CBS4 Investigates Spike In Violent Crime In Denver

[The Northerner]

DENVER (CBS4) – Murders in Denver are up 138.5 percent for the first eight months of this year, armed assaults have risen 9.1 percent compared to the same time last year and simple assaults have risen 6.7 percent in the first eight months of 2011, according to the Denver Police Department’s statistics for 2011.

“So yeah, we believe it’s a problem and we’re working on it but it’s nothing to alarm people and make them believe they live in an unsafe city,” said Denver Police spokesperson Lt. Matt Murray.

The statistics cover crimes from January through the end of August and show a citywide rise in crimes against persons of 4.3 percent compared to the same period in 2010.

Murray and other police officials argue that their own statistics are skewed because 2010 was a comparatively low crime year with an abnormally low number of homicides. He said Denver crime stats viewed over a longer period of time would not be so alarming. But he acknowledges the year to year numbers are eye-catching.

Read more: http://denver.cbslocal.com/2011/09/22/police-notice-spike-in-violent-crime-in-denver/

[Supersedeas]

1. something to keep an eye on