Recent data from the Colorado Bureau of Investigation found that crime is mixed in Boulder.
and are down, but remains on the rise.
Boulder Reporting Lab reporter John Herrick joined KUNC's Michael Lyle, Jr. .
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Herrick said that while the subject of a person's mental health status should not be viewed as the lone reason crimes are happening, there are signs of it being a contributing factor.
"One way to explain this is that people who don't have their needs met are probably more prone to commit certain crimes," said Herrick. "We know that here in Boulder, as well as the rest of state and country, for that matter, access to mental health care is just not adequate. I'm sure there are many people who know of instances in which someone who maybe has an untreated mental health issue, maybe shouting, depending on what is said that could be considered a misdemeanor assault."
Herrick said there were some positive signs that there has been improvement in crime rates.
'Certain property crimes are going down," said Herrick. "Burglary, shoplifting, theft of motor vehicle parts, bike thefts have also started to drop off. And those were those are things that saw a spike during the pandemic. And they started to taper off."
Herrick added that local authorities continue to work heavily in helping to keep crime rates down.
"(Police) has been talking to businesses like Circle K about trying to make it harder to steal alcohol," said Herrick. "They've been talking to RTD about putting up cameras and doing patrols to discourage people from stealing car parts. And some community members have been hosting bike theft awareness expos, giving out bike locks and show people how to use them."
Herrick noted that the data collected by the bureau is based on information provided by law enforcement agencies, with much of it dating back to 2010.
