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Boulder police: suspects in June mall attacks in custody; department reports year-to-date crime declines
Summary
At the July 15 Downtown Management Commission meeting, Police Chief Steve Redfern said suspects in the June mall chain attacks and an assault on a performer remain in custody and that citywide crime is down year to date; officials described staffing changes, increased evening patrols and a community "Walk with a Cop" event July 23.
Police Chief Steve Redfern told the Downtown Management Commission on July 15 that suspects tied to the June chain attacks and an assault on a performer remain in custody.
"I'm happy to say he is still in custody on a $200,000 bond," Redfern said of the person arrested in the chain attacks, and said the person who assaulted the performer also remains in custody. "So we're working with the DA's office when those serious things pop up..."
Redfern said the department is fully staffed but has roughly 25 officers still in training and not yet cleared for solo patrol. He credited visible foot and bike patrols and technology for helping reduce crime and said the department's data analyst reported the city is down in every crime category year to date compared with last year.
Why it matters: The remarks followed a June 1 attack on the Pearl Street Mall that prompted high public concern. Commissioners pressed police on response times, patrol coverage and staffing as downtown businesses and residents assess safety and recovery measures.
Redfern said officers were present on the mall the day of the attack but were delayed by another incident. "We can have a cop on every corner, and it's not going to stop every bad thing from happening," he said, adding that the department has increased presence downtown and is deploying technology and targeted units.
Patrol commander Mike (no last name given) described a broad response to the chain-attacks suspect, saying police used motors, bike officers and drones in their efforts. "We put a ton of resources to that, including our motors officers and our bike officers," he said, adding that the operation helped stop the attacks and led to custody the next day. He also traced the response to the suspect's movement around town and emphasized interagency coordination.
The commission heard specific staffing changes for the mall team: Sergeant Brian Cabobianco has been transferred into a temporary mall sergeant role after the prior sergeant left for personal reasons. The department said the mall unit remains staffed at its authorized strength of six officers.
Officials addressed questions about a roughly two-hour interval before a large evacuation around a June incident. The patrol commander said the department conducts ongoing assessments as information develops; they initially performed limited-area evacuations and expanded them after locating a vehicle that raised new concerns and required coordination with the bomb squad and other partners.
Police announced a community outreach event: a "Walk with a Cop" on July 23, planned for the 1300 block from 1 to 3 p.m. The patrol commander said the event aims to introduce officers to business owners and residents and to open dialogue.
Commissioners asked about continued evening coverage. The patrol commander said other patrol units have increased night patrols and that more officers coming out of training will allow additional staffing to support downtown evening shifts.
The commission did not vote on police policy or resource allocations during the meeting; the session recorded updates and questions only.
