Crime may be declining across the Denver metro area, but District Attorney George Brauchler says most offenses in his jurisdiction are being committed by people who don’t live there.
Majority of Arrests from Outside the County
Douglas County Sheriff Darren Weekly reported that 70% of inmates in the county jail are non-residents. Community Justice Services data shows:
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26.6% of arrestees live in Douglas County
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25% are from Denver
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19% are from Aurora
Brauchler says the “bulk of our crime is coming from north of us”, with 44% of defendants already on parole, probation, bond, or summons at the time of arrest.
Call for Regional Cooperation
Brauchler is urging neighboring counties to share crime data, questioning whether Douglas County residents commit a comparable share of crimes elsewhere.
Denver officials responded that criminals rarely respect county lines and emphasized ongoing regional cooperation. Aurora’s spokesperson noted that citywide crime is down 30.2% year-to-date but said they haven’t heard directly from Brauchler.
Crime Down Locally
Despite concerns about outsiders, Sheriff Weekly says Douglas County has seen major year-over-year drops:
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Burglary: down 42%
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Motor vehicle theft: down 24%
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Vehicle break-ins: down 31%
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Forcible rape: down 34%
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Vandalism: down 24%
Weekly credited the decline to technology like drones, Flock cameras, license plate readers, and publicizing arrests on social media.
Tough Stance on Offenders
Brauchler stressed that 100% of those pleading guilty to motor vehicle theft or felony eluding under his term have served jail time.
“If you come down here to victimize us, you should expect to be incarcerated,” he said.
Weekly urged residents to lock doors, install security cameras, and use lighting systems to help prevent crime.
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Katie is a senior who has been on staff for three years. Her favorite type of stories to write is reviews and features. Katie’s favorite ice cream flavor is strawberry.
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