New data shows total crimes in Englewood are declining while drug crimes are increasing

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. – A crime trends report comparing statistics for 2023 to 2022 shows a notable decline in crimes against people and property, but a significant increase in “crimes against society.”

According to the Englewood Police Department, crimes against society include crimes such as drug, weapons, prostitution and animal abuse crimes.

Englewood City Police Department

While overall crime fell by 11.14%, crimes against society increased by 88.81%. Most of these crimes were drug-related. The number of drug arrests increased by 116% in 2023.

The department tracked where these arrests occurred and discovered a major hotspot in the city. It’s an area on Hampden Avenue between Broadway and Cherokee that includes a shopping center and a greenway trail near Little Dry Creek.

Englewood City Police Department

Businesses Denver7 spoke to at the mall told us it was an everyday problem and that people had even overdosed outside of their store. A business owner, who did not want to be identified, told Denver7 that they call police almost daily because of drug use in the area and often find used wrappers and drug paraphernalia on their doorsteps.

An employee at another business near the hotspot told Denver7 that Narcan is now staying behind the counter after seeing so many overdoses.

Frank Makray, owner of Colorado Leathers and Furs and a business owner in downtown Englewood for nearly 30 years, said the area has changed a lot in that time.

“I used to love going down to the lake, and the city of Englewood spent a fortune redeveloping the lake area,” he said. “You can even see needles under the bridges and it looks sad. I don’t know what could be done.

According to new crime trends, overall crimes in Englewood are decreasing while drug crimes are increasing

The Englewood Police Department did not have a representative available for an interview, but an investigator sent a statement that said, in part:

“This increase is largely due to our department’s increased efforts in highly visible proactive policing, particularly in combating drug-related offences. We have seen an increase in arrests for these crimes of over 100%, reflecting our commitment to community safety. This information is also detailed in the Community Safety Report.

Police say they have paid more attention to hotspots over the past year and are continuing to be more visible in the community to hopefully bring these numbers down for good.

According to the police, preliminary statistics on crime trends in 2024 are not yet available.

The entire 2024 Community Safety Report can be found below.