In Colorado, domestic violence deaths are declining

Denver7 gets more insight into the impact domestic violence has on our communities.

A new report released Tuesday shows the death toll from domestic violence has fallen across the state — but experts say that doesn’t mean cases are declining.

In 2023, 58 people aged 14 to 70 died from domestic violence.

That’s a decrease from the 94 deaths in the previous year’s report.

Now the attorney general’s office says it’s looking for answers on how to lower cases even further through new data that will help them better understand risk factors.

The report shows that officers were able to see suspects’ criminal records this year, as well as the number of cases with previous protection orders.

Data showed that 80 percent of those affected by domestic violence had never contacted the police before.

Domestic violence accounted for 11 percent of all homicides in Colorado in 2023.

The counties with the most reported deaths are Arapahoe County with 14, Denver County with 10 and El Paso County with 8.

The city and county of Denver in particular have seen a troubling upward trend, according to the report – with police recording 1,847 domestic violence cases in 2019 compared to 1991 in 2023

The report also shows that domestic violence cases were higher in rural counties.

Now officials — including Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser — are alarmed as leaders say more resources are needed to intervene sooner.

“The call to action here is: How do we create greater awareness and better resources so that vulnerable people who are at risk of potential violence, even life-threatening violence, get help before it is too late?” said the Colorado Attorney General, Phil Weiser.

As the state continues to look for solutions, experts say there is a need for further reforms to the family court system.

Another recommendation is that those affected have the opportunity to be notified if a person subject to a restraining order attempts to purchase a firearm.