Local leaders, law enforcement say legislations bills for criminals are too lenient - KKTV 11 News
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KKTV) - The gavel will drop on Colorado’s Legislative Session in just two days and lawmakers prepare to head to Denver to form policy. Local leaders and law enforcement are calling on them to crack down on crime.
Today, the District Attorney, El Paso County Sheriff, Colorado Springs Police Chief and the Mayor shared their concerns. They say lawmakers have already passed bills that are too lenient on criminals and re-offenders.
Starting on March 1st, District Attorney Michael Allen says a new law takes effect that will change many felonies into misdemeanors. Allen says this means the maximum sentence a criminal may face in cases of domestic violence, repeated thefts and some gun crimes is 364 days in jail. This is a full year shorter than current law.
Law enforcement has shared these statistics with us from over the last year. Aggravated assault has risen by almost 48%, property crimes by 6% and violent crime by over 23%. Colorado Springs Police say motor vehicle thefts have increased by 23%. This means over 2,800 people have had their cars stolen in the past year.
The Sheriff’s Office says the increase in crime has led to their department losing 62 deputies last year, violent assaults in the jail tripling and deputies being assaulted on a daily basis. Deputy Chief Adrian Vasquez says this is sending the wrong message to those victimized by criminals.
“The message that is being sent tells a criminal that their crimes are not worth being held accountable for,” said Deputy Chief Vasquez. “More importantly, it tells the victim that what happened to them it’s not a big deal.”>
Leaders are asking the public to reach out to lawmakers to create new laws to hold criminals accountable for their actions and more protection for law enforcement.
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source: https://www.kktv.com/2022/01/11/local-leaders-law-enforcement-say-legislations-bills-criminals-are-too-lenient/
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