COLORADO SPRINGS, CO — The "Fighting Crime Together" Town Hall was put together by Crime Stoppers in collaboration with local law enforcement leaders as an opportunity for the community to ask questions.
The number of violent crimes reported in the Colorado Springs area has increased since 2018. The Colorado Springs Police Department reported a total of 3,324 violent crimes in 2022, with available data up from the number reported in 2021.
Colorado Springs Police Chief Adrien Vasquez said crimes in the area are turning violent faster than ever and most are committed by repeat offenders.
Colorado's 4th Judicial District Attorney Michael Allen said drugs are directly linked to every single type of crime in the state. However, due to state legislation, law enforcement said their hands are tied when dealing with offenders.
"Crime has never been higher in the state of Colorado. The gun laws have never been stricter. The drug laws have never been more lenient," said El Paso County Sheriff Joe Roybal.
Chief Vasquez said this year the police department is moving all specialized units under one intelligence umbrella to combat violent crimes.
"By bringing all of these specialized units into one umbrella, they can share information with the DA's office, they can share information with the sheriff's office and we can come together and really combat all of these prolific offenders targeting all of these different types of crimes in a very specific and appropriate manner that brings a lot more to bear to really impact crimes as a whole across the city," he said.
The town hall will began at 5:30 pm and took place at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel in Colorado Springs on Tuesday, Jan. 24.
For those unable to attend in person, you can watch a full replay of the stream below.
This was an opportunity to ask questions, get answers and, most of all, seek out ways with law enforcement and others to make your community a safer place.
Ever wonder why porch pirates are not prosecuted? Now was your chance to ask, learn directly from the source, and hear solutions to addressing crime in the community.
This will give you an opportunity to be face-to-face with local law enforcement leaders and community leaders to come to the table and explain your concerns and think of solutions with local leaders.
You can submit a question to panelists online by clicking here.
The leaders that will be there to speak are:
- Adrian Vasquez, Chief of Police, Colorado Springs Police Department
- Joe Roybal, Sheriff, El Paso County (as of Jan. 10)
- Michael Allen, District Attorney of Colorado’s Fourth Judicial District
- Jon Caudill, Professor of Criminology, University of Colorado Colorado Springs
- Michael Gaal, Superintendent, Colorado School District 11
News5's Dianne Derby will moderate the town hall.
According to the statistics, murder has increased slightly since 2020, with 41 homicides reported in 2022.
The data below is from the Colorado Springs Police Department and is a report of yearly violent crimes submitted to the Colorado Bureau of Investigation.
This data does not take into account population trends and growth in Colorado Springs.
In an initiative to continue to provide a more clear picture of crime in Southern Colorado, KOAA will be tracking and categorizing homicides across Colorado in 2023 by jurisdiction and offense type.
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