Adult Arrests

Date posted: 07/20/2009

The data presented represent the rate or number of adults arrested, not the number/rate of offenses committed. Individuals are reported in the month and year they are arrested, rather than the date the crime was committed. Several adults can be arrested for the same offense, or one adult can be arrested on multiple offenses, in which case the arrest would be counted only once for the most serious offense.

Rates are based on the adult population in Larimer and Jackson counties (8th Judicial District). All Loveland Police Department (LVPD) rates and numbers from 2003 are estimates based on extrapolations from four months of data the agency submitted to the Colorado Bureau of Investigation. Categories of arrests are:

• Crimes Against Persons: Murder; Manslaughter; Forcible Rape; Robbery; Felony and Simple Assault; Other Sex Offenses; and Crimes against Family and Children

• Fraud/Property Crimes: Burglary; Larceny; Theft; Motor Vehicle Theft; Arson; Forgery and Counterfeiting; Fraud; Embezzlement, Buying/Receiving/ Possessing Stolen Property; and Vandalism

• Alcohol & Drug Offenses: DUI; Liquor Law Violations; Drunk and Disorderly; Manufacture, Sale, Possession, Distribution, and Cultivation of Illegal Drugs/Narcotics

• 'Other' crimes: Weapons Violation; Prostitution; Gambling; Vagrancy; Curfew and Loitering Violations; Runaways; and Other Violations (not including traffic)

What this chart shows: Total Adult Arrest Rate - 8th Judicial District, 1999 - 2008

Data Source: Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI)

See data table

What this chart shows: Adult Arrest Rate by Category of Crime - 8th Judicial District, 2004 - 2008

Data Source: Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI)

See data table

What this chart shows: Adult Alcohol and Drug Arrest Rate - 8th Judicial District, 2004 - 2008

Data Source: Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI)

See data table

What this chart shows: Adult Narcotic Arrests - 8th Judicial District, 1999 - 2008

Data Source: Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI)

See data table

What these data tell us:

In 2008, the rate of total adult arrests in the 8th Judicial District (48.9 per 1,000 adults) was slightly higher (5.2%) than the previous year (46.5 per 1,000 adults). All four of the categories of crime, 'Crimes Against Persons', 'Property/Fraud', 'Alcohol/Drug' and 'Other' declined overall from 2004 through 2008. The category with the largest decline (22.2%) during this five-year period, 'Property/Fraud', was also the category that saw the largest increase (14.5%) between 2007 and 2008.

The number of adult narcotic arrests increased 73% between 1999 and 2008. During this same period, the total number of arrests in the District increased 241.1%, placing a corresponding strain on the resources of the criminal justice system. Local law enforcement, the District Attorney's Office, and Detention Center resources have not increased proportionally to population growth in the 8^th Judicial District. The number of arrests would need to decrease significantly before any relief would be felt across the criminal justice system.

Additionally, any changes in the types of arrests, such as the increase in methamphetamine-related arrests, can place a disproportionate strain on local resources.

Alcohol/Drug - Narcotics - Methamphetamine: As noted above, from 1999 to 2008, the total number of arrests increased 241.4%. However, a significant trend is evident when types of arrests are examined. A major increase in local use and distribution of methamphetamine (meth) resulted in a corresponding surge in 'Narcotics' arrests between 1999 and 2004.

In the 8th Judicial District, the total number of 'Narcotics' arrests more than doubled (118% increase) between 1999 and 2004. Most local law enforcement agencies reported significant increases in 'Narcotics' arrests during this same time, including: the Fort Collins Police Department (67%), the Larimer County Sheriff's Office (284%) and the Loveland Police Department (256%). Meth arrests can involve lengthy investigations and associated risks such as offenders' possession of multiple weapons in addition to meth charges. These factors necessitate an exponential increase in the use of law enforcement, pretrial detention space and court resources, as compared to other arrests. In other words, an increase in meth arrests causes a disproportionate use of criminal justice resources.

Arrest data, while an important indicator of increases or decreases in local drug use, should be considered in conjunction with other markers for a more complete picture. Additional measures of meth use can be found on Compass, including:

• Charges filed by the District Attorney's Office were clearly affected by the increased presence of meth. From 1999 to 2005, the number of drug charges filed against adults in District Court grew by 198%.
• In 2005, almost 50% of Larimer County residents participating in substance abuse treatment, for drugs other than alcohol, were there primarily for 'meth/other amphetamine' abuse. From 2003 to 2005, meth treatment admissions for Larimer County residents more than doubled. See Substance Abuse Treatment for more meth treatment data.
• In Larimer County, from February to July 2004, an estimated 154 child protection referrals were meth-related; these are cases in which abuse or neglect was reported. A report created by the Larimer County Division of Health & Human Services (HHS), Methamphetamine Use in Larimer County, contains additional information on the social and economic costs of local meth use.
• A second HHS report developed for criminal justice planners, 'Larimer County Pretrial Services: Recommendations for Program Improvement' (April 2004), found that 44% of pretrial defendants held at the Larimer County Detention Center (inmates who are awaiting sentencing) either had meth charges and/or admitted to use prior to arrest.

Additional Information:

• Definition of Methamphetamine (meth) - A powerful illegal stimulant that activates certain systems in the brain. This substance is closely related chemically to amphetamine, but the central nervous system effects of methamphetamine are greater. (From www.streetdrugs.org - Partners in Training and Education).

On Compass -

• Adult Abuse
• Adult Alcohol Use
• Alternative Sentencing Unit
• Charges Filed by the District Attorney's Office
• Child Abuse
• Domestic Violence
• Detention Center Population & Capacity
• Juvenile Arrests
• Probation Supervision - Adults & Juveniles
• Public Safety
• Substance Abuse Treatment
• Transient Persons at Larimer County Detention Center
• Youth Alcohol, Tobacco & Other Drug Use

Outside Compass -

• Berthoud Police Department
• Colorado State University Police Department
• Estes Park Police Department
• Fort Collins Police Department
• Jackson County Sheriff's Office
• Larimer County Sheriff's Office
• Loveland Police Department

Industry Standards or Targets:

Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Uniform Crime Reports - National Data

Data Tables:

Number & Rate of Adult Arrests - 8th Judicial District

	Berthoud Police Dept.	C.S.U. Police Dept.	Estes Park Police Dept.	Ft. Collins Police Dept.	Jackson County S.O.	Larimer County S.O.	Loveland Police Dept.	Larimer & Jackson Co. Total Arrests	Larimer & Jackson Co. Adult Population	Total Arrests Rate
1999	35	594	224	6,144	44	1,806	1,002	9,849	188,552	50.7
2000	18	706	205	6,622	46	1,952	2,065	11,614	194,265	57.8
2001	30	649	244	4,979	50	2,489	2,474	10,915	200,847	53.1
2002	61	794	218	5,793	26	2,416	2,411	11,719	205,618	56.3
2003	44	742	161	6,588	25	2,709	2,871	13,140	208,118	52.8
2004	47	520	180	6,313	48	2,596	2,671	12,375	212,597	57.4
2005	62	793	217	4,202	32	2,293	2,880	10,479	215,602	47.5
2006	43	782	171	4,648	10	2,110	3,118	10,882	220,560	48.1
2007	41	664	152	4,333	11	2,169	3,399	10,769	226,018	46.5
2008	66	948	187	4,371	18	2,313	3,421	11,324	231,465	48.9

See chart

Number & Rate of Adult Arrests by Category - 8th Judicial District

	Crimes Against Persons	Rate of Crimes Against Persons	Property/ Fraud Crimes	Rate of Property/ Fraud	Alcohol & Drug Offenses	Rate of Alcohol/ Drug	Other	Rate of Other
1999	870	4.7	1,612	8.5	4,744	25.2	2,603	13.8
2000	1,223	6.3	1,942	10.0	5,121	26.4	3,318	17.1
2001	1,210	6.1	1,571	7.8	5,292	26.3	2,834	14.1
2002	1,373	6.7	1,870	9.1	5,487	26.7	2,989	14.5
2003	1,347	6.5	1,790	8.6	6,295	30.1	3,708	17.8
2004	1,145	5.4	1,731	8.1	5,833	27.4	3,666	17.2
2005	947	4.4	1,389	6.4	4,265	19.8	3,878	18.0
2006	1,075	4.9	1,225	5.6	4,829	21.9	3,753	17.0
2007	1,120	5.0	1,237	5.5	5,046	22.3	3,366	14.9
2008	1,092	4.7	1,461	6.3	5,216	22.5	3,555	15.4

See chart

Number & Rate of Adult Alcohol/Drug Arrests - 8th Judicial District

	Narcotic Drug Laws	Rate of Narcotic Drug Laws	DUI	Rate of DUI	Liquor Laws	Rate of Liquor Laws	Disorderly Conduct	Rate of Disorderly Conduct
1999	493	2.6	1,917	10.2	1,060	5.6	1,274	6.8
2000	529	2.7	1,837	9.5	1,432	7.4	1,323	638
2001	618	3.1	2,243	11.2	1,190	5.9	1,241	6.2
2002	667	3.2	2,262	11.0	1,153	5.6	1,405	6.8
2003	997	4.8	2,450	11.8	1,298	6.2	1,550	7.4
2004	1,073	5.0	2,115	9.9	1,108	5.2	1,537	7.2
2005	781	3.6	1,963	9.1	984	4.6	537	2.5
2006	740	3.4	1,933	8.8	1,216	5.5	940	4.3
2007	790	3.5	2,109	9.3	1,167	5.2	985	4.3
2008	853	3.7	2,154	9.3	1,204	5.2	1,005	4.3

See charts - Alcohol/Drug, Narcotics Arrests

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