Domestic violence reports keep climbing in Denver
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One crime trend Denver can't seem to reverse is rising domestic violence, Mayor Mike Johnston told Axios in an interview this month.
Why it matters: Crime across the city is down in nearly every major category — including homicides — but domestic violence remains a glaring exception.
By the numbers: About 7,660 domestic violence incidents were reported in Denver in 2025. That's up 3% from 2024 and 46% higher than in 2019, per Denver Police Department data.
- Statewide, domestic violence cases rose 24% from 2023 to 2024 and accounted for 1 in 5 homicides that year, according to an October report from the state attorney general's office.
The big picture: Denver is bucking the national trend.
- A new Council on Criminal Justice report found domestic violence incidents in 35 large U.S. cities in 2025 were down 2% from 2024, and 19% lower than 2019.
Between the lines: There's no single driver behind the increase so much as a perfect storm that makes abuse easier to sustain, according to service providers, law enforcement officials and city leaders.
What they're saying: Sky-high housing costs, cuts to safety net programs and immigration fears have left survivors with fewer ways out, said Natasha Adler, program director at Denver's Rose Andom Center, which serves domestic violence victims.
- Simultaneously, Adler told Axios, criminal justice changes like quick releases, probation-heavy sentencing and overburdened courts have emboldened abusers.
- A DPD spokesperson echoed that domestic violence is "influenced by a number of different dynamics" and varies case by case.
State of play: State lawmakers are responding.
- A bipartisan bill — one of the first introduced this legislative session — would require police statewide to screen domestic violence calls for signs of lethal risk and immediately connect high-risk victims with a trained advocate.
- Officers would also be required to complete training to conduct those assessments and make referrals.
Context: The policy push comes after the body of a Westminster woman was found in a trash can last month, Colorado Politics reports. Her ex-partner — who had a history of domestic violence and repeatedly violated a protection order — was charged with her killing.
What we're watching: How quickly the bill moves through the legislature, and whether earlier intervention can prevent repeat abuse before it turns fatal.