Pueblo law enforcement chiefs discuss rising crime, their plans to address it in 2023

With crime rising significantly in Pueblo County over the past two years, Pueblo law enforcement agencies discussed their plans to address it in 2023 during a press event Monday.

The most serious types of crimes recorded by police, including offenses like aggravated assault, burglary, homicide, arson, auto theft and sexual assault, increased by 13% last year, according to Pueblo Police Chief Chris Noeller.

Those same types of crimes, labeled "part 1" crimes by police, increased 22% overall from 2020 to 2021.

Pueblo County Sheriff David Lucero stated that while he does not have exact numbers, the county, especially in areas around Pueblo West, saw similar increases in crime during that period.

Part of the problem, 10th Judicial District District Attorney Jeff Chostner said, is that the Pueblo Police Department, Pueblo County Sheriff's Office, Colorado State Patrol troop 2D, and the DA's office are all short on staff.

Pueblo PD currently has 30 vacancies, the PCSO has around 50, and the DA's office is short 10 attorneys, Chostner said.

Both Noeller and Chostner blamed state legislation passed in recent years for much the county's increases in crime, such as 2021's Senate Bill 271, which reclassified many minor felony offenses as misdemeanors and limited the number of crimes barring gun ownership for past felony offenders to those listed under the Victim Rights Act.

"The DA association, the sheriff's association, the chief's association have all had concerns about various pieces of legislation over the last couple of years that have not helped fight crime, both in the state of Colorado in general, and Pueblo County in particular," Chostner said.

"I am heartened by the turnover in personnel at the state legislature, and I think there's a recognition at the state level that crime is not where it should be and efforts should be made to bring it back down."

Pueblo public safety news:Police seeking Pueblo man for vehicular homicide in connection to fatal wreck

Both the DA and police chief said their primary focus this year is addressing state legislation, but they acknowledged that economic issues, such as rising inflation, may also contribute to crime.

"I do think the economic side of this is very important," Chostner said. "If you don't have a breadwinner in the family, then things tend to trend the wrong way. Kids not in school, substance use, alcohol abuse, all those things, if you have a breadwinner, they tend to trend the other way.

"We're all very sensitive to that as well because we're trying to make this a better quality community. We need to work on the crime rate, and the school systems are doing what they can to address that."

Chostner noted that businesses from outside of Pueblo tend to look at the education system and the crime rate before deciding to bring their business here. More businesses mean more jobs, he said, which in turn helps to reduce crime.

He also praised local efforts such as the implementation of the Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion (LEAD) program, which allows law enforcement officers to redirect low-level offenders engaged in drug or prostitution activity to community-based services instead of jail and prosecution, and the veteran's and behavioral health courts, which allow the 10th Judicial District to address mental health and substance abuse issues. The program's goal is to prevent recidivism and provide the assistance people need to get their lives back on track.

While Noeller called 2022 a "difficult year" for police, he lauded proactive policing efforts such as the Directed Enforcement and Community Engagement (DICE) team, which launched in April to address low-level crimes such as shoplifting, loitering, public decency and other crimes affecting the local business community and citizens' overall quality of life.

In November, Noeller said, the DICE team doubled its size from two to four officers. Since the program was launched, it's made 1,600 citizen contacts and issued 265 citations, 215 arrest warrants and 80 personal recognizance bonds. The team has also responded to more than 50 calls for service; recovered eight stolen vehicles, over $20,000 in stolen merchandise and one stolen gun; and made several seizures of narcotics.

The team has made a significant impact on addressing shoplifting, Noeller said.

Last year also saw the creation of community service officers who handle calls for service and follow-ups that a sworn officer is not required for, which frees up other officers for more pressing matters. The department currently has four CSOs with two more set to be hired this year.

While auto theft continued to rise in 2022, Pueblo PD detectives saw major successes in partnerships with other area law enforcement agencies through the Beating Auto Theft Through Law Enforcement (BATTLE) group, which conducted 22 operations, leading to more than 70 stolen vehicles recovered, 42 arrests, and 26 people charged with vehicle theft.

The police department also partnered in 2022 with federal agencies to prosecute federal crime, including a Racketeering and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) case against the ACE gang in Pueblo.

"The steps we have taken over 2022 — DICE, CSOs, BATTLE, and other initiatives — have provided officers the tools to be more proactive," he said.

Police are also making efforts, including creating a recruiter position in December, to address ongoing staffing issues, but Noeller said the department has not established a timeline for when its staffing might be back at full strength.

Pueblo's criminal justice system:Pueblo election tampering case bound for competency court

Lucero said he's excited about the new county jail, which is expected to be completed in 2024 and will give the county a better facility to hold its offenders.

He said Pueblo County needs to address substance abuse issues and mental illness, and to that end, will work to create a program that addresses the roots of the issue to reduce recidivism and help residents avoid jail time in the future.

Major Brian Lyons of Colorado State Patrol also spoke during the press conference and noted there was a marked increase in drunk driving and fatality accidents in Pueblo County throughout 2022.

"Last year we saw a 26% increase in lives lost (due to traffic crashes) in Pueblo County," Lyons said. "In addition, we're seeing an increased DUI or impaired-driving crash problem."

In response, he said, the state highway patrol aims to institute more "traffic missions," both through increased enforcement and community education via community organizations and schools.

"In the end, our ultimate goal is to save lives," he said. "That's our mission, that's our goal. We will not falter this year in driving that number down, because unfortunately, in 2022, we saw a significant increase in lives lost over the state of Colorado with over 700 lives lost."

Questions, comments, or story tips? Contact Justin at jreutterma@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter @jayreutter1.

This article originally appeared on The Pueblo Chieftain: Pueblo police chief, sheriff discuss plans to address rising crime