Arvada Crime Drops in 2010

Arvada Crime Drops in 2010 - Banner Image

The numbers are in and crime in Arvada dropped 7% in 2010.

"We are very encouraged by these stats, but there is always work to be done to ensure Arvada remains an outstanding place to live, play and work," said Deputy Chief Gary Creager.

Crimes Against Person

In looking at the results for the Crimes Against Persons section, all categories showed double-digit decreases with the exception of the crime of kidnapping and simple assault. Due to the fact the numbers are very low to begin with accounts for such a dramatic spike as compared to 2009.

"We want our citizens to know that the reference of kidnapping relates primarily to situations involving domestic violence crimes where someone is held against his or her will," said Deputy Chief Gary Creager. "While the kidnapping definition includes the abduction of a child, the City only reported one attempted child abduction in 2010. In reality, the majority of kidnapping incidents involve situations where the victim and the suspect are known to one another."

Crimes Against Property

Crimes Against Property incidents account for the majority of crime occurring in Arvada each year and 2010 was no different. These types of crime involve property stolen during car break-ins, burglaries of homes or apartments, shoplifting incidents and others. Theft offenses reported in the year totaled 2,157 trending slightly up (2%) from 2009 stats.

"We have put forth an aggressive education plan to alert residents about the increase in car break-ins which is part of the theft category," said Deputy Chief Lynn Johnson. "This is considered a crime of opportunity as there were hundreds of reports of car break-ins during the year where the vehicles were left unlocked with property in plain site."

While the numbers of car break-ins have increased from previous years, members of the Arvada Police Department have had success in locating and arresting those responsible.

Teams assigned to the overnight hours arrested a number of car break-in suspects caught in the act, while detectives in the Criminal Investigations Bureau continuously work to investigate cases to link potential suspects to crimes.

Crimes Against Society

Numbers in the Crimes Against Society section are very low (as they are each year), with the exception of drug offenses, a crime that knows no boundaries.

"One of the areas of emphasis for the Arvada Police Department has been the work to regionalize work groups to address crime impacting not only our community, but surrounding areas," said Police Chief Don Wick. "Groups like the Metro Area Auto Theft Task Force and the West Metro Drug Task Force are having a great deal of success in making arrests of individuals committing crimes throughout the entire Denver metro area."

Wick adds that not only are crimes being investigated more broadly, but the cost savings are very real and enables the department to be extremely effective with its resources.

Crime Analysts Play Critical Role

Another tool in addressing crime is the Arvada Police Department's crime analysts who play a critical role in determining how police resources are directed. The analysts produce detailed maps showing crime locations and from that information, patrol is directed and patterns can be determined to decrease or preventing future crime all together.

Citizens have access to the latest crime data occurring in Arvada. By visiting RAIDSonline.com or CrimeReports.com, residents can learn about crime in their neighborhoods, the city and beyond.

TYPE OF CRIME

   2009

2010

Crime Against Person

Assault – Aggravated

99

64

Assault – Simple

415

450

Homicide

2

1

Kidnapping

15

22

Sex Offenses

140

106

Crime Against Property

Arson

17

14

Bribery

0

1

Burglary

408

373

Counterfeiting/Forgery

100

96

Embezzlement

0

3

Extortion/Blackmail

1

1

Fraud Offenses

458

366

Motor Vehicle Theft

229

196

Robbery

38

28

Stolen Property

36

25

Theft Offenses

2,107

2,157

Vandalism

1,221

1,213

Crime Against Society

Drug Offenses

953

688

Gambling

0

0

Pornography

0

1

Prostitution

3

           1

Weapon Offenses

34

22

Total Offenses

6,276

5,828

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