GPD Annual Report: Violent crime down 12% last year in Greeley ...Saudi Arabia

Greeley experienced a 14% reduction in Part 1 crimes in 2024, according to the Greeley Police Department’s Annual Report, reducing the most severe crimes at a higher clip than state average in nearly every category.

Part 1 crimes — the most serious offenses that are likely to be reported to law enforcement — are broken into two categories: violent crimes (murder, rape, aggravated assault, robbery) and property crimes (burglary, arson, theft and motor vehicle theft).

Violent crime was down 11.97% (827 to 728) from 2023 in Greeley, and property crimes were down 14.49% (3,849 to 3,291) from 2023, according to the report, totaling a 14.05% decrease in all Part 1 crimes.

“Kudos to our people,” Police Chief Adam Turk said. “Because I think that is a tribute to our sworn and professional non-sworn staff for buckling down and working hard to prevent those crimes.”

Murder was the only one to increase in 2024. Greeley police investigated six murders last year, opposed to five in 2023.

Statewide, violent crime was reduced by just less than 1% (31,469 to 31,177) and property crime was reduced by 9.56% — totaling an 8.43% decrease in all Part 1 crimes, according to Colorado crime statistics.

The state, however, did not have arson statistics available. Greeley saw a slight decrease in arson last year, with 26 cases opposed to 29 in 2023.

Motor vehicle theft — which hit Greeley and Northern Colorado especially hard as national numbers swelled following the COVID-19 pandemic — is on the decline in the city for the second straight year.

After a 112% increase from 2021 (569) to 2022 (1,209), motor vehicle thefts dropped by 53% in Greeley the past two years, down to 564 in 2024. That follows, but exceeds, the 35% drop in motor vehicle thefts statewide in the same period.

Greeley police also consistently cleared a higher percentage of Part 1 cases than the state average. Excluding motor vehicle thefts — which counts both attempted and completed thefts, making the clearance rate tricky — Greeley police cleared 51.23% of violent crime (43.81% statewide) and 23.64% of property crimes (19.9% statewide).

A case is typically cleared through police making an arrest, but it can also happen through less common circumstances such as if the victim no longer wishes to press charges or the offender dies — though the exact method can vary agency to agency and does not factor in if suspects are later proven innocent during trial or cleared of the charges in another way. This makes clearance rates difficult to compare.

In total, Greeley police cleared above statewide rates in all but two Part 1 crimes: rape and theft. In both cases, Greeley’s clearance rate was less than 2% below the state average.

“Given the turnover and the fact that folks aren’t beating the doors down to be law enforcement officers like they once were, I think our department’s done a really good job and I’m proud,” Mayor John Gates said.

Addressing that turnover was a goal for the department last year — though turnover is neither new to the department nor unique to Greeley. Since 2018 — the first report that is publicly accessible as well as Turk’s first year as a deputy chief — recruiting and retention has been an annual goal, and it continues to be one this year.

Turk believes the department’s continued efforts to retain officers is finally starting to bear fruit. The turnover rate in the department dropped to 8.1% in 2024, down from 11.2% the year prior. At a department of Greeley’s size — which employs roughly 160 sworn officers when fully staffed — that means holding on to five more officers who may have bolted for greener pastures in years past.

“We’re actually over-hired right now for the first time in six years with sworn officers,” Turk said. “Which better prepares us for the growth that we’re about to encounter, rather than trying to play catch-up and filling those when departments are short staffed.”

In its efforts to retain officers, Turk said the department has focused on not just what the officers need, but also what they may want.

Part of that effort included replacing 65% of the department’s patrol fleet. Turk said historically, Greeley police have replaced roughly 20% of the fleet per year to constantly keep upgrading. But after supply chain issues and last-minute order cancellations have left the department without upgrades in recent years, it was able to play a bit of catch-up in 2024.

Turk also attributed some of the retention success to what he described as “the pendulum swinging back in favor of law enforcement,” mentioning a handful of officers who have even returned to the department after getting out of law enforcement a few years ago.

While having a full staff will improve just about every operation within the department, it has been especially important in another department goal: improving traffic safety.

Though it has long been a priority, Greeley police significantly ramped up the effort on speeders in 2024. And with the rollout of two minivans equipped with speed radar technology last month, those efforts should only increase moving forward.

Last year, officers issued 1,788 speeding tickets — more than three times as many as in 2023 (555) and 125 more than the department handed out total from 2020 to 2023.

Both Turk and Commander Mike Heck, who oversees the traffic unit, said it has been a department-wide effort. And when there are more available officers — and experienced officers are worried less about training new hires — that leaves a lot more time to patrol for drivers in a hurry.

“When you’re training constantly, you don’t have time to sit and run radar for a couple hours a day during your shift,” Heck said.

A fuller staff may mean less onboarding training for the experienced officers, but they’re still spending plenty of time honing their skills.

Every sworn officer in the department — regardless of experience — went through 220 hours of in-house training in 2024. For comparison, all sworn Fort Collins police officers underwent 90 hours of training last year, according to their agency’s annual report.

“Our training unit is second to none,” Turk said. “And the value that they bring to this organization, not just in onboarding, but the ongoing training, is a testament to our professionalism and how we’re moving forward as a police department.”

Colorado Peace Officer Standards and Training requires 24 hours yearly to maintain certification.

“That minimum is not even a concern of ours. Except for maybe the police chief, because he’s in so many meetings,” Turk said with a chuckle.

Greeley police have long worked with other agencies and outside organizations. Through partnerships such as the Weld County Drug Task Force (WCDTF), Beating Automobile Theft Through Law Enforcement (BATTLE) and the Greeley Weld Bomb Squad (not an acronym, but BOOM), the department works closely with several regional partners.

But those partnerships aren’t just with other law enforcement agencies. Turk has mentioned expanded collaboration with elected and city officials take more of a comprehensive approach to keeping Greeley safe.

Even though tackling the community’s issues often means stepping forward, other times it can mean taking a step back.

“Homelessness is not solely a police issue,” Turk said. “It is a community issue. It’s community resources. It’s how you’re going to respond, the appropriateness of the response. Everyone knows to call 911. Everyone knows to call the police. But are the police the appropriate resource to send to the problem?”

Co-responder programs across the state have started to diversify how they’re handling some of those calls that police may not be best-equipped to handle. Greeley’s version of that is Squad 1 — a mobile unit first deployed in 2018 to help those who may be experiencing a mental health crisis or other problems not quite suited for officers.

“Squad 1 has been an outstanding component,” Gates said. “And we’re not alone, I think we were one of the first to do it, but many communities are now using that same component, because you’re getting the person out to assist the individual that called who’s most equipped to handle their problem. And I can assure you, if it is a mental health-related problem, the person that has the training in mental health and first aid is apt to be more successful.”

Greeley police also took a big step toward the future last year, opening the Real Time Information Center in October. The center is currently housed at Fire Station 6, 10603 W. 20th St. and is slated move to its forever home near the Greeley Police Department early next year.

Turk did not have an exact date for a move, because administrative staff from the Greeley Public Works Department are occupying the building while they search for a new office. Once they move out, the building will be renovated and the Real Time Information Center will move in.

After the move, Greeley police will be able to implement the rest of the center’s capabilities, such as software that allows them to store camera footage for 30 days and a gunshot detection system. Turk said the department also plans to move all of its existing technology — including the body camera unit and the drone unit — to the new building to create centralized technology hub.

At a community meeting in March, Turk said the center was the first to have eyes on the scene of 60% of crimes the department has responded to since the Real Time Information Center, or RTIC, launched.

But with extra eyes comes an extra level of privacy concerns from citizens. Because nobody wants Big Brother constantly watching over them.

“It’s a fine line,” Gates said. “The RTIC, I’ve been familiar with that model for years. Some people look at it as Big Brother because it involves cameras, but it also impacts significant crime.”

Gates was recently not in favor of the mobile speed vans, exactly because of that Big Brother aspect. But as a former police officer, he said he can’t argue too strongly against the early returns from either initiative.

“People see that as too much government intervention, and I tend to agree,” Gates said. “However, it was hard for me, especially with my background, to not say that those things make us safer, because they do.”

Turk said the department’s efforts to leverage technology will only expand moving forward. Next, he hopes to grow the drone program, eventually getting to the point where drones are the first responders to most calls.

“This is a dream of mine,” Turk said. “To have dock drones on every fire station.”

When a call comes in, the drone could respond and someone at the Real Time Information Center can assess what type of police — or other — response is most appropriate. Much like Squad 1, it could save the department time and resources if they aren’t sending uniformed officers to every call that may not need them, Turk said.

It could also make situations that are dangerous for both officers and civilians, such as pursuits, much safer.

“Would it be more efficient and safe to have our drones follow a car that won’t stop for us than initiating a pursuit?” Turk said. “That’s safer policing.”

Turk hopes to have funding for the drones as first responders program in the 2026 budget but is looking for grants or other opportunities to get it started in some capacity ahead of that.

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