Colorado Springs Mayor Yemi Mobolade touted the achievements of his administration during his second State of the City address this week at the Broadmoor Hotel.
“Halftime is when coaches and analysts will step back and look at the first half,” said Mobolade, wearing a Notre Dame football jersey. “They review key plays and stats and strategies, and then make adjustments needed to finish strong. And just like every football game, I also recently passed my halfway mark of my first term as new mayor. Today I stand before you to give you my halftime report. Look at the stats, key plays, and strategy as we work together to advance the flourishing of Colorado Springs.”
Mobolade focused on the impact increasing the size of the Colorado Springs Police Department has had on public safety. “Since I took office in June 2023, we have hired more than 250 police officers — a historic milestone,” he said. “For the first time in our city’s history, the police department crossed more than 800 officers in the force. We are continually moving forward to our full strength of 839 officers, but why does that matter? Because more officers mean faster response time, safer streets, safer neighborhoods. For the first time since 2019, we are on track to nearing full staffing before the end of my first term, and let me be clear, even at 839 officers, we’re still operating lean compared to most states.”
While CSPD has been able to increase its number of officers, one of Mobolade’s early initiatives, a 2023 effort to retain $4.75 million in TABOR tax refunds for a new police training facility, failed to garner support with Colorado Springs voters.
“The proof is in the results,” said Mobolade. “We have issued more than 132,000 citations for red light violations Overall, ticketing is up 29%, including a 213% increase in [ticketing in] school zones since I took office, because nothing matters more than keeping our kids safe. Property crime as a whole is down 16%, with motor vehicle theft down 41%, and vehicle break-ins down 32%. We’re also seeing other encouraging trends in violent crime, homicides are down by 20%, and murders have dropped by nearly 30%.”
A CSPD news release from an Aug. 10 homicide investigation noted, “This was the 22nd homicide in 2025 in Colorado Springs. At this time last year, there were 26 homicides.” In addition to the decrease in reported crime, in July Colorado Springs paid a $3.2 million settlement to the family of Jeffrey Melvin Jr., who was tased to death by CSPD in 2018.
Mobolade also highlighted the city’s response to homelessness. “Colorado Springs has become a model for our state and beyond in terms of our homeless solution,” he said. “We are also facing new realities as reflected in our most recent point in time count. Over the past ten months, we’ve been implementing our Homeless Response Action Plan, the holistic framework builds around six priorities — enforcement, outreach and shelter, prevention and treatment, employment, housing with supporting services, and collaboration and leadership. Here’s what the action looks like: We expanded the sit-lie ordinance to strengthen downtown safety and improve how we respond to homelessness. We added two more officers to our homeless outreach team, enhancing both engagement and enforcement. This year, we’ve cleared more than 1,100 encampments, many posing serious health and safety outcomes. In the process, we made 120 felony arrests, but more importantly, we built relationships and connected people to critical services. Thanks to our outreach partners like Homeward Pikes Peak, and Serenity Recovery Connection. Our fire department’s homeless outreach program has continued this outreach, providing transportation, housing assistance, vital records, and educational assistance for nearly 3,000 homeless individuals this year.”
Homeless advocates have been critical of the city’s response to homelessness. “As a human, I sleep pretty much just about every night, and I don’t always have a place inside to sleep, but I still have to sleep,” said Don Briggs, a member of the Homeless Union, during an April protest of the city’s ordinance. “We have constitutionally a God-given right to life, so we have to live somewhere. We have to decide, is the homeless problem that people don’t have a place to live or is the homeless problem that they don’t like seeing people like me sleeping outside, sitting down?”
Mobolade acknowledged the fiscal uncertainty facing homeless service providers due to funding cuts from the federal government. “I’m especially proud of our philanthropic and faith partners who are stepping up at a time when federal funding is shrinking and local nonprofits need greatest support,” he said. “This spirit of generosity and collaboration is what makes Colorado Springs shine bright in the face of our toughest challenges.”
In July, Springs Rescue Mission laid off 24 employees, citing reduced donor revenue and the planned end of a grant cycle. Last month The Place, which serves homeless youth, announced the indefinite closure of its 24/7 youth shelter effective September 5, citing funding challenges.
Mobolade also discussed the city’s efforts to increase housing, which has been repeatedly cited by homeless advocates as one of the root causes of homelessness in the region. “Even as we strengthen enforcement, outreach, and services, we’re also working to expand housing options across the city – one of the greatest challenges that we are up against as a city,” he said. “Our new comprehensive housing needs assessment, along with analysis from the Common Sense Institute, confirmed what many of us already know – Our region faces a housing shortfall of nearly 28,000 units. That’s a sobering number. The gap is large, but over the past year we’ve made meaningful progress. Since I took office, some 500 single-family homes, condos, and apartments have been permitted and or constructed. and since my last State of the City address, 1,700 affordable housing units have opened or are under construction or are working to break ground.”
Mobolade ended his remarks with optimism for the rest of his term. “I invite you to join me in building a legacy, one that is safe, prosperous, culturally rich, welcoming, and a vibrant city, a world-class American city on the hill that we proudly call Colorado Springs,” he said. “I still believe with all my heart that greater things are yet to come, and greater things still to be done in this city.”
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