Online Poll: Why Is Crime Getting Worse In Cheyenne? Or is it?

Cheyenne Mayor Patrick Collins in his "Mayoral Minute" column on Friday said property crime in Cheyenne is reaching "tragic levels."

"Folks are destroying bathrooms in our parks, defacing property, stealing parts off vehicles, destroying the grass in our soccer fields, and so much more senseless crimes," Collins said. Collins' remarks follow statements from the Laramie County Sherrif's Office earlier this year about skyrocketing auto thefts.

In late February, the agency said it had already received 28 auto theft reports, compared to only 60 in all of 2020. That number rose to 94 last year. In fairness, the agency more recently said auto thefts are 'trending downwards," with only six more reported between Feb. 25 and April 21.

Even so, at the current pace overall auto theft cases seem likely to easily eclipse the 2020 numbers and could well exceed or at least equal last year's numbers as well. depending on what happens over the next few months.

Then again, some might argue that such numbers arre deceptive in view of the area's small population. That's because a random increase can look like a big statistical jump because of the small sample size. And it's worth noting that really violent crimes, like murder, are still pretty rare in Cheyenne compared to larger urban areas.

So, is crime really getting a lot worse in Cheyenne? If so, why? Take our poll and give us your opinion!