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Denver homicides drop to near two-decade low as city…
Between Flock surveillance cameras, a new downtown police force, and increased police patrols, Denver has seen a massive reduction in homicides.
DENVER — Denver has recorded 36 homicides so far in 2025, on pace to mark a more than 40% decrease from last year and the lowest number since 2014, when the city saw 31 homicides, according to city officials.
The dramatic decline comes as Denver invests in Flock camera surveillance technology, expands its downtown police force, and implements targeted crime reduction strategies focused on areas that are the most dangerous. Mayor Mike Johnston and Police Chief Ron Thomas attribute the drop to a combination of focused policing tactics, technology and community engagement rather than any single solution.
“One of the things that we have understood is it’s not necessarily the people that cause areas of town to be persistently violent. It’s actually the location itself,” Thomas said, adding that the city has invested in things like better lighting in certain areas.
The city recorded 69 homicides in 2024 and peaked at 96 in 2021 during the pandemic. The 2025 figure represents the lowest homicide count in more than a decade. In 2014, there were 31.
Thomas said the police department’s strategic focus on cracking down on house parties, improving safety in the downtown entertainment district, and working to keep high investigative clearance rates has contributed to the decline in homicides. The city also implemented a “hot streets program” that increases patrol presence at intersections known for criminal activity.
“We focus on getting more and more patrol presence at intersections where we know there’s likelihood to be activity. Just more visibility from police helps a lot,” Johnston said. “We have a strategy we call Place Network Investigation, which is looking at these seven neighborhoods where we’ve had higher levels of crime historically, and then focusing on a comprehensive response to those neighborhoods. It’s not just more patrol.”
Flock surveillance cameras, which track vehicles throughout the city, have played a significant role in both auto theft and homicide investigations, according to Thomas. However, the technology has faced skepticism from Denver City Council members and residents concerned about surveillance.
Johnston defended the cameras, saying the city shouldn’t remove any element of its crime reduction strategy while experiencing historic drops.
“If we are delivering historic drops in crime in the city, I wouldn’t advocate for us to remove any of the pieces,” Johnston said. “I wouldn’t stop our Hot Streets program. I wouldn’t stop our Place Network Investigations. I wouldn’t stop adding three classes of officers each year to rebuild our officer corps. And I wouldn’t turn off common sense technology we can use to track vehicles that are stolen.”
The mayor acknowledged the shift in public sentiment since 2020, when Black Lives Matter protests centered on concerns about over-policing in specific neighborhoods.
“I don’t ever go to a neighborhood now where someone doesn’t say to me, ‘Mike, why don’t I see more officers on my street?'” Johnston said. “They trust them, they like them, they want to see them present.”
Thomas pushed back on characterizations of the department’s approach as over-policing, citing success at Alameda and Federal, a predominantly minority neighborhood that saw crime reduction without increased contacts or arrests.
“We were able to do that with increased community engagement, increased activation of a space, helping business owners improve lighting and improve other safety adjustments,” Thomas said.
Denver has spent hundreds of millions of dollars on Johnston’s plan to address homelessness, which he credits with helping to reduce crime and free police resources. While homeless hotel shelters generate hundreds of 911 calls monthly, the police department responds to fewer calls at those addresses than when encampments existed throughout the city, according to Thomas.
Below is a list of homicide numbers provided to 9NEWS by the Denver Mayor’s Office:
1990 – 67
1991 – 87
1992 – 93
1993 – 76
1994 – 84
1995 – 86
1996 – 63
1997 – 71
1998 – 53
1999 – 67
2000 – 33
2001 – 48
2002 – 50
2003 – 65
2004 – 93
2005 – 61
2006 – 53
2007 – 51
2008 – 48
2009 – 44
2010 – 41
2011 – 48
2012 – 39
2013 – 42
2014 – 31
2015 – 52
2016 – 56
2017 – 57
2018 – 67
2019 – 63
2020 – 95
2021 – 96
2022 – 78
2023 – 79
2024 – 69
2025 – 36 (So far)
Reprinted from 9news.com