(The Center Square) – Violent crime in most of Colorado’s largest cities is down since peaking in 2022, a new analysis says.
The analysis by Common Sense Institute, a free-enterprise think tank, used the Colorado Bureau of Investigation’s most up-to-date crime data for Denver, Colorado Springs, Aurora, Fort Collins, Lakewood, Thornton, Arvada, Westminster and Centennial.
For the first and second quarters of 2025, Denver had the highest violent crime rate at almost 235 per 100,000 people, followed by Aurora (203 per 100,000) and Colorado Springs (195 per 100,000). Centennial had the lowest violent crime rate at almost 48 per 100,000.
Compared to 2022, violent crime is down in every city included in the analysis except Colorado Springs, which saw a 12.2% increase, CSI said. Aurora had the steepest decline in its violent crime rate, which dropped 36.25%, followed by Lakewood, which dropped 34.46%. Denver’s violent crime rate dropped 14.3%.
“According to the data, overall crime is declining across Colorado, but Denver’s persistently high rates of violent and property offenses show that progress is uneven and costly,” said DJ Summers, CSI’s director of communications and research operations. “These patterns carry real economic consequences, from lost business investment to declining community confidence, and come at a time when arrests are also trending lower.”
“Cities like Aurora and Centennial may demonstrate some successes that are worth exploring further,” he added.
According to the Aurora Police Department, every category of crime is down in the city with overall major crimes down 25.5% and arrests up 40%.
A department spokesperson told The Center Square its strategy for policing includes near-term with a focus on proactive policing and targeting problem individuals; mid-term that “centers on place-based strategies” and problem locations; and long-term that entails prevention and intervention.
“These results reflect the effectiveness of our strategy and reinforce our focus on returning the Aurora Police Department to the core mission of policing with integrity, addressing those who victimize others and working collaboratively with our community to ensure residents feel safe and confident in their environment and the service they receive,” the spokesperson said.
The Colorado Springs Police Department did not respond to The Center Square’s request for comment.
Almost every city in CSI’s analysis also saw a drop in property crime rates since 2022, according to the analysis. Centennial (49%) and Aurora (44%) saw the steepest decreases in property crimes. Denver saw a 35% decrease, while Colorado Springs’ rate decreased 22%.
For the first and second quarters of 2025, Denver had the highest property crime rate at almost 1,122 per 100,000 people, followed by Lakewood (1,099 per 100,000) and Colorado Springs (980 per 100,000). Centennial had the lowest property crime rate at almost 494 per 100,000.
“Property and violent crime cost the state $27 billion in economic losses in 2022 between the tangible and intangible effects of reported and unreported crime,” CSI’s analysis said. “It is imperative that public leaders continually examine and understand which policies best address crime rates.”
