Colorado store owners near Colfax & Havana say crime keeps getting worse

Crime is continuing at a shopping area in Aurora where some people are now afraid to go, and the mayor says improving safety there is a priority. The area is near the intersection of Havana Street and East Colfax Avenue.

The trouble was originally centered around a Walmart. The store ended up closing because of it. Thieves and criminals since then have essentially just moved down the street to a Target.

"A patrol car leaves, people come right back to what they were doing," Mayor Mike Coffman said of police's efforts to stop the criminal behavior.

Coffman said store owners have told his office that the crime has gotten worse, and they challenged Coffman to see for himself. So he did.

"(They said) we want you to come up with us and walk the area at night without police officers to see what this really looks like," Coffman said. "And it was. It was awful."

Coffman says incoming Police Chief Todd Chamberlain has the right experience to be able to tackle the issues in the short term. But for real change, Coffman says the corridor must be redeveloped.

"It will never come back as retail. There has to be a residential component to it," Coffman said.

He says multifamily homes and apartments will mean more eyes on the street. It's already happening on Colfax Avenue further east.

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

"The mayor doesn't want nobody to know the truth -- what's happening out there," said one store owner who asked to remain anonymous.