As of 2024, there has been an almost 19% decrease in crime in Northeast Park Hill compared to last year. This has been the case in part due to the District Two police department cracking down on crime, and neighbors living in Park Hill coming together to report any crime they have seen.
“In general, I feel safe,” said Rhonda Johnson, a Denver native who grew up in Park Hill. She recently moved back to the neighborhood in 2021 after living in New Mexico for 32 years. But recently there was an incident at Johnson’s home involving her license plate being stolen while trimming the hedges of her bushes.
“You’re kidding me!” Johnson said when she noticed it missing. Shortly after, Johnson filed a police report with the Denver Police Department and uploaded her comments onto the NextDoor app, where she informed her neighbors to be cautious. She also stated that the Denver Police Department had been helpful in handling her situation.
According to the city of Denver’s website of crime, so far there have been 52 filed reports to the Denver Police about auto theft and another 52 filed reports for theft from motor vehicles in the north Park Hill neighborhood. This is a 15% increase in auto theft but a 31% decrease in theft from motor vehicles since 2023.
Another Park Hill resident had a similar experience to Johnson’s, having her car broken into and her plates stolen years ago. “I’ve had my car and garage broken into,” said Robyn Walters after moving to Park Hill with her family back in 2007.
Although these incidents have occurred to some residents in the area, the question arises. Do residents in the greater area of Park Hill feel safe? A person who goes by Different_Angle4478 asked a question on Reddit about 10 months ago asking residents who live in Park Hill if it was safe to move to.
“I don’t think you really have much to worry about,” wrote runthebrews who claimed to have been living in Park Hill for over a decade. “The neighborhood has changed a lot since I first moved in. I walk my dog through Skyland Park on a daily basis, and it’s always a quiet pleasant time with families playing on the playground. I’ve never had any issues with any break-ins or violence.”
Orcman84 from Reddit also commented on their experiences. “I’ve lived in the area for seven years with my partner and our child,” said Orcman84. “Have heard gunshots, including a few across the street. I’ve never felt unsafe in this neighborhood. My partner feels the same. We’ve also never been inside the Horizon Lounge [a nearby restaurant], but yes, they do have police tape up on a monthly basis. Hasn’t stopped us from bringing our kid to the playground.”
The decrease in crime in the greater area of Park Hill can be credited to Denver Police and its community members. District Two Commander Carlos Aragon and Lieutenant James Costigan, say their team has been trying to lower the crimes of opportunity in Park Hill.
“We do a lot of outreach with the community, that’s important to build those bridges; those partnerships with the community,” Costigan said. “Number one, they feel safe and also, they are trusting of us to take their information and do the right thing with it.”
Costigan’s and his team has been doing a lot of work on a day-to-day basis like youth outreach in middle schools and high schools in Park Hill and holding accountability classes to teach the youth the consequences they could face if they were involved in committing a crime. Costigan also said that they have sent out countless documents and information over social media to people about preventative steps on how to limit crime occurring.
Another tactic District Two police have been doing to lower the crime rate is patrolling in vehicles and on foot. Officer Jones and Sophia Sanchez, who patrol in Park Hill said that officer presence is key. They also patrol at night to decrease the chances of crime happening when residents are asleep.
In addition to these tactics, Commander Aragon also said that there are “no secrets” in District 2. They have been completely transparent with the community and hold Community Advisor Board (CAB) meetings to inform residents and bring communities together to show what the police have done to decrease crime and answer questions and concerns residents have.
Furthermore, Commander Aragon said that they send out emails to community members about patterns and trends that are happening around the neighborhoods as well as offer suggestions to prevent crime from taking place.
In terms of community efforts to combat crime, neighborhood watch programs and mutual information have proven to be effective in reducing property crime.
“My neighbors all band together and stand up for each other, and that’s community,” Walters said. “For the most part, we are a pretty chill neighborhood that understands our problems are largely citywide issues not specific to our neighborhood.”
Johnson and others have also stated that they work together to look out for one another and keep each other updated when something happens. They usethe NextDoor app, which shares people’s stories and comments from their neighborhood. There are also Facebook pages that have been created by Park Hill residents to keep each other informed about their community.
According to Niche, North Park Hill is the number one neighborhood to live in Denver. Many reviews have been left on Niche’s website from residents stating that moving to North Park Hill has been very easy and they feel very safe and comfortable living in that area.
“Lived here for 6 years and love it,” said Separate-Republic-69 on Reddit. “Over a decade ago The Holly was full of gangs and drugs, these days it’s full of kids and pleasant people.”
If you know anyone who needs to report a crime, contact the Denver Police Department at 720-913-6010.
