The number of Denver police officers assigned to the force’s gang unit has declined since 1993, while the number of crimes investigated by the unit has increased sharply in recent years, according to statistics released Wednesday.
In 1993, 51 police officers were in the gang unit, but this year, the number of officers stands at 41, a 20 percent decrease.
Since 1999, the number of crimes investigated by the unit has climbed 35 percent, from 165 to 222 last year, peaking at 249 in 2004, police statistics show. Gang- unit staffing during that period has remained roughly the same, fluctuating from 37 to 45 sworn officers. Police Chief Gerry Whitman said the overall statistics include gun cases that might not be gang- related, added to the unit after 2000. He did not know the exact year they were added or how many cases were gun-related.
The spotlight is back on gangs in Denver because of the New Year’s Day shooting death of Broncos player Darrent Williams. Police are said to be investigating whether gangs played a role.
According to the new statistics, which were requested by The Denver Post, assaults investigated by Denver gang officers rose from 110 in 1999 to 146 in 2006, with a high in 2004 of 172 assaults.
“Yes, we have a gang problem in Denver,” Whitman said Wednesday.
The department spends $3.6 million annually to fight gangs, but the community needs to step up and help, Whitman said.
During a luncheon held Wednesday by the Rev. Leon Kelly of Open Door Youth Gang Alternatives and the Kiwanis Club of Denver, leaders from schools, churches, the Broncos, the police and government met to discuss what could be done for gang- prevention efforts.
Kelly, an ex-con turned gang interventionist, is one of a few people in Denver who dedicate their lives to offering alternatives to at-risk kids.
“There is a list of service providers, but the list is pretty short,” Whitman said.
Al LaCabe, Denver’s manager of safety, said city leaders are committed to dealing with gangs. “We are getting back to the root causes and (working to) remedy what we have perceived to be our issues,” LaCabe said. “We will use whatever resources we have.”
Neither Whitman nor Aurora Police Chief Dan Oates, who also attended Wednesday’s forum, provided statistics on the numbers of gang members in their cities.
Whitman also declined to say whether Williams’ shooting had anything to do with gang members. Police sources have told The Denver Post that people wanted in connection with Williams’ death are gang members.
“The investigation is going along very well,” Whitman said. “We are confident about it being solved.”
The Kiwanis Club holds a golf tournament each year to raise money for Kelly’s Open Door Youth Gang Alternatives. Over 17 years, the group has donated $600,000.
Kelly said he needs more money, but he also needs more people willing to put long-term time into mentoring children who are at risk.
Joe Ellis, executive vice president of the Broncos, met with Kelly for more than an hour last week to come up with ways that the team can help. “We can’t tackle this alone, though,” he said.
Keith Tooley, a former chairman of the Open Door Youth Gang Alternatives board, praised Kelly’s prevention efforts but said one man cannot do it all forever.
“We need to find an individual with passion in their heart, a second, a third deputy,” Tooley said. “He’s spent decades alone dealing with this.”
Anyone interesting in donating or volunteering for Open Door Youth Gang Alternatives can call 303-893-GANG (4264).
Staff writer Felisa Cardona can be reached at 303-954-1219 or fcardona@denverpost.com.
