Mar 10, 2015 - A review of serious crime in Broomfield for 2014 shows the total number of crimes ... similar sized citie
City and County of Broomfield, Colorado
CITY COUNCIL AGENDA MEMORANDUM To: From: Prepared by:
Mayor and City Council Charles Ozaki, City and County Manager Gary C. Creager, Chief of Police
Meeting Date March 10, 2015 Agenda Title:
Agenda Category Manager’s Report
Agenda Item # 16(a)
2014 Crime Report
Summary The purpose of this report is to present the City Council with statistical information regarding serious crimes reported in Broomfield in 2014. "Serious crime" refers to all violent and property crimes collectively. A review of serious crime in Broomfield for 2014 shows the total number of crimes reported decreased from 2013. The rate of crime (number of serious crimes for every 1,000 residents) was 17 in 2014, the lowest crime rate in Broomfield’s history, compared to 20 in 2013. In 2014, Broomfield reported 1,094 serious crimes, a 10% decrease from the 1,220 reported in 2013. Broomfield's clearance rate for serious crime was 44%, more than twice the national average. Violent crimes (homicide, rape, robbery, and aggravated assault) decreased from 37 in 2013 to 33 in 2014. The clearance rate for violent crime was 88%, compared to the national clearance rate of 48.1%. Property crimes (burglary, motor vehicle theft, and larceny/theft), decreased from 1,183 in 2013 to 1,061 in 2014. The clearance rate for crimes against property was 43%, compared to the national average of 19.7%. In the past 24 years, as Broomfield has grown into one of the most desirable communities in our state, the rate of serious crime has dropped 66% (50 crimes per thousand in 1990 and 17 crimes per thousand in 2014). Prior Council Action Council has reviewed the Police Department’s crime reports on an annual basis since 1980. Financial Considerations Not applicable Alternatives Not applicable Proposed Actions/Recommendations None – information only
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2014 Crime Report Page 2 BACKGROUND The Police Department compiles detailed reports on criminal activity in accordance with the National Incident Based Reporting System developed by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Crime reports provide a standardized basis for comparison between similar sized cities, disseminate data related to community safety, assist in the Police Department’s future planning through a review of crime trends resulting in new policing strategies, and identify modifications for service delivery. COMMUNITY BASED POLICING STRATEGIES The primary role of the police in our society is to enforce law, prevent crime, and help citizens feel safe and secure in their community. In Broomfield, this is accomplished through a variety of strategies consistent with the community oriented policing philosophy. The goal of community-based policing is to develop partnerships with citizens and businesses to leverage the resources of the entire community in detecting and deterring crime. This is the basis of the Peelian principle of “the public are the police, and the police are the public.” The three main components of this style of policing in Broomfield are addressed below: Community Partnerships - True partnerships require positive relationships with community members. Business partnerships include: maintaining a close working relationship in schools through the School Resource Officer program; the combined efforts of the FlatIron Services Unit and mall management at the FlatIron Crossing Mall; and event security planning at the 1STBANK Center. Individual partnerships occur through the citizens’ police academy, Neighborhood Watch (with over 230 block captains), and participation in special events and public education throughout the year. Some strategies often employed by the police are the use of foot patrol, bicycle patrol, small “police offices,” and regular neighborhood meetings, which help provide members of the community with an opportunity to express concerns, identify problems, and direct public safety services. Problem Solving - Historically, the role of the police was to enforce the law by providing a reactive response to criminal incidents. Today, the role of policing has changed, necessitating a new skillset that provides officers with the tools needed to address a wide array of issues ranging from traditional investigations to resolving quality of life issues. Modern problem solving leverages robust data analysis, combined with the unique knowledge possessed by officers and citizens working and living within the community. The Police Department’s new information management system will use data tables that allow for greater data mining and analysis. Thorough Response to Serious Criminal Incidents - An immediate and thorough response to all reports of criminal activity substantially improves the arrest/prosecution rate while preventing additional victimization within the community.
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2014 Crime Report Page 3 2014 SERIOUS CRIME REPORT The table below contains information compiled through the Uniform Crime Report. Table 1
Serious Crime Report VIOLENT CRIME Homicide Cleared Rape Cleared Robbery Cleared Aggravated Assault Cleared PROPERTY CRIME Burglary Cleared Motor Vehicle Theft Cleared Larceny/Theft Cleared TOTAL TOTAL CLEARED Clearance Rate
TOTAL BY YEAR 2013 2014 1 0 1 0 14 15 13 15 7 5 6 3 15 13 14 11 105 27 42 25 1,036 419 1,220 505 41%
116 32 46 21 899 403 1,094 485 44%
Source: Broomfield Police Department Information Management System
SERIOUS CRIME REVIEW A review of 2014 serious crime reveals that the total number of crimes reported decreased from 2013. Reports of “violent crime” (homicide, rape, robbery, and aggravated assault) decreased from 37 in 2013 to 33 in 2014, and 88% of those crimes were cleared by the police. Nationally, the clearance rate for violent crime is 48.1%. “Crimes against property” (burglary, larceny/theft, and motor vehicle theft) decreased from 1,183 in 2013 to 1,061 in 2014. A total of 43% of all property crimes were cleared by the police. Nationally, the clearance rate for property crime is 19.7%.
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2014 Crime Report Page 4 Table 2 shows a percentage of crimes cleared by arrest in Broomfield compared to the national clearance rate. Table 2
Source: Crime in the United States 2013, U.S. Department of Justice Broomfield Police Department Information Management System
The FlatIron Business District generated 298 (27%) of the 1,094 total number of serious crimes. Five cases reported in the shopping area involved a violent crime. The remaining crime reports involved property crimes, primarily shoplifting. A total of 257 arrests were made in the Business District for serious crimes, property crimes, and other minor offenses. COMPARATIVE DATA – COLORADO FRONT RANGE CITIES Comparison crime data for 2014 is not yet available from other metropolitan area cities; however, 2013 data is available through the U.S. Department of Justice annual report “Crime in the United States” and is summarized in Table 3 on the following page. The information shows the number of reported crimes by major crime category and the overall crime rate per 1,000 citizens.
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2014 Crime Report Page 5 Table 3 2013 Data Selected Colorado Front Range Cities 2012 DOLA Violent Property City Population Crime Homicide Rape Robbery Assaults Crime Burglary Centennial 103,354 141 6 25 20 90 1,189 184 Broomfield* 60,885 37 1 14 7 15 1,183 105 Longmont* 88,876 226 76 19 131 2,008 265 Loveland* 70,436 150 1 42 19 88 1,665 184 Arvada 109,157 163 33 34 96 2,666 331 Ft. Collins* 148,167 361 2 58 37 264 3,807 531 Westminster* 109,456 214 2 26 52 134 2,989 382 Thornton 121,848 332 5 67 54 206 3,296 431 Littleton 43,114 44 1 17 6 20 1,279 213 Boulder 100,782 219 39 40 140 2,949 614 Northglenn 37,049 95 22 10 63 1,104 145 Commerce City 47,977 156 1 36 20 99 1,546 250 Aurora* 339,331 1,442 23 231 466 722 10,791 1,981 Greeley* 95,476 491 2 74 68 347 3,219 475 Wheat Ridge 30,847 105 12 21 72 1,130 179 Denver* 634,619 4,091 40 515 1,133 2,403 23,693 4,912 Colorado Springs* 431,710 1,902 26 368 429 1,079 18,205 3,740 Lakewood* 146,064 627 6 107 114 400 6,893 872 Englewood 31,138 56 1 12 23 20 1,623 190 Pueblo 107,682 1,010 2 164 211 633 7,594 1,900 Average 142,898 593 6 97 139 351 4,941 894 Sources: U.S. Department of Justice Crime in the United States 2013 Report *Cities with a regional mall
Theft 933 1,036 1,634 1,423 2,138 3,136 2,285 2,513 960 2,235 824 1,113 7,805 2,558 808 15,295 12,533 5,398 1,275 5,168 3,554
Overall Motor Total Crimes Per 1,000 Vehicle Serious Theft Crimes Residents 72 1,330 13 42 1,220 20 109 2,234 25 58 1,815 26 197 2,829 26 140 4,168 28 322 3,203 29 352 3,628 30 106 1,323 31 100 3,168 31 135 1,199 32 183 1,702 35 1,005 12,233 36 186 3,710 39 143 1,235 40 3,486 27,784 44 1,932 20,107 47 623 7,520 51 158 1,679 54 526 8,604 80 494 5,535 39
RATE OF CRIME Overall, the strategies developed by the community for maintaining a safe and secure city and county for its residents are serving us well. In the most recent citizen satisfaction survey, Broomfield residents report the highest rating for “feeling of safety” in neighborhoods, businesses, and the mall. The rate of crime has seen a steady decline this decade resulting in a higher level of safety enjoyed by citizens in Broomfield. In the 1990s, the rate of crime was 38 serious crimes for every 1,000 residents. In the mid 2000s, the crime rate was 36 serious crimes for every 1,000 residents. In 2014, the rate of crime was 17 per 1,000 residents, down from 20 in 2013 (see Table 4), and the lowest in Broomfield’s history.
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2014 Crime Report Page 6 Table 4
Source: Broomfield Police Department Information Management System
CLEARANCE RATE A crime is considered "cleared" or solved when a person is arrested, charged with the commission of the offense, and turned over to the court for prosecution. In 2014, the Broomfield Police Department cleared 44% of all serious crimes, the highest clearance rate in the Department’s history. Some examples of the Department’s commitment to conducting complete investigations and pursuing those who prey upon the community include:
A 10% increase in cases assigned to the Investigations Division compared to 2013. There was a spike in the number of “white-collar” crimes investigated as a result of an all-time high number of Fraud Complaint Forms received (200) directly from victims. The average over the past five years was 176. These intakes are in addition to the other fraud and forgery reports initiated by officers, totaling 263 cases (a 30% jump from the 203 cases in 2013). Several fraud investigations revealed nationwide crime-groups and became federal cases. At least three separate cases involved GreenDot reloadable debit card scams. Broomfield detectives worked with the Secret Service to identify interstate and worldwide cases involving hundreds of victims, and losses in the millions.
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2014 Crime Report Page 7
The Department received several new pieces of equipment in 2014, including the Reflective Ultra Violet Imaging System (RUVIS), GPS covert tracking units, and a FARO 3D laser scanner. As law enforcement investigations continue to become more complex and require greater reliance on technology, this additional equipment is beneficial. While based in the Investigations Division, the equipment was used in joint efforts with other divisions. o The FARO 3D laser scanner was used by the criminalist and Traffic Unit officers in the documentation of the fatal traffic accident involving high school students. It was also recently used during a regional critical accident team call-out. o The GPS trackers were deployed in several “bait operations.” In one case, after multiple burglaries and tire thefts, detectives devised the plan to bait tires at one of the previously victimized stores. In a short time, the suspect responsible for the previous burglaries “took the bait” and was apprehended by patrol officers. In similar operations involving the theft of air conditioning units from a hotel, arrests occurred when the suspects returned to commit another theft and were quickly apprehended by Patrol. o The RUVIS has provided the Crime Scene Unit with another tool used in the crucial area of latent fingerprint identification. In 2014, the criminalist submitted nearly 200 prints to the Automated Fingerprint Identification System, resulting in the positive suspect identification in approximately 25% of those prints. Patrol is deploying resources using problem-solving strategies generated at the command, sergeant, and officer level. The North Metro Task Force, of which Broomfield is an active member, arrested 939 suspects; seized 19 pounds of cocaine, 30 pounds of methamphetamine, 188 pounds of marijuana, and 673 marijuana plants; seized $302,096 in illegal assets, investigated four drug trafficking organizations and one money laundering case, and conducted six controlled deliveries. The Task Force is committed to public education on drug abuse throughout our community as well as drugged driving and the effects of children living in drug environments. SUMMARY
The City and County of Broomfield has benefited from an overall steady decrease in the rate of crime for 24 years, and Broomfield residents frequently express a sense of safety while enjoying activities in the community. This decrease can be attributed to responsible community members that continue to work closely with their police department and the commitment by the police to address reports of serious and order maintenance (disorderly conduct, neighborhood dispute, and minor disturbance) crimes. The problems associated with crime and disorder necessitates constant police attention, increased citizen involvement, and a stronger reliance upon data analysis. Our challenge for the future is to maintain the same vigilance in 2015 that has made Broomfield one of the safest communities in Colorado.
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