Aurora police tout crime decrease, promise to stay vigilant.

While trumpeting their success in driving down major crimes during the first six months of 2008, Aurora police know there's still work to be done.

According to statistics released this week, the city's violent crimes, including murder, criminal sexual assault, robbery and aggravated assault or battery are down by 67 cases, or 15.6 percent, compared to the first six months of 2007.

Most notably, according to Chief Greg Thomas, is that Aurora has not had a murder in 2008. By June 30, 2007, the city already had seven murders.

Thomas said the department's commitment to reduce shootings is largely responsible for the drop. As of June 30, there were 48 reported shootings in Aurora, a 29.4 percent decrease over the first six months of 2007.

"Our officers are keeping more guns off the streets and working harder to reduce those shootings," Thomas said Monday. "Of course shot placement and medical advances have helped keep some of the shootings we have had from becoming murders, but we're working hard to get those numbers down."

Police also have investigated 19 fewer robberies for a decrease of about 24 percent.

"Our officers are using a lot more computer-generated stats to get a better look at the patterns of violence and that helps put them where we need more police presence," Thomas said. "Our officers are also making a lot more traffic stops and hopefully they're getting more (warrant arrests) as well as traffic violations to keep the bad guys off the streets."

Police are concerned, however, that as of June 30, they had 33 criminal sexual assaults reported, the same as in 2007, but 12 less than in 2003.

"We have meetings every Tuesday to discuss our strategies when it comes to preventing violent crimes and the criminal sexual assault is one we spend a lot of time on," Thomas said. "That's a tough one to answer other than that our officers are keeping their eyes open and doing everything they can to be seen in the community."

The property crime categories of burglary, theft, motor vehicle theft and arson also dipped 3.5 percent. The only increase in those categories was in arson, which went from nine in the first six months of 2007 to 17 this year, an increase of 88.9 percent.

"That's a large increase, yet it's only eight more and the arson numbers can be deceiving, especially since most of these are car fires," Thomas said. "As times get tougher and tougher we see more folks trying to get out from under that payment."

The latest numbers come on the heels of 2007 statistics which showed the lowest number of reported crimes in Aurora in 22 years. Overall, Thomas credited the diligence of his officers, partnerships with federal authorities as well as state and county law enforcement agencies and increased community awareness with the drop.

"Those are the best tools we have to keep Aurora a safe place to work and live," he said. "But we can't sit back on these numbers. We need to continue to be vigilant."