There are some interesting differences in the Colorado crime rates in three major counties surrounding Denver: Arapahoe, Douglas, and Jefferson.
The National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS), sponsored by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, compiles crime statistics submitted by law enforcement agencies from across the country. The NIBRS presents the uniform data within major categories and then subcategories. At the highest level, data is grouped by:
- Crimes against persons (ranging from assaults to homicides to rapes)
- Crimes against property (including burglary, fraud, and theft)
- Crimes against society (such as drug/narcotic violations, prostitution, gambling, and possession of pornography)
According to the NIBRS report for 2012 (the latest available), of the three Denver-area counties mentioned above, Arapahoe County had the lowest overall number of crimes but also the highest proportion of crimes against persons and property. Jefferson County was firmly in the middle, ranking second in the percentage of all three types of crimes. Douglas County had the lowest percentage of crimes against persons and properties, but the highest rate of crimes against society.
The five most prevalent subcategories of crimes in 2012 were:
- Larceny/Theft – 3,293 cases in the three counties. These were proportionately highest in Jefferson County.
- Destruction/Vandalism – 2,696 cases in the three counties. These were proportionately highest in Arapahoe County.
- Assault – 2,051 cases in the three counties. These were proportionately highest in Arapahoe County.
- Drug/Narcotics – 1,434 cases in the three counties. These were proportionately highest in Douglas County.
- Burglary/Breaking & Entering – 1,109 cases in the three counties. These were proportionately highest in Arapahoe County.
Finally, the report goes even deeper within those categories. Some of the most notable and significant findings are:
- Motor vehicle thefts were disproportionately higher in Arapahoe County (twice as high as in Jefferson County and three times higher than in Douglas County).
- The percentage of crimes that were sex-related was highest in Douglas County and lowest in Jefferson County.
- Shoplifting as a percent of all reported crimes was extremely high in Jefferson County (6.7%), nearly 10 times greater than in Arapahoe County.
If you have been arrested for a crime in the Denver area, you need skilled legal representation on your side. The attorneys at Wolf Law, LLC are experienced criminal defense attorney serving Coloradans facing criminal charges. If you have any questions about representation in a criminal case in Denver or the surrounding counties, don’t hesitate to contact Wolf Law today at (720) 479-8574.
