PRAGMATIC ISSUES

Lately, headlines have been all too willing to paint Colorado and Denver in particular as one of the most dangerous places in America. Some rankings even place the state in the top tier of crime-ridden regions.

But those labels, while grabbing eyeballs, gloss over the complexity behind crime statistics, underreporting, media bias, shifting trends, and local “flashpoints” that warp perception. To have a more honest conversation, we must tell the full story.

The Numbers Aren’t Always What They Seem

When a state is ranked “sixth most dangerous” or a city is cast among the nation’s worst, the implicit message is: crime is ubiquitous, uncontrollable, and steadily worsening. But that’s often a distortion, one born from how data is collected, reported, and dramatized.

First, many crimes go unreported. Domestic violence, sexual assault, minor thefts, and even some drug offenses often remain off the books for myriad reasons fear of retaliation, belief that police won’t act, distrust in the system, or simply the burden of reporting. That gap between reported crime and lived crime can be substantial, though it’s hard to quantify precisely.

Second, ranking systems differ widely in methodology. Some prioritize per-capita violent crime, others lump in property crime or drug offenses. A state could rank poorly on property crime but better on violent crime, or vice versa. A headline that a state is “most dangerous” may omit key qualifiers (for example: “most dangerous by property crime rate among large states”). In fact, recent analyses show Colorado’s property and violent crime rates have been among the highest in the country. Yet these are averages Denver itself exhibits enormous variation by neighborhood.

Third, data lag and timing can exaggerate trends. Many rankings use multi-year lags (e.g. FBI data published with a delay). A spike in one year may look dramatic, but it may also be followed by years of decline. Denver’s homicide totals, for instance, have dropped substantially in the first quarter of 2025 relative to the same period last year. To understand real directionality, one must look beyond sensational peaks.

In short, a sensational ranking may capture attention, but it often misrepresents the daily reality of most residents.

Denver’s Shifting Crime Landscape

That said, Denver has real challenges. The Common Sense Institute notes that from 2019 to 2022, Denver’s average monthly crime rate rose by 43%, fueled especially by property crime and auto theft. In national comparisons, Denver ranks third in motor vehicle theft, sixth in property crime, and tenth in rape (among cities of its size) according to some datasets.

Yet more recent data suggest a partial reversal in certain categories. In 2025, homicides in Denver fell by 58% in the first quarter, outpacing the drop in many other large U.S. cities. And in 2024, the city experienced a third straight year decline in murders. These are meaningful turns not cures, but indications that crime is not monolithically trending upward forever.

Still, many neighborhoods continue to endure persistently high violence, and residents cite patterns of drug trafficking, shootings, and property theft that blight certain corridors.

The Trouble with Hotspots: Colfax, Downing, and the “Papa John’s Scene”

One of the most vivid local complaints echoes on social media, in neighborhood meetings, and in personal anecdotes the stretch around Colfax and Downing, and the cluster around the Papa John’s on Colfax, is a notorious zone for illicit activity. Locals regularly describe seeing open drug transactions, visible dealing, prostitution, violence, and lingering suspicion that business fronts are complicit or inert.

A Reddit thread puts it bluntly:

“I’ve lived nearby for 5 years … obviously, drug dealing and shit … it’s like you stepped into the projects when you walk by.”

That kind of firsthand sentiment over years matters. Even if it doesn’t always appear in police logs, it shapes how people view safety in their city. Worse, persistent unaddressed hotspots can become magnets, they attract criminals, push out law-abiding customers, and erode community trust.

There have been law enforcement efforts targeting drug sales out of restaurants in one notable case, Papa John’s franchise employees in another city were arrested for selling cocaine in pizza boxes, a case dubbed “Operation Extra Olives.” That isn’t proof of similar operations here, but it highlights how a pizza shop a community fixture  can serve as cover for illicit behavior.

In Denver, a particularly tragic incident underscores the risks a shooting in February 2025 at Colfax and Downing left one man dead. Whether that incident links directly to long-term drug activity at neighboring businesses is unclear, but it is a stark reminder that danger is real in that corridor.

Law enforcement and local activists have noted that many crimes in hotspots like this go unrecorded or unresolved. Officers may prioritize violent cases, and smaller-scale drug or theft crimes may be deferred, plea-bargained, or never prosecuted. The result: a vicious cycle of invisibility and impunity.

How We Better Talk About Crime (and Fix It)

We need a new narrative, one that acknowledges danger without exaggeration, that respects victims without provoking despair, and that identifies solutions without succumbing to fear.

Here are key principles:

1. Differentiate by geography. Denver is not one uniform zone of danger; many neighborhoods are relatively safe, while others like parts of East Colfax, Five Points, or neighborhoods abutting transit hubs are more vulnerable. Media and policymakers should avoid treating the city as monolithic.
2. Invest in reporting and transparency. Encouraging and protecting crime reporting especially for sensitive offenses helps fill the gap between lived reality and official data. Anonymous or simplified reporting tools, victim support, and ensuring follow-through can improve trust.
3. Target hotspots smartly. The Colfax/Downing strip and areas around certain businesses demand focused intervention, more foot patrols, environmental design (lighting, sightlines, building use), community watch support, and coordinated business licensing oversight.
4. Prosecute small crimes smartly. When thefts, vandalism, or public nuisance go unaddressed, they set the tone that disorder is tolerated. A system that channels petty offenders into accountability pathways (community service, restitution, drug treatment) can reduce escalation.
5. Address root causes. Substance abuse, poverty, mental illness, and housing instability contribute to crime. The weaponization of urban neglect, letting certain blocks deteriorate must end. Investments in social services, addiction treatment, youth engagement, and affordable housing are part of safety.
6. Communicate carefully. Politicians, media, and community leaders must resist sensational framing (e.g. “most dangerous city”) unless fully qualified. Sensational claims erode trust when reality doesn’t match them. A better approach “high-crime corridors exist within an otherwise mixed city.”
7. Track progress rigorously. Use short-term and long-term metrics, broken down by neighborhood and crime type, and make updates public. Celebrate reductions (e.g. homicide drops) but remain vigilant.

Fear Doesn’t Have to Be Destiny

Ranking Denver or Colorado among the nation’s dangerous locales may be an attention-grabbing headline, but it obscures the deeper truth: crime is uneven, dynamic, and often hidden. The stretch of Colfax and Downing, including the Papa John’s intersection reflects a microcosm where impunity, neglect, and lack of local accountability converge.

True progress won’t come from declaring the city “safe” or “dangerous,” but by confronting the underreported, spotlighting the worst spots, and building systems that give every neighborhood a chance at stability, dignity, and safety.