(COLORADO SPRINGS) — A new report reveals that homicide rates in Colorado Springs have declined since 2024, but the drop offers little comfort to one local family still seeking justice after losing a loved one in the city’s first homicide of 2025.
The report comes from the Council on Criminal Justice (CCJ), a nonpartisan group that studies criminal justice issues and works to find common-sense solutions to improve safety. They looked at trends in 13 types of crime across 42 U.S. cities, including Colorado Springs, Denver, and Aurora.
According to CCJ, in Colorado Springs, homicides declined 1% from mid-year 2024 to mid-year 2025, but remain 94% higher than mid-year 2019. However, the city saw a 56% increase in homicides from 2023 to 2024. Meanwhile, motor vehicle theft declined 37% from mid-year 2024 to mid-year 2025, and remained 16% lower than mid-year 2019.
In Denver, homicides declined 45% from mid-year 2024 to mid-year 2025, and remained 31% lower than mid-year 2019. Motor vehicle theft declined 37%, but 7% higher than mid-year 2019.
In Aurora, motor vehicle theft declined 43% from mid-year 2024 to mid-year 2025, and remained 10% lower than mid-year 2019. The report did not provide information on homicides in Aurora.
“These trends are promising, especially the drop in homicide rates, but much of the decrease in the national homicide rate continues to be driven by large declines in a handful of cities with high homicide levels,” said Ernesto Lopez, CCJ Senior Researcher and co-author of the report. “More than half of the cities we studied continue to experience higher homicide levels compared to levels seen prior to the pandemic. While we should continue to invest in evidence-based crime reduction strategies, we must also be cautious about claiming what is currently reducing crime without more rigorous evidence.”
In 2023, the Colorado Springs Police Department (CSPD) cleared 60% of homicide cases, according to Pikes Peak United Way. While information hasn’t been updated since then, a local family continues to search for answers six months after their loved one was killed.
According to CSPD, on Jan. 1, just after 12:30 a.m., officers responded to the 5800 block of Oakwood Boulevard near Templeton Gap Road and North Powers Boulevard on reports of a shooting. When officers arrived, they found Andrea Martinez had been shot to death.
A balloon release was held on July 1 in Palmer Park for Martinez, a barber who was killed on New Year’s Day.
“For me, it’s a lot of emotions,” said David Martinez, Andrea’s dad. “It’s very hard, but I love her and I miss her. She didn’t deserve this, not by any means.”
As of July, no arrests have been made in the case.
FOX21 will update this article with more input from David Martinez, Andrea’s dad, after getting his reaction to the latest CCJ crime report.
