Adult Arrests

Date posted: 07/16/2008

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, 1998 - 2007

Data Source: Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI)

See data table

What this chart shows: Adult Arrests Rate by Category of Crime - 8th Judicial District, 2003 - 2007

Data Source: Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI)

See data table

What this chart shows: Adult Alcohol and Drug Arrest Rate - 8th Judicial District, 2003 - 2007

Data Source: Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI)

See data table

What this chart shows: Adult Narcotic Arrests - 8th Judicial District, 2001 - 2007

Data Source: Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI)

See data table

What these data tell us:

In 2007, the rate of total adult arrests in the 8th Judicial District (48.8 per 1,000 adults) decreased from the previous year (50.2 per 1,000 adults). Three of the four categories of crime, 'Crimes Against Persons', 'Property/Fraud', and 'Other' were relatively stable from 2003 to 2007. The 'Alcohol/Drug' rate began to decrease from 2003 to 2005 and has increased since then to 22.9 per 1,000 adults in 2007. The overall 'Alcohol/Drug' trend reflected the local trend in Narcotic Drug Law violations through 2004 (see Narcotics - Methamphetamine for additional information).

The number of Adult Narcotic arrests decreased slightly (5%) between 2003 and 2007. During this same period, the number of arrests has remained relatively stable, 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. The recent increase in 'Average Length of Stay' for defendants housed at the Larimer County Detention Center (LCDC) is partially a reflection of this phenomenon. The length of stay increased from 13.4 days in 2001, to 16.5 days in 2007. This represents a 14.3% potential loss of capacity to house defendants, or 2,061 fewer defendants who could be housed at LCDC in 2007.

Alcohol/Drug - Narcotics - Methamphetamine: As noted above, from 2003 to 2007, the total number of local arrests decreased 5%. 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 up to 2004 by local law enforcement agencies.

In the 8th Judicial District, the total number of 'Narcotics' arrests more than doubled (118% increase) from 1999 to 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 as well as meth charges. These factors necessitate an exponential increase in the use of law enforcement, pretrial detention space and court resources for these cases, 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 Crisis 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
• Jail 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
1995	25	654	321	8,191	0	1,421	1,877	12,489	168,479	74.1
1996	2	760	275	8,636	7	1,594	1,868	13,142	173,074	75.9
1997	1	529	307	7,490	29	1,769	1,832	11,957	177,654	67.3
1998	15	655	222	7,361	14	1,945	1,632	11,844	182,785	64.8
1999	35	594	224	6,144	44	1,806	1,002	9,849	188,552	52.2
2000	18	706	205	6,622	46	1,952	2,065	11,614	194,265	59.8
2001	30	649	244	4,979	50	2,489	2,474	10,915	199,645	54.5
2002	61	794	218	5,793	26	2,416	2,411	11,719	203,522	57.6
2003	44	742	161	6,588	25	2,709	2,871	13,140	205,492	63.9
2004	47	520	180	6,313	48	2,596	2,671	12,375	208,963	59.2
2005	62	793	217	4,202	32	2,293	2,880	10,479	211,898	49.4
2006	43	782	171	4,648	10	2,110	3,118	10,882	216,887	50.2
2007	41	664	152	4,333	11	2,169	3,399	10,769	220,796	48.8

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
1995	1,034	6.1	2,704	16.0	5,817	34.5	2,934	17.4
1996	1,039	6.0	2,865	16.6	5,872	33.9	3,366	19.4
1997	953	5.4	2,635	14.8	5,248	29.5	3,114	17.5
1998	1,024	5.6	2,312	12.6	4,960	27.1	3,546	19.4
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	26.4	2,834	14.2
2002	1,373	6.7	1,870	9.2	5,487	27.0	2,989	14.7
2003	1,347	6.6	1,790	8.7	6,295	30.6	3,708	18.0
2004	1,145	5.5	1,731	8.3	5,833	27.9	3,666	17.5
2005	947	4.5	1,389	6.6	4,265	20.1	3,878	18.3
2006	1,075	5.0	1,225	5.6	4,829	22.3	3,753	17.3
2007	1,120	5.1	1,237	5.6	5,046	22.9	3,366	15.2

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
1995	319	1.9	2,256	13.4	1,918	11.4	1,324	1,324
1996	396	2.3	1,922	11.1	2,260	13.1	1,294	1,294
1997	518	2.9	1,942	10.9	1,520	8.6	1,268	1,268
1998	426	2.3	1,977	10.8	1,240	6.8	1,317	1,317
1999	493	2.6	1,917	10.2	1,060	5.6	1,274	1,274
2000	529	2.7	1,837	9.5	1,432	7.4	1,323	1,323
2001	618	3.1	2,243	11.2	1,190	5.9	1,241	1,241
2002	667	3.3	2,262	11.1	1,153	5.7	1,405	1,405
2003	997	4.9	2,450	11.9	1,298	6.3	1,550	1,550
2004	1,073	5.1	2,115	10.1	1,108	5.3	1,537	1,537
2005	781	3.7	1,963	9.3	984	4.6	537	537
2006	740	3.4	1,933	8.9	1,216	5.6	940	940
2007	790	3.6	2,109	9.6	1,167	5.3	985	985

See charts - Alcohol/Drug, Narcotics Arrests

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