DENVER (KDVR) — Violent crime in Colorado rose in the first quarter of 2022 in several cities where levels were already high to begin with.
The latest release of the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting system says the number of violent crimes in Colorado during the first quarter of 2022 dropped in most of its large cities compared to the first quarter of 2021. Of Colorado’s largest dozen cities, only Greeley, Pueblo, Aurora and Denver have seen more violent crimes committed in the first quarter of this year. Combined, these cities saw 4% more violent crime in the first quarter of 2022 than in the first quarter of 2021.
Greeley and Pueblo saw some of the nation’s highest increases in violent crime, while Denver’s and Aurora’s rates continue climbing as the state’s largest violent crime hubs.
Greeley and Pueblo both saw massive spikes in violent crime from one year to the next. Greeley had 50% more violent crimes during the first quarter of this year. Pueblo had 49% more.
This puts Greeley and Pueblo at the top of the nation’s list for violent crime increases. Greeley’s violent crime increase ranks ninth among the 361 cities the FBI tracked. Pueblo ranked 11th.
In the Denver metro area, only Denver and Aurora’s violent crime was growing from year to year. Aurora had 19% more violent crimes during the first quarter of this year, while Denver had 11% more.
Though Pueblo and Greeley have had larger increases in violent crime than Denver and Aurora, they represent a relatively small portion of Colorado’s total violent crimes. Denver and Aurora lead the state in violent crime totals.
Aurora and Denver together contributed more than half the state’s violent crime in the year’s first quarter. Denver alone accounts for 34% of Colorado’s violent crime. Aurora accounts for another 22%.