Colorado leads the way in crime
Between 2012 and 2022, Colorado was the only state among its neighboring states to have an increase (21.60 percent) in crime. Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, Utah, Wyoming, Nebraska, and the US all went down by as much as 37 percent! We are 56 percent higher than the national average.
But wait! It gets worse. Among 226 cities with populations of 100,000 or more, many of Colroado’s cities continue to climb among some of the most crime-ridden cities in America!
In car thefts, Colorado can boast four cities in the top 20, while Denver and Pueblo are among the most dangerous cities in the US. Denver is in the top 20 in all categories (violent crime, murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault, property crime, burglary, larceny-theft, and motor vehicle theft) except one, arson, where it dropped from 47th to 70th from 2022 to 2023. Pueblo is even worse. That city is in the top 10 ten for worst crime statistics in all categories except murder, robbery, and larceny, where it is 18th, 11th, and 15th, respectively.
These numbers are unacceptable. But they are facts because the Democrats, including my opponent, continue to pass legislation that makes it easier for criminals to escape punishment for their crimes. For example, remember when Attorney General Phil Weiser said the thieves should probably go to jail if they are averaging one car theft per month, and only then after the third or fourth car is stolen. At the same time, car insurance companies like Progressive stopped issuing new auto insurance contracts on many Kia and Hyundai models because of the extreme numbers of those models being stolen in the state.
They have also decreased penalties and bond conditions for suspects accused of various crimes and allowed for the early release of many already convicted.
It’s time for this to stop. I promise I will work with my colleagues to tighten up on crime in Colorado and give law enforcement the tools they need to keep Colorado safe.
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