Colorado drug violations crashed in 2020, now at a 10-year low

DJ Summers

3 years ago

FILE - This photo provided by the U.S. Attorneys Office for Utah and introduced as evidence in a 2019 trial shows fentanyl-laced fake oxycodone pills collected during an investigation. In a resumption of a brutal trend, nearly 71,000 Americans died of drug overdoses in 2019 according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a new record high that predates the COVID-19 crisis. The numbers were driven by fentanyl and similar synthetic opioids, which accounted for 36,500 overdose deaths. (U.S. Attorneys Office for Utah via AP)

DENVER (KDVR) — During a statewide violent and property crime wave, Colorado is seeing thousands fewer drug violations.

Colorado elected officials introduced a new plan Thursday to address public safety, responding to statewide crime spikes. In 2021, there were 517 violent crimes per every 100,000 Coloradans — a 19% increase from 2019 and a 52% increase from 10 years ago. In 2020 and 2021, the property crime rate increased by 11% and 13%, respectively.

Drugs violations, however, crashed.

The number of recorded narcotics violations had been going up since 2013, from 14,000 to over 22,000 at its highest in 2018 and 2019.

In 2020, there were only 14,728 narcotics violations recorded — a 33% drop. Drug violations didn’t tick back up substantially in 2021. There were 15,403.

But why? Denver Police Chief Paul Pazen addressed this in a one-on-one interview with FOX31.