Colorado: Governor Polis and the Division of Criminal Justice Release New Crime Report: Violent and Property Crime Rates Drop 17% in First Half of 2026

DENVER ~ Colorado's violent and property crime rates each fell 16.9% in the first half of 2026 compared with the same period a year earlier, according to a midyear report released by Gov. Jared Polis and the Colorado Division of Criminal Justice.

The report counted 2,396 fewer violent crimes and 11,425 fewer property crimes reported statewide from January through June. Motor vehicle theft rates declined 41.4%, homicide rates fell 33%, robbery rates dropped 21.4% and aggravated assault rates decreased 15.8%.

The homicide decline represented 36 fewer reported killings, while aggravated assaults fell by 1,511, the report said.

"These numbers represent real progress for Colorado," said Matt Lunn, director of the Division of Criminal Justice. He said the reductions reflected the work of law enforcement, community organizations and public safety partners, while noting that more work remained.

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Polis said the results showed that the state's crime-prevention strategies were delivering safer communities, but also described the findings as promising rather than a reason to stop working on public safety.

The report said the declines continued a trend dating to 2022. From 2022 to 2025, Colorado's annual violent crime rate fell 15%, while its annual property crime rate declined 29%.

The state also reached two of Polis' crime-reduction targets ahead of a June 2027 deadline, according to the report: the motor vehicle theft target in February 2026 and the aggravated assault target in June.

Several large jurisdictions reported fewer crimes in the first half of 2026. Denver recorded 447 fewer violent crimes than in the same period of 2025, while Colorado Springs reported 205 fewer and Aurora 176 fewer. Property crime incidents fell by 1,184 in Colorado Springs, 876 in Denver and 530 in Aurora.

The analysis used data submitted by law enforcement agencies to the Colorado Bureau of Investigation and published through Colorado Crime Statistics. The data were extracted Sept. 1, 2026. The report cautioned that figures may differ from local reports because of submission timing or different extraction dates.

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