Colorado's violent and property crime rates each fell about 17 percent in the first six months of 2026, compared with the same period last year. Governor Jared Polis and the Colorado Division of Criminal Justice released the mid-year statewide report November 5, 2026.

The report shows 2,396 fewer violent crimes and 11,425 fewer property crimes reported statewide between January and June 2026. Motor vehicle thefts saw one of the biggest drops, with the rate falling 41.4 percent. Homicide rates fell 33 percent.

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"Safe communities are the foundation of a strong Colorado. A 17 percent reduction in both violent and property crime rates shows that our data-driven crime prevention strategies are delivering safer Colorado communities. These results are promising but there is still more work ahead. I am grateful to the law enforcement officers and communities working to protect our neighborhoods," said Governor Jared Polis.

Compared with the first six months of 2025:

Violent crime rates decreased 16.9 percent, representing 2,396 fewer reported crimes.

Property crime rates decreased 16.9 percent, representing 11,425 fewer reported crimes.

Motor vehicle theft rates decreased 41.4 percent.

Homicide rates decreased 33 percent, representing 36 fewer reported homicides.

Robbery rates decreased 21.4 percent.

Aggravated assault rates decreased 15.8 percent, representing 1,511 fewer reported assaults.

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Colorado has met two of the Governor's crime reduction targets ahead of the June 2027 deadline. The state reached its motor vehicle theft reduction target in February 2026. It reached its aggravated assault reduction target in June 2026.

"These numbers represent real progress for Colorado. Fewer violent crimes, fewer stolen vehicles and fewer families experiencing the impact of crime are meaningful improvements for communities across our state," said Matt Lunn, director of the Colorado Division of Criminal Justice. "While there is more work to be done, these results reflect the dedication of law enforcement, community organizations and public safety partners working every day to make Colorado safer."

The new data builds on drops reported in 2025. Colorado's crime rates have gone down year over year since the beginning of 2022. The annual violent crime rate decreased by 15 percent from 2022 to 2025. The annual property crime rate declined by 29 percent over the same period.

Crime fell in many American cities during 2025, according to a January 2026 national review of big-city crime rates.

Some of Colorado's largest cities also saw declines. Denver reported 447 fewer violent crimes during the first half of 2026. Colorado Springs recorded 205 fewer, and Aurora reported 176 fewer.

Denver, Colorado Springs and Aurora also saw drops last year, detailed in a November 2025 report on crime in Colorado's biggest cities.

Property crime also fell in those cities. Colorado Springs reported 1,184 fewer incidents. Denver reported 876 fewer, and Aurora reported 530 fewer.

The analysis uses crime data that law enforcement agencies sent to the Colorado Bureau of Investigation. The data is published through Colorado Crime Statistics. Data were extracted September 1, 2026. The numbers may differ from local reports because of submission timing or different extraction dates.

The full report is available at https://cdpsdocs.state.co.us/ors/docs/briefs/2026-10_COCrimeTrendsMidyearRpt-2026-Jan-Jun.pdf.