Police report: Crime down in 2009 despite rise in reported rapes
The number of reported rapes in Colorado Springs rose again in 2009, a year in which most other serious offenses including homicides dropped off significantly, according to the Police Department’s annual crime report released Thursday.
Overall, crime in the city declined nearly 8 percent last year, led by a 37 percent drop in murders, from 24 in 2008 to 15 in 2009.
Other gains from 2008 included:
• A 10 percent drop in thefts, from 11,535 in 2008 to 10,340 in 2009
• A 6 percent drop in motor vehicle thefts, from 1,117 to 1,048
• A 3 percent drop in aggravated assaults, from 1,124 to 1,084
• A 2 percent drop in burglary, from 3,399 to 3,305
The 2 percent increase in sexual assaults slows, but doesn’t end, a rise in the past few years. Sexual assaults increased 17 percent in 2008 to 334 after an 11 percent rise in 2007.
Last year’s total of 342 reported sexual assaults represents a 33 percent increase in the past three years from the 256 in 2006.
The percentage of all crimes solved went up slightly, from 25 percent to 26 percent, despite a drop-off in the percentage of rapes that were cleared. Those fell from 34 percent in 2008 to 31 percent last year.
Police spokesman Sgt. Steve Noblitt declined to comment on the report.
Police Sgt. Felicia Low, who has led the department's adult sex crimes unit since late January, said that in the past, sex crimes against adults and children were investigated by the same unit, and cases involving children were given priority.
Adult and child sex crimes are handled by separate units now, with four detectives working exclusively on rapes reported by adults.
"I don't know if that means there will be a decline in sexual assaults," she said Thursday. "But with separate detectives assigned to adult cases, hopefully we'll see more cleared."
The percentage of motor vehicle thieves who were caught also declined from 18 percent in 2008 to 17 percent in 2009.
Identity theft, forgeries and scams all tumbled in 2009 even as many law enforcement agencies increased their warnings to be vigilant in guarding personal information and to be wary of offers that seemed too good to be true.
Identity theft fell by 22 percent, forgeries by 18 percent and scams by 13 percent. Credit card fraud, however rose 2 percent.
Police answered 300,133 calls in 2009, about 8,000 fewer calls than in 2008. No explanation was available from police on the declining demand for police services.
Fewer traffic tickets also were issued. The 61,000 tickets officers wrote in 2009 was 21 percent less than the 74,000 in 2008.
