Pueblo City leaders say homicides are up 86 percent
(PUEBLO, Colo.) — Pueblo City officials issued a plea to the public on Tuesday, April 23, asking for help when it comes to addressing violent crime in the community.
At a joint press conference on Tuesday, Mayor Heather Graham said the homicide rate has risen by 86 percent when compared to this time in 2023. Police Chief Chris Noeller also added that the Pueblo Police Department (PPD) is down by 54 officers, but despite that, efforts are being made to track down people who are guilty of committing violent crimes in the community.
Watch the full press conference here
“In just the past four weeks, our officers have conducted eight search warrants, made five arrests, and have taken 86 guns off the streets,” Chief Noeller said.
According to recent data, Pueblo has already seen 11 homicides in 2024, compared to six at the exact time in 2023. Because of this, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is intervening to allocate its resources to PPD.
“This summer, we’re leading a federal, state, and local initiative to disrupt gang activity in Pueblo,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Mark Michalek.
In addition to receiving help from joint agencies such as the FBI, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Mayor Graham signed a mayoral order to put more officers on the street.
“It allows us to temporarily suspend the civil service requirements to allow us to recruit lateral transfers from other departments and to increase the number of police we are able to hire,” she said.
Chief Noeller said his department is also in the process of eliminating Watch Three and reallocating those positions to the Criminal Investigations Division with two additional crime detectives, one special victims’ crime unit detective, one property crime detective, and creating an Impact Team.
“This impact team will focus solely on proactive policing directed at gang and gun violence,” Noeller said. “Their mission is to intercept and disrupt gang and gun violence before it happens by using the laws available to us to contact those criminals before they commit these crimes.”
City officials said other changes to come include a real-time crime center, a ShotSpotter, advanced license plate readers, and other technologies that will help them focus more directly on violent crime.
As a final note, City leaders asked the community to pay attention to their youth, as law enforcement also noted an increase in youth-related crime, adding that changes in the community often begin at home, by being a good role model for younger generations.
“I would like to make a call to action for my fellow Pueblo people and to the parents, guardians, friends, loved ones, siblings, and friends of young teens in our community who are participating in these gang-related activities, are associated with gun violence and these crimes… Please help us,” Mayor Graham said. “Know where your children are at and know where your teen friends are, who they’re associating with, and who is driving them, where they are going, or who they are out late at night with. Even if you think it couldn’t be my child or my friend, please be aware of how your oversight and care of our teens affect all of us in our community.”
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