BOULDER, Colo. KDVR) — It has been a busy few days up in Boulder as thousands of students are back to class after summer break.
“I think I’m ready,” Colton Anna, a freshman at the University of Colorado Boulder, said at dorm room move-in. “I’m excited for a new environment and pursuing my education in engineering.”
Monday was the big start to move-in for freshmen. This year, the university is expecting around 7,400 new freshmen.
“The new Buffs represent all 50 states and 47 countries. After Colorado, California, Texas and Illinois round out the top four home states for the first-year class.” CU Boulder Media Relations said in a statement.
FOX31 spoke with Ashley Griffin, the new police chief for the University of Colorado Boulder Police Department. She has been in her role now for a month, and is looking forward to the school year now upon students and staff.
“The views are phenomenal,” Griffin said. “So every day I drive in and see the flatirons, I take a moment to practice gratitude, it’s so beautiful and I feel so blessed to be here.”
Griffin came from Austin, where she was the Assistant Chief at the University of Texas at Austin. She said since joining and now leading CUPD, she’s been meeting with stakeholders and other leaders across campus to learn what they can do to improve safety.
“We’re looking at campus from a holistic approach and how we can improve safety in several different areas,” Griffin said. “So that means having several leaders looking at safety from different perspectives.”
She stated that right now on campus, the biggest issue is theft. It is the most common call CUPD receives, usually involving bikes, scooters or other personal property.
“You are no longer in high school; you are now in a town where we have all different types of people,” Griffin said. “It is an open campus, so crime is often crime of opportunity.”
According to CUPD, between August 2024 to May of 2025, they had 174 reports of stolen bikes, and they were able to recover 17.
“If you do park your bike on campus, park it more on the bike locks that are along a busy roadway or thoroughfare,” Griffin said. “People are less likely to steal it if people are constantly going by.”
She stated there will be an increase in police presence in areas where bikes are often stolen. She said it’s important for students to register their bikes with a picture, serial number, make and model. That way, if it does go missing, it can help with recovering it.
“Safety is paramount to what we do, and we need students to join us in those efforts,” D’Andra Mull, Vice Chancellor for Student Life, said during move-in.
Right now, CUPD has 38 active working officers. They also recently hired five new officers who are currently in field training and are expected to be out on their own by November. CUPD is allotted 50 officers in total and is currently actively recruiting.
Move-in started on Friday and will continue to Wednesday. Classes will start on Thursday.
“So what I would say to that is Go Buffs!” Mull said.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by PostX News and is published from a syndicated feed.)
