How Denver police are trying to get guns off street
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Illustration: Maura Losch/Axios
The two downtown shootings earlier this month shared a common thread: They pierced celebratory, largely peaceful atmospheres in Denver.
Zoom in: The first shooting took place hours after the Nuggets clinched their first NBA title on June 12. Three days later, gunfire rang out just as a rally celebrating the win wrapped up.
- 12 people were injured between the two incidents; at least one was drug-related.
Why it matters: The shootings underscore just how many illegal guns are on the city's street, Denver police chief Ron Thomas tells us.
What they're saying: "I think that the culture today is such and the access to weapons is such that fistfights are no longer fistfights — they're gunfights," Thomas tells us.
State of play: The city's police department has collected 1,090 guns so far this year, according to the latest available figures, which is slightly less than the 1,132 recovered at the same point last year — a record high.
- Total seizures have increased every year since 2018, while last year saw the largest number over the past five, when 2,359 guns were taken.
Between the lines: The agency defines illegal guns as:
- Stolen, used by someone who isn't allowed to or isn't old enough, used in a crime or by an intoxicated person.
The intrigue: Thomas says the department is trying to combat gun violence by educating gun owners about safe storage.
- He notes many guns used by criminals are often stolen from cars or during burglaries because they're not properly secured.
- Denver police have provided free gun locks, and last year, they participated in gun buybacks.
Of note: Thomas said the 14 square miles in the city covered by ShotSpotter — a controversial system meant to detect gunshot fire — is another tool police use to respond faster to crimes.
- This "hot spot" policing method has shown some success in reducing violence.
Flashback: Gov. Jared Polis signed five measures into law this year to make it harder for people to obtain firearms.
- It included expanding the state's "red flag" law by allowing educators, health care professionals and district attorneys to request having someone's guns taken with an extreme risk protection order.
- Denver police filed 88 petitions between January 2020 and November 2022, more than any other agency in the state during that span, according to CPR News. Thomas tells us it's an effective tool in helping them recover guns.
Yes, but: Saira Rao, a former Denver resident and advocate, co-founded Here 4 The Kids, which calls on banning all guns, wanted Polis to sign an executive order to ban firearms and create a statewide buyback program, which Polis declined to do.
Go deeper: A majority of American voters favor gun control measures, including requiring criminal background checks, according to a Fox News poll released in April.