Denver has seen a “significant” spike in gun theft this year following a three-year decline, police chief Paul Pazen said Thursday.

Between January 1 and May 26, 257 guns were stolen from homes and cars, representing a 27% increase compared with 2019.

“There are now 55 more guns on the street this year compared to last year,” Pazen said during a youth gun violence prevention town hall hosted via Zoom on Thursday. “That’s very concerning,” because stolen guns tend to end up in the hands of young people, he said. 

Gun crimes are rising primarily in five neighborhoods: Montbello and Clayton in northeast Denver; West Colfax; Harvey Park in southwest Denver; and East Colfax.

Micheal Fillmore, a black 18-year-old man, said during the Zoom call that he attended three candlelight vigils in April alone for friends who died from gun violence.

Between 2016 and 2019, the city experienced a 160% increase in juveniles charged with possession of a handgun, according to court statistics. Last year, five people under 18 were charged with first-degree murder.

As part of Denver’s plan to help curb youth violence, the city gave away 1,200 gun locks earlier this year.

“Youth are getting access to unsecured guns, and incidents are escalating with tragic results,” Hancock said when announcing the giveaway February 1. “We want to empower every resident to make a difference. Grabbing a free gun lock and securing a weapon is one action we can all take right now to keep young people safe.”

In 2019, at least 570 guns were stolen from cars and homes. Although that figure represents a nearly 11% decrease in gun theft since 2017, Pazen said it’s still too many.

“We cannot pause and pat ourselves on the back,” he said in February. “This is something that is 100% preventable.”

The city is considering numerous ways to intervene, including creating a specialized court within Denver’s judicial system and investing in resources outside of the justice system to address the root causes of youth violence.