DENVER – Violent crime is on the rise in Colorado, according to a CBI report released Tuesday. It’s the second year in a row the state has seen a spike in the number of reported crimes.
The report, which includes statistics provided by 244 law enforcement agencies across Colorado, listed 189 homicides in 2016, a 9.9 percent increase from the previous year and the second biggest percentage gain in this year’s report.
MORE | See the Crime in Colorado 2016 Report
The largest increase in the state continues to be the number of reported vehicle thefts. There were 19,430 reports of cars being stolen in 2016, a 22 percent jump from 2015 when the category led the report with 15,932 thefts.
Overall, the data reveals a 5.5 percent increase in the number of major crimes, and for the first time in more than 10 years, a jump in every category that CBI tracks. Reports of rape, robbery aggravated assaults and burglary all went up in 2016.
Colorado’s surging crime rates appear to be mirroring a troubling national trend. Preliminary data released by the FBI earlier this year showed an overall increase in the number of violent crimes reported in the country in 2016.
The report did not provide any data on what could be contributing to the increase. Crime in Colorado was trending downward for several years prior to 2015.
