Shop owners near Colfax and Havana, Colorado, say crime is getting worse

Crime continues in an Aurora shopping district that some people now fear going to. The mayor says: Improving security there is a priority. The area is located near the intersection of Havana Street and East Colfax Avenue.

Originally, the problem was at a Walmart. The store had to close because of it. Since then, thieves and criminals have basically just moved down the street to a Target.

“When a patrol car drives away, people immediately go back to their jobs,” Mayor Mike Coffman said of police efforts to stop criminal behavior.

Coffman said store owners told his office that crime had gotten worse, and they urged Coffman to see for himself. So he did.

“(They said) we want you to come with us and walk around at night without police officers to see what it really looks like,” Coffman said. “And that's what it was. It was horrific.”

Coffman says new police chief Todd Chamberlain has the experience to address the problems in the short term. But to achieve real change, the corridor must be rehabilitated, says Coffman.

“Retail will never get a foothold there again. There has to be a residential component,” Coffman said.

He says multi-family housing and apartments will bring more attention to the street, something that is already happening on Colfax Avenue further east.

Some of the area's smaller businesses fear that a change in zoning will cause rents to rise. And despite his and the city's efforts, many feel more could be done to stop crime.

“The mayor doesn’t want anyone to know the truth – what’s going on out there,” said a shop owner who asked not to be identified.