Denver police are solving more nonfatal shootings with a new unit


Denver police solve far more nonfatal shootings than in the past because they created a special detectives unit to centralize and prioritize such investigations. In its first year, the Firearm Assault Shoot Team (FAST) solved two-thirds of the 165 cases it investigated, up from about 25% in the past, when investigations were a lower priority and handled at the police district level. Police in Texas and Connecticut have expressed interest in modeling programs on FAST. Denver police hope more arrests mean fewer shootings, and fewer reasons people feel a need to carry guns in the first place.

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