Burglaries at an All-Time Low, Laramie County Sheriff Says

Sheriff Brian Kozak says the hiring of 72 applicants in 2023 (his first year in office) and an additional 41 applicants last year has made a noticeable difference in property crimes in unincorporated Laramie County.

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"In 2024 the men and women who make up the Laramie County Sheriff's Office reduced burglaries to an all-time low," Kozak said in the department's 2024 Annual Report, which was released Tuesday afternoon.

Burglary Down 39%

According to crime data, the number of burglaries in the county, not including Cheyenne and Pine Bluffs, was down 39% from 2023 and 61% from 2021.

Laramie County Sheriff's Office

The number of motor vehicle thefts also dropped for the fourth straight year, down 7% from 2023 and 73% from 2021, while the number of thefts from motor vehicles rose another 23% from 2023, but remained 31% below 2021's numbers.

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Aggravated Assault Up 79%, Rape Up 220%

As for crimes against persons, simple assault and aggravated assault were up 11% and 79%, respectively, from 2023, but the numbers were still down from what they were in 2021.

The number of rapes, however, was up a staggering 220% from 2023 and 2021.

"None of those were stranger rapes," Public Information Officer Brandon Warner told KGAB Radio. "That's real hard for law enforcement to do a whole lot about."

"With the aggravated assaults, most of those were in the home, they were domestic violence-type situations, and we can't say for sure, but a lot of that seems to be the stress that people carry," Warner added. "There are a lot of things contributing to people's stresses in life right now."

Warner says having deputies on the streets does help reduce property crimes, but it's really hard for law enforcement to do anything inside of people's homes until there's a problem.

"We can go in and arrest them after the fact, but to have an impact on the actual numbers, I don't know what law enforcement can do about that," he said.

To view the full report, click here.

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