COLORADO SPRINGS— Crimes like burglary have seen a slow increase in the city over the past five years, according to the state. More than 2,700 were reported in Colorado Springs last year, up from 2,500 in 2021.
As a business owner, Chuck Schafer has a lot to think about but his main concern is safety.
"There'd be cars broken into, there would be damage to the buildings, there would be lots of people sleeping under the trees, under the bridge," said Schafer.
He said he decided to hire private security because of the number of crimes in the area.
His business is located on South Tejon Street near I-25 south of downtown.
Law enforcement records show there have been seven commercial burglaries, 23 car thefts and 18 aggravated assaults in the neighborhood within the last month.
Baker and King Security Services said it's seen the most calls this year than ever in eight years in business.
"We're turning down about three jobs a day because we don't have the personnel to staff these sites properly," said co-owner James Baker.
Schafer said just having security guards around makes a huge difference.
"Our issues are cut into a quarter of what they used to be," said Schafer.
The city tracks crime trends across the city and posts that information online.
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