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Tag: Public safety

Church Identifies Brown Student Ella Cook as Victim in Campus Shooting
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ABC News, Approved, National

Church Identifies Brown Student Ella Cook as Victim in Campus Shooting

By Leah Sarnoff | ABC News Ella Cook was one of two people killed in the campus shooting on Saturday. One of the victims killed in Saturday’s shooting at Brown University has been identified as Ella Cook, a Brown student and a parishioner at the Cathedral Church of the Advent in Birmingham, Alabama. The church’s Rev. Craig Smalley announced Cook’s death in his service on Sunday morning, calling Cook “incredibly grounded and generous and faithful” and a “bright light” in the church and in her community. “Many of you heard about the tragedy, which happened at Brown University. ... And sadly, tragically, one of those people is one of our parishioners,” Smalley said during the service. "She was engaged and involved in our worship and in our community, and as she...
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Colorado Repeat Offender Freed by Court Accused of Killing Mother of Three
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Fox News, Approved, State

Colorado Repeat Offender Freed by Court Accused of Killing Mother of Three

By: Julia Bonavita | Fox News Thomas Perales allegedly killed Annette Marie Valdez following years of domestic violence incidents and court violations. A Colorado repeat offender is accused of brutally murdering the mother of his children before spending several days pushing her lifeless body around in a shopping cart just a week after being released from jail. Thomas Perales, a homeless man with multiple prior arrests, is accused of killing Annette Marie Valdez after her body was discovered inside a Westminster trash can Dec. 4, according to 9NEWS.  Perales had allegedly violated a protection order taken out by Valdez numerous times and had been released from jail just a week before the alleged murder, the outlet reported. The 37-y...
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Aurora Crackdown Pulls 1,200+ Illegal Vehicles Off the Road This Year
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Approved, kdvr.com, Local

Aurora Crackdown Pulls 1,200+ Illegal Vehicles Off the Road This Year

By: Alliyah Sims | KDVR FOX31 AURORA, Colo. (KDVR) — Aurora’s three-strike rule is pulling illegal vehicles off the streets at record levels. From expired tags to no insurance or license, officers say the surge in violations is leading to a surge in seizures, and the numbers are climbing. From Jan. 1 to Nov. 30, Aurora police say 1,257 vehicles have been impounded under the city’s three-strike rule. Officers say about 80% to 85% of those cars are returned to the owner after they provide proof of a valid license, registration and insurance. For drivers who don’t claim their vehicles within the 30- to 45-day window, their vehicles are added to Aurora’s public auction. They run about every six weeks. FOX31 saw people out looking for vehicles at Tuesday’s auction. READ THE FULL ...
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Federal Investigation Targets Colorado’s Prison Policies and Youth Facility Failures
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Approved, State, The Gazette

Federal Investigation Targets Colorado’s Prison Policies and Youth Facility Failures

By: Cleo Westin | The Gazette The U.S. Department of Justice opened an investigation into possible constitutional violations of Colorado prisoners through inadequate treatment and transgender housing policy, according to a release by the agency. The department’s letter of notice to Gov. Jared Polis on Monday identified housing “biological males” in female units in violation of religious freedom, inadequate medical care, excessive force and inadequate nutrition in youth facilities as matters it will investigate. The Department of Justice’s action to investigate aspects of an entire state’s prison system appears to be the first of its kind in 2025. It comes following a 2024 settlement on the treatment of transgender prisoners and several reports of inadequate care at prisons and you...
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A Town on Edge: Inside the Erie Mail Threats That Resulted in No Charges
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Rocky Mountain Voice, Local, Top Stories

A Town on Edge: Inside the Erie Mail Threats That Resulted in No Charges

By Shaina Cole | Contributing Writer, Rocky Mountain Voice In early October, residents across Erie and in Virginia, began opening their mailboxes to find sympathy cards inside plain envelopes. The message referenced the assassination of Charlie Kirk, accompanied by an empty packet of Gushers candy taped to the card, glitter and a loose powdery substance that spilled when handled. Twenty residents in total received the cards. Many were former candidates, business owners, volunteers, and known conservatives within the community. One envelope opened in Virginia triggered a full hazmat activation. Loudoun County Fire & Rescue’s official report shows responders in Tychem suits isolating the scene, testing the substance, and alerting federal authorities. Their lab equip...
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More Victims Coming Forward as Douglas County Tackles Growing Sex Crime Caseload
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DENVER7, Approved, Local

More Victims Coming Forward as Douglas County Tackles Growing Sex Crime Caseload

By Allie Jennerjahn | Denver7 Sex crimes can range from internet crimes against children, to adult sex assault, and George Brauchler said the county is working to find a solution. DOUGLAS COUNTY, Colo. — District Attorney for the 23rd Judicial District George Brauchler is speaking out about a surge in sex crime cases and why he thinks there's an increase. Sex crimes can range from internet crimes against children, to adult sex assault and Brauchler said the county is working to find a solution. “It's unclear to me if we're seeing an incredible uptick in it, or if because this jurisdiction that has invested so heavily in public safety, including creating subject matter experts in rape cases … if that, in and of itself, hasn't caused an increase in the number of...
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Robotaxis Coming to Denver as Colorado Opens Door to AV Innovation
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Axios Denver, Approved, Local

Robotaxis Coming to Denver as Colorado Opens Door to AV Innovation

By John Frank | Axios Denver In the near future, you can hop in a driverless car and cruise through Denver. Why it matters: The technology promises to reduce vehicle fatalities and crashes, and to increase mobility for people who are elderly, disabled or impaired. State of play: Waymo is preparing to deploy its robotaxis on Denver roads starting next year, a spokesperson confirmed this week. The company began testing in September to map streets and gather data on driving patterns. The next step is to test the vehicles in autonomous mode with a driver on board, though a date for those efforts is TBD. A date for the company to start offering driverless rides is not yet set. Between the lines: The company also is meeting with c...
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JeffCo SWAT Leader Resigns After Responding Drunk to Evergreen School Shooting
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9News, Approved, Local

JeffCo SWAT Leader Resigns After Responding Drunk to Evergreen School Shooting

By Jeremy Jojola | 9NEWS Internal Affairs documents obtained by 9NEWS describe Sgt. Anthony Hamilton smelling of alcohol while responding to the Evergreen shooting in September. JEFFERSON COUNTY, Colo. — A SWAT team leader for the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office was drunk while responding to the Evergreen High School shooting in September and has resigned amid an internal affairs investigation. Sgt. Anthony Hamilton was set to be fired for violating the department's alcohol policy. According to internal affairs documents, Hamilton admitted in an interview that he drank “the better part of a 12 pack” of beer starting around 6:30 a.m. Sept. 10, the day of the shooting.  Scores of law enforcement officers began responding to the campus after 1...
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Colorado theft crisis: More crime, fewer inmates, and mounting economic fallout
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Rocky Mountain Voice, State, Top Stories

Colorado theft crisis: More crime, fewer inmates, and mounting economic fallout

By Shaina Cole | Contributing Writer, Rocky Mountain Voice A Growing Problem That Stores Can’t Ignore Ask almost any retailer in Colorado what’s changed over the last few years, and you’ll hear some version of the same thing: theft isn’t a once-in-a-while headache anymore. It’s constant. The Common Sense Institute recently put numbers to what stores have been describing, and the scale is hard to miss. Police logged just over 27,000 shoplifting reports in 2024 — a jump of more than 22 percent in a single year. And that figure doesn’t capture most of what’s happening. Many stores no longer call police unless something turns aggressive. CSI cites national surveys suggesting that as much as nine in ten retail thefts never make it into official police statistics. If that holds true...
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Study Warns Colorado’s High Theft Threshold Fueling Retail Crime Growth
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Colorado Politics, Approved, State

Study Warns Colorado’s High Theft Threshold Fueling Retail Crime Growth

By Mark Samuelson | Colorado Politics Shoplifting and other forms of retail crime are seeing a sharp rise as Colorado heads into the holidays, according to a study. After falling from a recent-record 24,975 thefts reported in 2015 to around 18,000 in 2021, Colorado Bureau of Investigation data show a jump to more than 27,000 shoplifting crimes in 2024, according to former Denver District Attorney Mitch Morrissey, who co-authored the study. The study was released in the past week by the Greenwood Village-based Common Sense Institute. It reported that shoplifting hotspots include Adams County, with 52,333 incidents over the span from 2014 to 2024; followed by Jefferson County, with 34,241 incidents; and El Paso County, 33,339 over the span. Other counties posting high numbers ...
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