Criminal justice needs legislative attention this session. Fortunately, the big items are easy fixes, or the next iterations of previous attempts to make Colorado a safer, more just state for all.

Three items alone would go a long way: prioritize crime victims; study how permissive policy changes have contributed to rising crime, and substance misuse.

The Common Sense Institute in November released a November Crime Update and spotlighted data from the FBI that showed Colorado is bucking the trend nationally – violent crime is up in our great state.

Colorado crime rates — particularly violent crime — had already been rising as we headed into the new decade. Violent crime has risen 60% in Colorado between 2012 and 2022.

Between 2019 and 2022, only 18 U.S. states saw an increase in violent crime, according to FBI statistics. Colorado saw the highest increase nationwide. By the end of the year, Colorado had risen to the top of the nation’s crime categories, with higher rates of aggravated assault, homicide, rape, and robbery than the national average.

As of 2022, Colorado ranked fourth-highest nationally for combined property and violent crime rates according to Federal Bureau of Investigation data. Despite crime rates falling somewhat since 2021, Colorado still ranks third in property crime and eighth in violent crime. Final data for crime in 2023 is not out just yet; nonetheless, this data shows elevated violent crime levels compared to 2020.

Despite the crime rate decrease between 2021 and 2022, the state’s crime rates still outpace the nation’s and neighboring states’. Colorado’s crime rate is higher 56% higher than for the U.S. overall, and it is higher than seven of its neighboring states. Only in New Mexico is the crime rate higher than Colorado’s.

Consider three steps our state’s policymakers can take.

First, we need to take care of crime victims, particularly since 55% of violent crimes went unsolved in 2022. However, the United States Congress has not fixed a significant funding issue related to Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) funding, potentially resulting in 60% funding cuts to our Colorado providers. In real terms, this means as victimization rises in Colorado, the number of victim advocates and services will plummet or even disappear in our rural and underserved communities. Our state legislature needs to step up and fund victim services so we can help traumatized victims and, in some cases, stop cycles of violence.

Second, the Legislature should address the deadly consequences of HB19-1263, which defelonized possession of certain amounts of drugs including heroin, cocaine, methamphetamine, and fentanyl. Fentanyl and methamphetamine deaths have skyrocketed since this bill passed. The legislature may have tried to fine-tune with a 2022 bill which made specific amounts of fentanyl a felony, but the effects have yet to be seen.

Oregon decriminalized all drug possession in 2020, and lawmakers are already considering reinstating the old penalties for possession. They are being compassionate, not punitive. Oregon’s and Colorado’s 2020 laws intended to get more people into treatment, but in the absence of a real penalty that never materialized. Instead, thousands have died.

This has gutted effective programs like drug court and law enforcement assisted diversion. Bring back consequences for offenders that can be used as leverage to get individuals into treatment.

Third, along with the need to improve access to data, we need a system-wide review to create a criminal justice system that works. This includes data and information systems that talk to each other, but it also includes greater transparency around the cases prosecutors take on as they work toward conviction. Accountability is proven to be the greatest crime deterrent. Currently, the feeling of being held accountable is no longer present.

We need to know not only how police are doing their jobs but how the courts are doing theirs. Unless we understand how criminals fall through the cracks and keep committing crimes, we won’t know what to fix.

As we near the midway point of the legislative session, I encourage our lawmakers to consider these ideas and work together to make Colorado a safer place to live, work, and thrive.

Paul Pazen is a former Denver police chief and a Common Sense Institute public safety fellow.