Denver murders dropped in 2024
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Murders in Denver fell for the third straight year in 2024, according to new city police department data.
Why it matters: The decline signals the COVID-era crime wave, marked by years of deadly violence, may finally be ebbing.
- Whether it finally quells Coloradans' fears or quiets Republicans' alarmist rhetoric — including President Trump, who's falsely claimed immigration drove rising crime nationwide — remains unclear.
By the numbers: Denver police recorded 65 murder incidents in 2024 — an 11% drop from 2023 and a nearly 30% decline from 2021's peak of 92, per an Axios Denver analysis of police data.
- The number of homicide victims in 2024 (69) also dropped for the third consecutive year.
Yes, but: Murder incidents remain 3% higher than pre-pandemic levels, per DPD figures.
- Aggravated assaults — while mostly trending downward the past two years — were still up 31% in 2024 compared with 2019.
The big picture: Denver's decline in murders mirrors a broader trend.
- A new report from the nonpartisan Council on Criminal Justice found 6% fewer homicides in 2024 than in 2019 across more than three dozen major cities.
- "I think what it says overall is that we are returning to pre-2020 norms," Council on Criminal Justice senior research specialist Ernesto Lopez tells Axios.
What's next: Denver police aim to bolster their ranks with 168 new officers, a goal outlined in Mayor Mike Johnston's 2025 budget.
- Meanwhile, newly elected Denver District Attorney John Walsh tells Axios Denver his top priorities this year include curbing violent crime further and tackling its root causes.