t legally pass a background check, so they should be sanctioned for possessing a weapon. Further, all possession of a weapon by previous offender crimes should be a class four felony.

Deter the use of ghost guns and personally manufactured weapons that are untraceable.

We are seeing a rise in the use of ghost guns in violent cases. Despite some stricter local regulations, Colorado’s state laws do not address the problem of people circumventing background checks by purchasing nonserialized firearms or unassembled parts. These guns can be obtained by those under restraining orders or even extreme risk protection orders. Our state laws should eliminate these gaps and provide a helpful backdrop for stricter local laws.

Raise the cap for juvenile detention beds in Colorado. Detention beds for juveniles have been drastically reduced since 2003 (when there were 479). There are now only 215 detention beds for juveniles in the entire state. The result is that juveniles who commit violent offenses or who are a danger to themselves are often discharged into an unsafe situation that seriously jeopardizes their safety and public safety. The bed cap should be raised to at least 350 and the standard for detention should give judges more discretion to hold juveniles who pose a serious public safety risk, particularly those with repeat offenses.

These are just a few ideas. There are other issues that should also be addressed, and we look forward to working with our state counterparts to address Colorado’s crime rates in a meaningful way.

Mike Coffman, Mayor of Aurora
Michael Hancock, Mayor of Denver
John Suthers, Mayor of Colorado Springs