Homicides in Denver jumped 40 percent from 2003 to 2004 as robberies and burglaries also climbed, according to crime statistics released today by the city.
Out of 78 Denver neighborhoods, 49 had an increase in total reported offenses from 2003 to 2004, while 29 neighborhoods saw a decrease.
The neighborhoods of Sun Valley, Five Points and North Capitol Hill held their rankings as the three worst crime neighborhoods in the city.
Overall crime in Five Points was down 16 percent, but it was not enough to drop its number 2 ranking.
Arson in Denver was down 31 percent from 2003 to 2004, from 299 reports to 206, and there were 102 fewer larcenies reported at Denver International Airport.
Aggravated assaults in Denver increased by 38 percent, but the big jump was due to a procedural change in how data is collected and how the crime is defined, police said.
After 65 homicides in Denver in 2003, the number jumped to 91 last year. But year-to-date homicides in 2005 are down significantly compared to last year. Denver’s all-time high homicide total was 108 in 1980.
While homicides are hard to prevent, Denver Police Chief Gerry Whitman said, many of them are domestic -related. Officers have put in extra efforts to try and monitor high-risk homes.
