While data shows that violent crimes are declining overall in Denver, one crime is on track to be up significantly by the end of 2025 after several years of declining cases. Cases of arson, a crime involving the willful or malicious burning of property, have been on the decline for several years in a row.
In 2025, however, a spokesperson for the Denver Fire Department said that the first quarter of the year brought more arson fire cases than the same period in the previous two years. The fire department shared the following data regarding arson in Denver:
- 2022: 129 arson fires
- 2023: 96 arson fires
- 2024: 92 arson fires
- 2025 so far (as of May 13): 34 arson fires
โIF our 2025 Q1 numbers are an indication of how the remainder of the year will go, we will be looking at 2022 numbers,โ the spokesperson wrote in an email to FOX31. The fire department said that arson fires are more common during the colder months and during the summer, so there is plenty of time for the numbers to change course before the end of the year.
Meanwhile, other crimes are down from recent years. A spokesperson for the Denver Police Department told FOX31 that homicides are down almost 60%, and overall property crime is down 34% compared to the last three years.
