Lakewood says penny tax puts dent in crime

Extra millions credited with 17 percent decline

By John C. Ensslin, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Published June 10, 2008 at 12:05 a.m.

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Photo by Preston Gannaway / The Rocky

Students listen during youth police academy class Monday in Lakewood. Funded by a 2005 tax increase, Lakewood officers work closely with five high schools and two middle schools.

Police officials say a penny helped put a dent in the city's crime rate.

They credited a November 2005 voter-approved 1 cent sales tax increase with bolstering the department's overall strength by 30 officers and restoring police services such as a gang unit, school resource officers and a special enforcement unit.

The tax increase raised an additional $16.3 million for public safety, parks, recreation and streets.

Police spokesman Steve Davis said those restored resources may have been a contributing factor in a 17 percent drop in the city's overall crime rate.

"One of the first things that comes to mind is that we've been able to bring in some police academy classes that we're previous postponed due to budget constraints," Davis said.

As a result, Lakewood now has 230 officers.

The number had been allowed to dwindle to about 200 through attrition, he said.

Crime was down overall in Colorado, and Lakewood's decrease was not the biggest. Reported crime dropped 21 percent in Westminster and 18 percent in Arvada.

But officials in Westminster, where there was no comparable sales tax increase, could not explain the decreased crime.

"I know we're doing a good job, but I can't attribute that (decrease) to a single program," said Deputy Chief Mike Cressman.

In Arvada, police spokeswoman Susan Medina said a new program that helps analyze crime maps and statistics might have contributed to some of the decrease in property crimes, but certainly not all of it.

In Lakewood, a municipal budget crunch in 2004 led the department to disband its gang, special enforcement and school resource units and put those officers back on patrol.

But by early 2007, officers like John Hunt were back at their specialized assignment.

Hunt is a school resource officer at Bear Creek High School.

He is one of seven-full time officers at five high schools and two middle schools in the city.

Those officers perform a variety of duties that went undone during the budget crunch, including staging a mock traffic accident with bloodied actors in front of one high school the week before the prom, picking up juveniles with arrest warrants and developing intelligence on juvenile crime.

Much of that information dried up while officers were not stationed in the schools, Hunt said.

One example occurred Monday.

Hunt helped two other officers arrest a teen wanted for probation violations in cases involving gun and drug charges.

The arrest went without incident.

"The kid knew me by name," Hunt said.

"There was a certain level of familiarity and comfort, even though we were in an uncomfortable situation."

ensslinj@RockyMountainNews.com or 303-954-5291

• June 10, 2008

  8:37 a.m.

  Suggest removal

  Doug4CityCouncil writes:

  Too bad they didn't spend that money on critical thinking classes. Let me get this straight. We tax you more and crime drops less than in surrounding neighborhoods that didn't increase taxes. Therefore more tax must lead to less crime? That's so ridiculous that it must be a propoganda press release from the city council looking to rob you some more.

• June 10, 2008

  9:25 a.m.

  Suggest removal

  sheepherder writes:

  UH...no Doug. The taxes allowed for an additional 30 cops on the streets. I really hope you arent running for city council...you arent up to the task...

• June 10, 2008

  10:32 a.m.

  Suggest removal

  LingLingfor_prez writes:

  A penny a day keeps the perp away.

• June 10, 2008

  11:06 a.m.

  Suggest removal

  theairdog writes:

  Maybe Doug should take some classes in "Critical Reading".

• June 10, 2008

  4:38 p.m.

  Suggest removal

  happymike44 writes:

  Wow so if we tax everyone a 100.00 dollars a month then maybe we could give the criminals the extra money to live in another community.
  I know I feel better knowing that the only way to solve a problem is to throw money at it.
  Problem better and then everyone is taxed for it and I know many people will feel better with illusion of less crime.
  But did it really solve the problem ask yourself that.

• June 10, 2008

  6:14 p.m.

  Suggest removal

  sheepherder writes:

  I think a penny tax for 30 new coppers is well worth it. Get it...coppers...penny...I think I need professional help.

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