ALAMOSA — When Anne Kelly was first appointed and then elected as the district attorney for the 12th Judicial District, she made a promise to the public to be transparent. Kelly made good on that promise Thursday night, Sept. 19, with a forum on violence in Alamosa, organized in response to a spate of violent crimes this summer.
For close to two hours, Kelly, Assistant District Attorney Wes Stafford, Alamosa Police Department Chief George Dingfelder and Alamosa County Sheriff Robert Jackson weighed in on the job of fighting crime and enforcing the law in the San Luis Valley and then took questions from the public.
“Even though cites show an increase in violence in Alamosa,” Kelly said, “I’m going to share with you some trends across the years that come from our office to give you a bigger and better picture of what’s happening.”
Kelly shared data about cases filed by her office since 2020, clarifying the data reflects cases that are filed and are not reflective of cases the sheriff’s office or police department have responded to.
In what may have come as a surprise to those who attended, Kelly painted a picture of crime rates that, with some exceptions, are not increasing.
She started off discussing homicides and murders, which includes first- and second-degree murder, first- and second-degree attempted murder, vehicular homicide, criminal negligence, and manslaughter.
Within that category, there were 14 homicides and murders in 2020, seven in 2021, 19 in 2022, 10 in 2023, and 15 in 2024.
“In 2024, five people were charged in the murder of one victim, so there have actually been 10 cases filed,” she said. She then added that, in 2024, they are projecting a total of 18 homicide and murder cases to be filed.
The question was asked about the numbers being presented in a “per 100,000” figure, and Kelly had the data to answer.
In Denver, the rate was 1: 5,200; in Arapahoe County, which includes Aurora, the rate was 1:7,200. In Alamosa, that ratio was 1:3,700, which Kelly described as high. But she also added that comparing those numbers was like apples to oranges as a ratio of 1:3,700 is felt much more deeply than in Denver or Arapahoe County because the community is smaller.
Steady crime rates cannot be said for felony drug cases, which are up by about 20% since last year, a fact she attributes to the prevalence of fentanyl.
“It’s very cheap to make. It’s highly addictive and very easy to traffic and more fentanyl is being trafficked in the Valley. It just is,” she said.
In response, the DA’s office has spent “many more resources” to better investigate, build stronger cases and to get more cases filed against major traffickers. She also discussed the Drug Task Force, which includes seven agents from multiple law enforcement agencies who work collaboratively in identifying the major drug traffickers and devote more resources in going after them.
“Unlike my predecessor,” Kelly says, she prioritizes her cases with consideration toward prosecuting major drug traffickers.
In what may feel counter to public perception, property crimes have decreased by 13% in comparison to 2020. She attributes that to more pro-active policing.
Kelly also discussed a change she has made in policy. After two years in the Valley, she is more familiar with those individuals who are “the most dangerous offenders.” With that in mind, the DA’s office is going to start charging more of those defendants with habitual criminal counts, which increases the maximum sentence by three or four times for each count a defendant is convicted of committing.
She emphasizes that the office is still committed to diversion and not prosecuting crimes that are committed because of addiction, with an emphasis on getting the person help.
In contrast, she cites an example of someone who is charged with assault with a deadly weapon and, in looking through his criminal history, sees numerous previous convictions for similar crimes.
“This guy is not getting the message. We have this tool to go after this guy and make sure he’s not a danger to the community anymore. Each case will be handled with discretion and all attorneys in the DA’s office will be involved,” she said.
When she asked for feedback from the audience, the response was largely positive. People looked at the approach as “pro-active,” “necessary,” and it sends a good message of what the community will tolerate.
ADA Wes Stafford gave a broad overview of how the bond system works, as the DA’s office is taking different action in that area, as well. One of the goals is to stop the revolving door that often happens when, while on bond, a person commits more crimes. Example, if a person commits a felony and, while out on bond, commits another felony, they’re asking the judge to take that into consideration in revoking bond or adding another condition to bond.
Chief Dingfelder and Sheriff Jackson addressed questions about morale among officers – both said the job is tough, but morale is pretty good. There were additional questions about what the community can do to help, and the response was unanimous.
“If you see something, say something.” They also spoke about the enormous value of having co-responders and victim advocates.
By the end of the evening, it was agreed that forums like what happened Thursday night hold value for keeping the public informed and will be held again in the future.
