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In a proactive effort to address crime in the City, members of the Arvada Police Department come together once a month to analyze crime trends and other public safety problems utilizing crime analysis and mapping. Discussions lead to the development of strategies to address crime trends impacting the community.

Statistics for the meetings are compiled by Department Crime Analysts Susan Land and Nora Bensko. The pair, both PhDs in their field, coordinates closely with the various patrol teams to address crime trends in Arvada. At a recent meeting, information was shared about a string of car break-ins at the North Jeffco Soccer Arena located at 9101 Ralston Road. Armed with information obtained from that meeting, officers working the Sunday through Wednesday swing shift (4:00 p.m – 2:00 a.m.) established surveillance at the former ice rink in hopes of identifying potential suspects.

Just before 9:30 p.m. on Tuesday, March 29,officers spotted three young men drive into the parking lot and attempt to break into another car in the lot. The three suspects were immediately arrested and face charges of first-degree criminal trespass. Police are investigating if the trio is connected to the other car break-ins at the soccer arena.

“We have always had informal information-sharing meetings within the Department as well as access to crime maps,” said Commander Jeff Waller of the Criminal Investigations Bureau.

“However, by discussing crime maps and trends in a formal setting, we are developing specific plans to apprehend offenders and develop strategies to prevent future pattern crimes across the City.” Waller adds that the outstanding efforts of Land and Bensko in creating easy-to-read yet comprehensive crime maps have greatly increased the ability to share information.

Although officers have a great deal of crime information at their fingertips, time is a luxury officers don’t always have. Low staffing numbers at various times preclude officers from spending patrol time on surveillance operations; however, teams are diligently working to maximize time spent in areas seeing spikes in crime.

“By conducting surveillance operations when call loads aren’t so demanding, officers are not only reducing the number of crime victims in the City, but they’re also preventing suspects from striking again,” added Commander Waller. In addition to the surveillance work at the soccer complex, the Arvada Police Department is currently developing possible strategies to reduce the number of crimes occurring in and around the urban renewal area near W.52nd Avenue and Wadsworth Boulevard. The team then coordinates with led by Sue Arndt, received a grant through the Lutheran Foundation to fund a traffic calming device which alerts drivers of their speed near W.68th Avenue and Simms Street. City workers also re-striped the area with a defined bike lane along with other improvements that have worked in reducing the speeds of drivers in the area.

“It’s critical that we work together to resolve traffic concerns,” said Commander Foos.“ We simply don ’t have the staffing to patrol every neighborhood with traffic issues 24 hours a day. Through the work of the Trouble Traffic Task Force, we ’re teaming with the community to not only impact traffic for a week at a time, but months and even years down the road to develop permanent solutions.” .

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