Denver police have reported 12 outdoor deaths so far in March, including nine in a nine-day stretch and at least some of which are believed to be drug overdoses, officials said this week.
The Denver Police Department responded to outdoor deaths in the city’s North Park Hill, Central Business District, North Capitol Hill, Baker, Globeville, Cheesman Park, Five Points, Capitol Hill, College View and Auraria neighborhoods between March 1 and Tuesday, according to the agency’s posts on X.
The investigations are ongoing, Sgt. Jay Casillas said in an email this week.
“At this point, we believe some may be drug overdoses but are waiting on confirmation from the Medical Examiner’s Office. Once we have more confirmed information, we can better understand what may be going on,” Casillas said.
Death investigations include toxicology tests that can take several weeks to come back, Denver Public Health and Environment spokesperson Tammy Vigil said.
“We can, however, confirm an increase in non-fatal overdoses using data from local emergency departments,” Vigil said in an email.
Outdoor deaths are not always overdoses, she added, and include accidents and traffic fatalities, though Denver police usually report traffic fatalities as such.
Denver public health officials do not investigate where illicit substances come from, Vigil said, but work proactively through drug testing and sharing information, harm reduction (such as syringe disposals or naloxone) and treatment options with people who use drugs.
Denver outdoor deaths in March 2025:
March 1
- 4600 block of North Quebec Street
- 1800 block of Arapahoe Street
March 2
- East 18th Avenue and Emerson Street
March 10
- 600 block of North Delaware Street
- 44th Avenue and North Pearl Street
- 14th Avenue and Race Street
March 13
- 22nd and Stout streets
- East Colfax Avenue and Logan Street
March 14
- 3500 block of Park Avenue West
- 2100 block of South Platte River Drive
March 17
- 2000 block of Elitch Circle
March 18
- 17th and California streets
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