DENVER — Denver police announced Thursday they are taking action in response to a rise in homicides, even as most other crime categories are down from 2025.
The department said it has formed a violence suppression action plan to counter the uptick in homicides in the city.
“Being innovative and collaborative are more than buzzwords; they are the driving force behind this Violence Suppression Action Plan and our work toward the common goal of the safest Denver possible,” Denver Police Chief Ron Thomas said in a statement.
The five-part plan includes the following:
- Violence Response Team (VRT) – Starting July 23, 2026, DPD rolled out the VRT, a team of a sergeant and four police officers that works overnight hours. The team does not respond to routine radio calls. Instead, it deploys based on calls for service trends, district commander requests, intelligence information, large park gatherings, house parties and other emerging violence risks. They conduct proactive, intelligence-led police work directly connected to recent shootings, anticipated retaliation and other immediate threats.
- Place Network Investigation Expansion – The traditional PNI model identifies networks and relatively small areas of concern for law enforcement to focus. Building upon the success of PNI in Denver in reducing violence, each DPD district will receive 30 hours of PNI overtime per month, funded by a federal grant, for operations targeting identified violence drivers anywhere in the district. This PNI expansion will allow PNI teams to expand their scope in investigating people, groups, vehicles, firearms and circumstances associated with violence. The PNI expansion begins in August 2026 and is anticipated to continue through the end of 2027.
- Licensing and Regulatory Action Enhancement – Work with Denver Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection to increase assessments of licensed establishments repeatedly associated with shootings, assaults, weapons violations and chronic disorder. Using calls-for-service, crime and licensing data, the city will identify problem locations and pursue corrective action, enhanced security requirements, license conditions, suspension or revocation when warranted.
- Illegal Firearm Public Awareness Campaign – Continue working with local, state and federal partners to prosecute individuals with illegal firearms. An awareness campaign will be launched in the coming weeks/months to educate community members about the consequences of illegal firearm use and possession.
- Support from City Agencies and Community Partners in the Violence Suppression Council– DPD will join partners to review recent homicides and nonfatal shootings, identify recurring people, groups, locations and conditions connected to violence, and assign specific interventions to the agency best equipped to address them. More will be shared as the working group and plan are further developed.
Last week, DPD announced that through July 1, 2026, homicides were up 36.8% compared to the same period last year.
However, the city is seeing significant declines in most other violent crime categories, including non-fatal shootings, auto theft and robbery.
Meanwhile, statewide data released Thursday shows that violent crime fell 10.7% from 2024 to 2025, while property crime dropped 17.3%.
The largest decreases included motor vehicle theft—down 36.8%, robbery—down 23.9%, burglary—down 18.5% and homicide—down 16.8%.
