By Shaina Cole | Contributing Writer, Rocky Mountain Voice
Mayor Mike Johnston has been pointing to a 44% drop in homicides in the first half of 2025, calling it proof his crime plan is making a difference. The figure is a sharp improvement from last year, but it’s recent and doesn’t show where things stood before the pandemic. In the city’s core, the gains are harder to find.
A report from the Common Sense Institute shows murders in District 6, the downtown police district, have risen 133% since 2020. Aggravated assaults, drug crimes, public disorder, and larceny are also up. While some neighborhoods have seen improvement, downtown has not kept up the same pace.
Citywide Gains, Downtown Losses
Data from DenverCrimes.com shows citywide violent crime down more than 30% from last year. Robberies are off nearly 19%, and car thefts have fallen almost 35%.
In the Central Business District, which includes much of the 16th Street Mall, violent crime dropped 11% year over year. But property crimes climbed 7%, drug crimes rose more than 30%, and bike thefts jumped 140%.
Compared with 2020, District 6 has seen murders climb 133%. Drug and alcohol offenses are up 67%, aggravated assaults 35%, public disorder 33%, and larceny 27%.
These trends are why some residents feel the citywide numbers don’t tell the full story.
First-hand Perspectives
The X account @DoBetterDNVR regularly posts videos from residents showing drug use, encampments, and crime in public spaces.
In one post, a man described downtown as “kind of scary” and “a little intimidating,” citing shootings and crime.
Another post accused the mayor of focusing on the 16th Street Mall while homelessness and crime were pushed into surrounding neighborhoods.
Various videos posted show a random attack on a woman riding a scooter and open drug use at 14th and Larimer, reinforcing the sense that public safety problems remain.
Businesses Closing Amid Safety Concerns
The impact of crime on local business is clear. Between June 2023 and June 2024, 183 restaurants closed in Denver, making up 82% of statewide closures in that period. City records show a 24% drop in active restaurant permits since 2019.
Owners point to rising costs, but many also cite open drug use, visible homelessness, and theft as reasons for closing or moving. Some have shortened hours, added security, or left the area altogether.
Budget Cuts Raise New Questions
Denver is facing a projected $250 million budget shortfall. Johnston’s plan includes cutting funds from police, fire, and other emergency services. Critics say trimming those budgets while downtown crime remains elevated could undo progress made elsewhere.
A Recovery That’s Not Reaching Downtown
The mayor’s office has moved thousands into shelters or transitional housing, and some neighborhoods have seen crime drop. For now, downtown still has empty storefronts, open drug use, and violent incidents.
How and when those gaps close remains to be seen, and could shape downtown’s recovery.
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