Rocky Mountain Voice

Tag: Public safety

Aurora lands in top 5 worst-driving cities in America report
kdvr.com, Approved, Local

Aurora lands in top 5 worst-driving cities in America report

By Brooke Williams | DENVER (KDVR) DENVER (KDVR) — A recent report ranked Aurora among the top five cities with the worst drivers in the United States, and Colorado as a whole ranked in the top three states with the worst road rage. The report by finance website ConsumerAffairs looked into traffic fatality data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The administration estimates that 39,345 people were killed in crashes across the country last year, which is slightly down from 2023 and is the first time that the total fatalities have been below 40,000 since 2020. Some areas contributed to those deaths more than others, including Denver’s sister city, Aurora. The report ranked Aurora, Colorado, as the No. 4 state for the worst drivers in the nation....
High-tech policing: Boulder officers use drones and cameras to nab car theft suspect
Fox31, Approved, Local

High-tech policing: Boulder officers use drones and cameras to nab car theft suspect

By Aliyah Sims | FOX31 Denver BOULDER, Colo. (KDVR) — Technology and teamwork came together in Boulder to stop a dangerous suspect: Officers had an edge thanks to drones and license plate recognition cameras, also known as Flock cameras. All it took was a tip from technology, a drone in the air and quick thinking on the ground. This case was interesting because we wouldn’t have ever known this guy was in Boulder,” Chief Stephen Redfearn said. “The truck was stolen from outside of Boulder. The license plate readers let us know he was here. It allowed officers to kind of narrow down where he was.” The stolen red pickup truck pulled into a Boulder parking lot, with the driver asleep behind the wheel. Within seconds, an officer on the Unmanned Aircraft System Team launched a drone ...
Colorado’s bike theft crisis: Third-highest rate in the nation
kdvr.com, Approved, State

Colorado’s bike theft crisis: Third-highest rate in the nation

By Spencer Kristinsson | FOX31 DENVER (KDVR) — Colorado residents are known for their love of the outdoors and active lifestyle. It should come as no surprise to see plenty of cyclists and bikes on the streets and trails around the state. What might be a surprise is how many of those bikes get stolen. A study by the cyclist training app, JOIN, analyzed the number of stolen bikes per state in the FBI database and the estimated value of the bikes stolen, which was converted into categories like median value, total value and average value. “A stolen bike is more than just a stolen asset — it’s the loss of the ability to cycle, to commute, and to train. The impacts can last for years due to the cost of replacing a stolen bike,” said JOIN in the study. The study found that C...
Adams County man handed 13-year sentence for large-scale drug trafficking
Fox31, Approved, Local

Adams County man handed 13-year sentence for large-scale drug trafficking

By: FOX31 Digital Staff | FOX31 DENVER (KDVR) — A man was sentenced to 20 years in the Colorado Department of Corrections by the 17th Judicial District Attorney’s Office for “large-scale” drug trafficking in Adams County, the DA’s Office announced in a press release on Monday morning. The man, Rodrick Maye, 45, was sentenced for possessing with intent to distribute large quantities of fentanyl, methamphetamines and cocaine. On May 25, 2024, Thornton police officers saw Maye swerve into oncoming traffic on East 88th Avenue. The officers performed a traffic stop, and said Maye showed signs of impairment and failed roadside sobriety tests, before being arrested for driving under the influence. During a search of the vehicle, officers found multiple open containers of alcohol an...
Colorado gun laws leave innocent citizens defenseless
Complete Colorado, Approved, State

Colorado gun laws leave innocent citizens defenseless

By James Neville | Complete Colorado became a firearms instructor not because I’m a gun nut, but from my love for teaching self-defense. Teaching assault survivors martial arts for years provides the opportunity to learn about the nature of violent crime. It’s clear that the Colorado’s approach to public safety isn’t just naïve, it’s dangerous: policy makers are increasingly putting Coloradans at risk. The recent flurry of gun control measures has made Colorado one of the most restrictive states for firearm ownership in America. Senate Bill 25-003 for example, imposes a three-stage process on every Coloradan who may need to purchase a semiautomatic pistol for self-defense. There is no cap on fees and there is no time frame within which an application must be approved or denied....
Colorado’s largest TdA gang bust exposes murder-for-hire and international drug pipeline
DENVER7, Approved, Local

Colorado’s largest TdA gang bust exposes murder-for-hire and international drug pipeline

By Joe Vaccarelli, Landon Haaf | Denver7 The massive investigation included roughly 40 undercover operations over 10 months and also unearthed a "barbaric" murder-for-hire plot. DENVER — What was described as “the biggest investigation” of the Venezuelan street gang Tren de Aragua in the country unfolded in Colorado over the past 10 months, federal officials announced on Monday, netting 30 indictments of people allegedly involved in drug and weapons trafficking and a “barbaric” murder-for-hire plot. U.S. Attorney Peter McNeilly said Monday that investigators estimated three TdA leaders, five alleged members and “numerous” associates of the gang were charged in the operation. The investigation started in October of 2024 when the Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office started looking i...
Search-and-rescue costs soar as state weighs new fee increase
The Aspen Times, Approved, State

Search-and-rescue costs soar as state weighs new fee increase

By Ali Longwell | The Aspen Times While Colorado’s backcountry search-and-rescue missions have increased significantly in the past few decades, statewide funding for the volunteer-staffed programs across the state has struggled to keep up with the growth.  A proposed fee increase before the Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission next week aims to rectify this. As contemplated, it would increase a $0.25 surcharge — applied to most Parks and Wildlife licenses and registrations, including hunting and fishing licenses, as well as boat and off-highway vehicle permits — to $1.25 to bring it in line with inflation and the program’s needs today.  The growth of Colorado’s backcountry search-and-rescue programs   Colorado’s first formal mountain rescue team was c...
Polis Rejects DOJ Label as Sanctuary State and Defends Local Law
State, Approved, CBS Colorado

Polis Rejects DOJ Label as Sanctuary State and Defends Local Law

By Jennifer McRae | CBS News Colorado The Justice Department put 11 other states on its list besides Colorado — California, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Minnesota, Nevada, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, and the District of Columbia. It also included Baltimore County, Maryland; Cook County, Illinois; San Diego County, California; and San Francisco County, California, along with 18 cities from Seattle to Philadelphia. The letter states that a response to the letter must be submitted by Aug. 19 that "confirms your commitment to complying with federal law and identifies the immediate incentives you are taking to eliminate laws, policies, and practices that impede federal immigration enforcement." Gov. Polis' Office said in a statement to CBS Co...
Colorado Fires Show Mixed Progress Elk Fire Contained Lee Fire Still Raging
State, Approved, Post Independent

Colorado Fires Show Mixed Progress Elk Fire Contained Lee Fire Still Raging

By Taylor Cramer | The Post Independent The Elk Fire is now fully contained as crews continue to make progress on the much larger Lee Fire, which has burned 137,465 acres and is 42% contained as of Sunday. The Lee Fire is now just shy of the Hayman Fire, which burned 137,760 acres in 2002 near Colorado Spring and ranks as the fourth-largest wildfire in Colorado history. Both the Lee and Elk fires were started by lightning on Aug. 2. Combined, 1,155 personnel remain assigned to the fires, supported by six aircraft, 25 hand crews, 78 engines and 46 pieces of heavy equipment. The Rocky Mountain Complex Incident Management Team 3 is nearing the end of its 14-day assignment. The Northern Rockies Complex Incident Management Team 1 has been mobilized to assume command Monday. The inco...
My sexual assault never appeared in D.C. crime stats as convicted attacker was released repeatedly
Washington Examiner, Approved, Commentary, National

My sexual assault never appeared in D.C. crime stats as convicted attacker was released repeatedly

By Anna Giaritelli | Commentary, Washington Examiner Five years ago, I was violently attacked and sexually assaulted in broad daylight in Washington, D.C., by a homeless man. He served time in federal prison for what he did to me. But if you look for evidence that the attack happened in the city’s crime statistics, you won’t find it. The truth of what happened to me and the D.C. government’s role in it is as much a public scandal as it is a personal trauma. D.C. police covered up the unspeakable wrong that the stranger did to me. Even though a judge sentenced my attacker to hard time in prison, D.C. police leadership would rather deceive the public and appear less dangerous than list mine and countless other sexual assaults on their website. The extent of ...