Police Are Turning to an Old Tactic to Fight the Surge in Violence. But It Needs a Rethink

Nov 09, 2022

News

Like other cities across the country, Denver has consistently struggled with shootings and homicides since the start of the pandemic. Both 2020 and 2021 had record years for homicides, with 100 killings in 2021.

To respond to the violence, the Denver Police Department announced a program in May 2021 to identify “hot spots” in the city where most of the shootings were being reported.

The five hotspots identified by DPD cover a very small portion of the city, but they make up a quarter of the violence reported in Denver in 2020. The Denver police hotspot program involves more patrols by officers, including cops “walking the beat” and attempting to build relationships with residents in the area.

David Weisburd

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