WHEAT RIDGE, Colo. — A motorcyclist died in a crash with another driver Wednesday morning at W. 32nd Ave. and Sheridan Boulevard, the Wheat Ridge Police Department said The wreck was first reported around 8:30 a.m. and police initially said the motorcyclist was taken to the hospital with serious injuries The intersection where the crash occurred was shut down for more than three hours as the Wheat Ridge Police Department's crash and traffic team investigated what happened Drivers were advised to find an alternate route around the intersection closure and Sheridan Boulevard reopened around 11:45 a.m. Denver7 is committed to making a difference in our community by standing up for what's right lending a helping hand and following through on promises This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page Frontline Design and Development and G3 Architecture designed the project’s buildings. The Lookout’s public park designed by Norris Design will include an agriculture-themed playground and a small amphitheater with a stage for live performances Martin/Martin are the civil engineers for the project “This new outdoor park isn’t just a beautiful place to take in the mountain views—it’s a space where our community can gather and enjoy the vibrancy of our growing city It’s another step toward creating a more welcoming and dynamic environment for our residents and visitors alike,” said Steve Art economic development manager at the City of Wheat Ridge will occupy 6,800 square feet in the northern building The Wheat Ridge Biergarten will feature Prost’s award-winning biers and authentic German cuisine alongside an expansive patio overlooking the public park “What Ridge is a place with deep roots and a strong sense of community We want the biergarten to reflect that—to be a place for people to gather together and share their lives over an authentically crafted bier and German-inspired food,” said Boyd Hoback “The space is designed to showcase German bier culture and with the modern amenities of The Lookout it creates an unparalleled dining and entertainment destination.” While entirely unique to the other locations in design and decor Prost’s new biergarten will offer guests a true bier hall experience Bier lovers can enjoy a 6,800 square-foot biergarten that includes an enclosed patio dining room for private events with a large patio boasting direct access to an adjacent park with a stage games and large areas for children to play.  The central 8,730-square-foot building will house The Agora at Applewood an innovative dining collective from the founder of The Patio at Sloan’s The beautifully curated space will feature a rooftop terrace overlooking the mountains and will house multiple food and beverage concepts offering diverse dining options “The Agora at Applewood represents a new chapter in Colorado’s dining scene,” said Ciaran O’Brien real estate and restaurant developer and founder of The Patio at Sloan’s each concept will have its own space and identity We’re creating an environment where people can gather and enjoy ample patio space while relishing our spectacular mountain views.” The southern building will feature HashTAG, the dynamic brunch concept from acclaimed restaurateur Troy Guard’s TAG Restaurant Group It also includes 4,107 square feet of additional retail space that is available for lease An open-air breezeway will connect the southern parking area to the Lookout’s central plaza “The Lookout at Clear Creek Crossing represents exactly the kind of thoughtful community-focused development that Wheat Ridge needs,” said Patrick Goff “This project will create a vibrant gathering place that enhances our city’s appeal while providing significant economic benefits.” Construction is expected to be completed in late 2025. For leasing information about The Lookout at Clear Creek Crossing, contact Heather Wiseman, senior vice president of leasing at Evergreen Devco at 303-656-8713 or hwiseman@evgre.com Opus has broken ground on Catalyst Industrial a new 188,054-square-foot Class A speculative industrial development on 14.26 acres located at 15030 E Each year during National Preservation Month Historic Denver opens the doors for the public to nominate the people and projects DENVER — Wheat Ridge police are investigating a deadly stabbing Sunday afternoon. The investigation shut down Sheridan Boulevard for hours, the department said One suspect is in custody and there is no ongoing safety threat to the public Sunday at the intersection of Sheridan Boulevard and W Witnesses told Wheat Ridge police they saw two women fighting in the area when one woman stabbed the other Witnesses said the stabbing suspect then started walking northbound on Sheridan Boulevard The stabbing victim was taken to a nearby hospital where she was later pronounced dead The homicide investigation pooled resources of the Denver Police Department the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office and Lakeside Police Department on Sunday Sheridan Boulevard reopened just before 8:30 p.m Sunday after hours of collecting evidence at the scene of the stabbing FOX31 Denver The intersection at West 32nd Avenue and Sheridan Boulevard in Wheat Ridge was closed while police investigated a deadly crash Wednesday morning The Aurora City Council is set to discuss a measure at its Monday night meeting that would help address unmanned aircraft systems that could potentially be launched over restricted areas of the Buckley Space Force Base Two men are facing robbery and bias-motivated crime charges after the Steamboat Springs Police Department received multiple reports of people who were scammed through fake jewelry sales Police are investigating a multi-vehicle hit-and-run crash in northeast Denver on Monday morning the 16th Street Mall is still struggling to fill vacancies and it’s also dealing with decreased foot traffic Crews are beginning a repaving project on Highway 119 and Highway 7 this week that’s expected to last through mid-August The city council is set to vote Monday on a land swap to develop the former Park Hill Golf Course Police are investigating a shooting that sent three people to the hospital Sunday night The Aurora City Council may change how they accept public comments in a Monday meeting The Regional Transportation District wants to hear from drivers in Boulder County about its rapid transit bus plan La Loma is opening a new location in Parker the Mile High City is celebrating Mexican culture all weekend through Cinco De Mayo on Monday Denver police are investigating a crash between a driver and a stand-up scooter rider WHEAT RIDGE, Colo. — Two automated speed cameras go live on Monday, April 21, the Wheat Ridge Police Department announced Friday right outside Wheat Ridge High School and another is on W Officers have collected data across the city and found these two areas see some of the most excessive speeding Wheat Ridge police said drivers found speeding in these areas will get a warning for the first 30 days the cameras are active speeders will get a $40 ticket in the mail "Wheat Ridge continues to become more of a cut-through community and people don’t always drive through Wheat Ridge like they live here," police said Tickets issued from the speed cameras are eligible for appeal like any other traffic ticket given by a uniformed Wheat Ridge police officer The department said it will roll out a mobile version of these automated speed cameras at a later date The second semester at Wheat Ridge High School is particularly busy for the PTSA.  Aside from providing dinner for teachers and staff during spring conferences and desserts at the Spring musical we are ramping up for our biggest events of the year including Scholarships The PTSA provides scholarships to seniors who wish to continue their education at any accredited 2- or 4-year college or university applicants must be in the upper 50% of the graduating class we have increased our award from $2000 to $4000 split among several winners.  If you’d like to contribute by adding to our available funds please reach out to wheatridgeptsa@gmail.com.   Wheat Ridge Farmers – Planting Seeds for Safe Adventures and Fun the Wheat Ridge High School PTSA hosts an after-the-prom party (aka Post Prom) for our Junior and Senior students and their guests This long-standing tradition has been carried on for generations of Farmers and substance free event for our upper-class students – regardless of whether they attend prom This night is a right of passage that’s meant to celebrate all that it means to be a Farmer And while the magical event is FREE for the student attendees pulling off this memorable evening costs money – roughly $50 per student we’ve transformed the high school hallways into a red-carpet extravaganza This year’s theme will play on the adventures of Alice In Wonderland complete with a rabbit hole and a Madhatter’s tea party 2025 at Wheat Ridge High School from 11:00pm until 2:00am with plenty of food Our main source of funding for this event comes from WRHS Parents and from our generous Community Groups and Businesses The money raised in support of this wonderful evening helps us fund specific activities that the students have heard about in years past They look forward to participating in the evening’s adventures and we look forward to providing them there are many ways you can choose to help us make Wheat Ridge High School’s Post Prom a success.  Please join us in the High School Commons area at 6p on April 1st to learn of ways you can help We would be so grateful for any combination of your time Contact us if you’d like to donate your time and/or talent to be a part of the volunteer crew who make decorations or chaperone the night of the event  wheatridgeptsa@gmail.com  Donate funds in support of our Wonderland adventure full of amazing food https://wheat-ridge-high-ptsa.givebacks.com/store/items/125978 or mail a check made out to Wheat Ridge PTSA we can make lasting memories for our students’ time on The Farm we appreciate the many people who invest in making Wheat Ridge High School a wonderful community school that continues to impact generations of students With only a few months until the school year is over students are bubbling with excitement and the possibility of making sure your car is in top shape can make all the difference between Monthly West Metro Denver newspapers in Wheat Ridge Two Creeks and West Highland neighborhoods Crafted by Yonder Moon Creative 🌒 — The Wheat Ridge Police Department and the Jefferson County Coroner's Office are asking for the public's help identifying remains found late last year in the woods north of Clear Creek A forensic sculptor generated a facial reconstruction based off the remains Below is an approximation of what the person looked like: a man was exploring a wooded area in northwest Wheat Ridge when he found an abandoned camp with the human remains inside a tent The remains are a man's anywhere between 45 and 75 years old according to the Jefferson County Coroner's Office He likely passed away between 2021 and 2023 as investigators don't believe at this time that this was a suspicious death "This is a person who may have had family or friends that deserve closure," the Wheat Ridge PD said "The purpose of this release is to generate leads that may help identify this individual and bring closure to anyone who may have known him." Anyone who has information that could help identify this man is asked to email Detective Reshew at dreshew@ci.wheatridge.co.us. Photo Credit: (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Sports Information) WHEAT RIDGE — The crowd might be as large from decades past but make no mistake the Lakewood/Wheat Ridge boys basketball rivalry still has some juice “I told our guys yesterday in practice when I was in high school here we didn’t care about Golden This was the game,” Wheat Ridge graduate and now head boys basketball coach Vince Dowd said of the Lakewood/Wheat Ridge rivalry on the hardwood “I’ve been in this gym before when its to the rafters when we played Lakewood They knew yesterday how important it is to me especially for me,” Wheat Ridge senior Isaac McCune said of the annual showdown against Lakewood that has been close games each of the previous three meetings All these seniors believe this is one of our biggest games of the year.” Wheat Ridge seemed to be well in control jumping out to a 50-35 lead early in the fourth quarter Lakewood coach Ed Corridori put a full-court press on the Farmers that nearly pulled off an improbable comeback The Tigers went on a 11-0 run over the span of two minutes to trim the Farmers’ lead to 50-46 with 4:43 left in the fourth quarter “This is our third game this season where we’ve been down by double-digit points,” Corridori said Those are the positive things we’ll take away.” It wasn’t a pretty fourth quarter as Wheat Ridge was finally able to have some success against the Tigers’ full-court press and eventually regain that double-digit lead in the final minute dribbling the ball out of bounces or off our foot,” McCune described the rash of turnovers in the fourth quarter for the Farmers We have seven seniors that have experience and have been in games like this.” “He (Rainalter) is a microwave,” Dowd said of the Farmers’ leading scorer Tuesday night “He can make four or five 3-pointers in a row really fast He came into the season with a ton of confidence He had a good summer and is playing really good right now.” Wheat Ridge has a loaded end of the week playing in the Glenwood Springs Tournament on Dec Montrose and Glenwood Springs on the Western Slope “Playing three games in a row is going to be tough,” Dowd admitted spending time as a team is going to be good Senior Quentin Wilson (14 points) and sophomore Marcus Bane (10 points) led the Tigers in the loss Lakewood also has a busy week with three games in four days The Tigers are back in action at home against area-rival Green Mountain at 7:30 p.m Lakewood is then on the road against Denver South on Friday “I love these rivalries between Wheat Ridge It is fun to be apart of this,” Corridori said That is what high school basketball is all about.” — It's out with the old and in with new when it comes to ticketing technology at the Wheat Ridge Police Department "All I do is traffic all day," said Officer Cody Mitchell with the Crash and Traffic Team "All I do is investigate traffic accidents and traffic stops." officers were still writing every traffic ticket by hand it looks like I picked up the pen with my feet to write it," Mitchell said jokingly it can also take 15 to 20 minutes to copy the information from a driver's license and registration onto the paper ticket all while pulled over on the side of busy roads A lot of people don't like to be up on the highway "Just sitting on the shoulder and these cars are flying by you." With the help of a new app and mobile printer a basic traffic stop takes about a quarter of the time it did before it will pre-fill all that information automatically," said Mitchell The department is one of the busiest in the Denver metro area "Wheat Ridge is becoming more and more of a cut through community," said police department spokesman Alex Rose of the fact that parts of I-70 Sheridan and Kipling all run through the city The extra time saved is expected to be used to prevent the next traffic issue or respond to a different call more quickly we can pivot to the next situation that needs our attention Or we can go out and we can do proactive police work in the community We can make relationships with businesses and with stakeholders," said Rose the cost of the cameras were approved and budgeted for by the city years ago The up-front cost of the app and printers was $15,000 with a nearly $54,000 per year service charge Rose said it's believed that WRPD will make up that money with the time saved by officers every year — A woman died in a multi-vehicle crash on eastbound Interstate 70 near Ward Road Thursday morning and a DUI suspect has been arrested The two-vehicle crash was reported around 5:15 a.m police determined that one of the drivers had been headed westbound in the eastbound lanes of Interstate 70 That person then crashed nearly head-on with another driver public information officer with the Wheat Ridge Police Department Police found one person who had died at the scene, as well as a young child who was transported to the hospital and is expected to be OK, Rose said. The person who died was identified by family members as Jody Chavez was also brought to a hospital but has been released and is in custody on suspicion of DUI He is facing charges of vehicular homicide driving a vehicle on the wrong side of a divided highway and failure to present evidence of insurance A third driver reportedly hit debris from the initial crash "Our officers are going to be looking at all sorts of different evidence any sort of video surveillance and cameras in the area and reviewing that to help us build our case up," Rose said Colorado State Patrol and the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office also responded to the crash The Jefferson County Coroner's Office will release the identity of the person who died once family is notified Eastbound I-70 was closed at 32nd Avenue for the crash investigation, Jeffcom 911 said Denver7 Traffic Expert Jayson Luber advised that the investigation into the crash will likely take several hours The road reopened more than five hours later The access from eastbound Highway 58 to eastbound I-70 was closed to keep drivers off I-70 but eastbound 58 was open to westbound I-70 Traffic backed up on westbound I-70 before Kipling Street after the crash occurred the state executive director for Mothers Against Drunk Driving Colorado said Thursday morning's crash is devastating we are working with families who are impacted," Green said "They know the worst of the worst when it comes to impaired driving a loved one can be taken away as as we see in this crash." Green told Denver7 it's especially difficult to think about the young child involved in the crash "It is gutting to think of them growing up without their best friends or having their life forever changed because somebody made the choice to consume an impairing substance like alcohol or cannabis or other drugs and then get behind the wheel of a car." "It's the wrong choice that people make often." The family of Jody Chavez has started a GoFundMe online fundraiser in order to help pay for funeral costs and other expenses. You can donate through this link A warning from the Wheat Ridge Police Department: Slow down JEFFERSON COUNTY, Colo. — The Wheat Ridge Police Department is partnering with the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office to offer the state's newest iteration of the Blue Envelope Program The Boulder Police Department launched a similar program in its area earlier this year The idea is participants with Autism or other special needs may carry a blue envelope with identifying information to more easily communicate with law enforcement The blue envelope symbol helps members of law enforcement recognize that the driver may have disabilities that make typical communication challenging The Jefferson County Sheriff's Office is offering bracelets bumper stickers and lanyards with the program logo as indicators to first responders that the driver may require alternative communication methods or special accommodation during an interaction on the road The Wheat Ridge Police Department shut down Sheridan Boulevard in the 3900 block on Easter Sunday for a homicide investigation After a nationwide search for qualified candidates the Wheat Ridge Police Department has found a proven leader that will not just fit into the department’s culture but add to it Division Chief Shawn Wray started with the Wheat Ridge Police Department on January 20 He brings decades of law enforcement experience and will lead the Support Services Division of the police department Support Services includes the Investigations Bureau Crime Analytics and the various task forces Wheat Ridge PD is a part of  “Relationship-Based Policing and the family environment is what really drew me here,” Division Chief Wray said “After talking to people in the area everyone has outlined how this is a great place to work Division Chief Wray grew up in Santee California His law enforcement career started in 200 when he joined the La Mesa Police Department La Mesa PD has a lot of similarities to Wheat Ridge PD both in the size of their departments and the dynamics of neighboring a major American city Division Chief Wray took a position with the San Diego County Sheriff’s Office in 2008 where he took on several leadership roles including serving as a Lieutenant at the Sheriff’s Office and serving as the Academy Director He also brings experience as a detective for La Mesa PD’s Violent Crime Task Force an FBI certified bomb squad technician and serving on the SWAT Team “My strength is in establishing relationships with people especially those in this profession,” Division Chief Wray said “I want to pay forward the lessons that I learned in my career and mentor as many people as I can.” Division Chief Wray is an avid outdoor activity enthusiast He can’t wait to start exploring Colorado’s trails he and his wife of 30 years is excited to start a new chapter in this state “Shawn comes with a wealth of knowledge and experience but more importantly he comes with the right attitude and culture for this agency,” Wheat Ridge Police Chief Chris Murtha said “I am confident that he will exceed all our expectations.” especially for people who are living on the streets That’s why the Wheat Ridge Police Department partnered with the city’s Housing and Homeless Navigators to help people experiencing homelessness this winter The city’s Housing and Homeless Navigators created dozens of cold kits in the Fall of 2024 the kits had printed locations for severe-weather shelters and contact information for Wheat Ridge Navigators to better connect people with the resources they need when we see the coldest conditions Partnerships like these exemplify what makes Wheat Ridge unique The city is filled with employees who care and want to find new and creative ways to make an impact for anyone who calls Wheat Ridge home The Wheat Ridge Police Department handed out more than 70 kits over November and December of 2024 and is working with both Navigators to get even more to the department and out on the streets This program outlines a core mission of the Wheat Ridge Police Department to serve the community with compassion and help people on their worst days WHEAT RIDGE — Filling the coaching shoes of Tommy Dowd would be an impossible task for anyone I’m never going to fill those shoes,” Vince Dowd said of stepping in as the head coach for Wheat Ridge High School’s boys and girls golf and boys basketball programs “I have learned that I just need to be myself Tommy Dowd spent nearly three decades coaching at Wheat Ridge At times coaching four sports when he an assistant coach for the Farmers’ football team when they won the Class 4A state championship in 2006 and 2008 Wheat Ridge named its basketball court ‘Tommy Dowd Court’ just last year a few seasons after Vince took over the head coaching duties and Tommy stepped into an assistant coaching position under his son “The coaching side with my Dad is the relationships It’s not the things that he says to me all the time it’s the things that I’ve watched him do and what he still does,” Vince said of his Dad that retired from full-time teaching at Wheat Ridge a few years ago Those relationships is something that Vince has been able to build himself He has been around Wheat Ridge High School since he was a 7-year-old Vince graduated from Wheat Ridge in 2008 after being a multi-sport athlete and went to Colorado State University Vince spent two years of working at Prospect Valley Elementary School as a paraprofessional he started his 10th year as a special education teacher (SPED) at Wheat Ridge High School “I always knew that I wanted to work with kids and help kids,” Vince said In college at Colorado State University he had an experience as a caregiver with a paraplegic student That is what helped put Vince on the path of being a special education teacher “I’ve always been around it since I was young,” Vince said of teaching and coaching “Pretty early on I knew it was something I wanted to do.” A back injury his freshman football season actually jump-started his coaching career “I sat out a full year of football and just kind of helped my Dad,” Vince said “He was coaching our freshman football team at the time.” “Know your team and know your players,” Tommy said when it comes to the best advice he has given his son when it comes to coaching Knowing your team and what they are capable of will win you games.” Vince said his mother Lynda was a big influence on his teaching career Staying at Wheat Ridge is something that Vince cherishes “I would love to be at Wheat Ridge forever,” Vince said I’ve been at Wheat Ridge since I was 7 years old I love the community and the kids we get at Wheat Ridge Vince recalls when he was a kid and on a family trip to Disney World in Florida a complete stranger stopped and offered Tommy $100 for his Wheat Ridge football shirt right off his back “When you are winning at Wheat Ridge the is nothing else like it,” Vince said It is also unique that Vince is tackling coaching multiple sports Wheat Ridge just wrapped up the boys golf season Monday at the Class 3A Region 2 tournament at Fox Hollow Golf Course The importance of solid assistant coaches under Vince has allowed him to be a head coach for multiple sports at Wheat Ridge Dominic Cross played for us and graduated from Wheat Ridge in 2021 I really lean on him during the golf season,” Vince said He is working with them all the time and does stuff with our youth program.” Basketball season officially starts in just over a month “When golf is over we’ll be full-steam ahead with basketball,” Vince said President Richard Nixon signed a proclamation declaring Oct 6 as National Coaches Day in 1972 — ‘Coaches are highly qualified teachers — in highly specialized fields they are friends and counselors who help instill in their players important attitudes that will serve them all their lives.’ Colo — “Out of an abundance of caution,” JeffCo Public Schools sent Wheat Ridge High School students home early Friday after what police described as a “potential threat.” The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) notified the Wheat Ridge Police Department of a social media post "indicating a specific bomb threat" towards the school around 9:15 a.m School resource officers and patrol officers responded to the school and took a 16-year-old girl into custody, according to Wheat Ridge PD Students were sent home early Friday "out of an abundance of caution." Bomb-sniffing K9s with the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office and Colorado State Patrol searched the school and no explosive devices or bomb-making equipment were found Wheat Ridge police said in an update Friday evening Wheat Ridge PD said it recommended a felony charge for false reporting of explosives to the First Judicial District Attorney's Office information about her identity will not be released Wheat Ridge PD concluded its Friday update by thanking community members for their patience and understanding "We take these situations incredibly seriously and will work relentlessly to ensure public safety in our schools and our community," the department said Share on FacebookShare on X (formerly Twitter)Share on PinterestShare on LinkedInWHEAT RIDGE (KKTV) - One person is dead after a crash on I-70 according to the Wheat Ridge Police Department Police reportedly received a call around 5:15 a.m Police said a toddler in that car was taken to the hospital and is expected to be okay later identified as 34-year-old Jian Bin Chen was driving on the wrong side of the highway Chen was arrested on the charges of vehicular homicide driving a vehicle on the wrong side of a divided highway and failure to present evidence of insurance The eastbound lanes of the highway were temporarily closed while police investigated — A pet owner was issued a municipal summons for animal cruelty after nearly a dozen puppies were found in a Wheat Ridge hotel room The Wheat Ridge Police Department said it was called out for a welfare check at a La Quinta Inn on Feb Community services officers arrived and found four kennels holding a total of 11 puppies The officers noted an "overwhelming smell of feces from the room and kennels," according to Wheat Ridge PD The feces was reportedly smeared inside the kennels and on the puppies' paws Wheat Ridge police said one of the puppies had an open cut on its paw and was "actively bleeding." The puppies were taken to Foothills Animal Shelter Wheat Ridge police learned that the puppies were unvaccinated and had contracted canine parvovirus you have the responsibility for taking care of those who can’t take care of themselves," Wheat Ridge PD said in a social media post on Monday the owner was issued a municipal summons for 11 counts of animal cruelty or inhumane treatment Animation provided to FOX31's Shaul Turner by Wheat Ridge shows how continuous flow intersections will shift left-turn traffic across Wadsworth Boulevard in a special lane that moves toward the next intersection keeping traffic moving and creating fewer backups Animation provided to FOX31's Shaul Turner by Wheat Ridge shows how continuous flow intersections will shift left-turn traffic across Wadsworth Boulevard in a special lane that moves toward the next intersection I was fortunate to be part of a small delegation from the city of Wheat Ridge that traveled to Washington for the National League of Cities (NLC) conference This annual gathering is a pivotal event for municipal leaders across the country offering a platform to share best practices and explore innovative solutions to the challenges that cities face today Our delegation was eager to learn from experts and peers about effective strategies in key areas such as transportation we were privileged to hear from our senators and a majority of Colorado’s congressional delegation They shared insights on federal initiatives and policies that impact our cities emphasizing the importance of collaboration between local and national levels of government A particularly memorable moment was our meeting with Congresswoman Petteron’s office where we presented our requests for federal funding to support upcoming projects in Wheat Ridge It was a crucial opportunity to advocate for our community’s needs and aspirations directly to those in a position to help the conference provided an invaluable opportunity to network with approximately 3,000 municipal officials from across the United States This shared experience fostered a sense of solidarity among us It was enlightening to hear about the various strategies that other cities are implementing to tackle common issues like affordable housing and public transportation which are critical elements in enhancing the quality of life for residents This year marked my third trip to the NLC conference mirroring the sentiments shared by delegates from other cities Many expressed similar frustrations regarding the political landscape and its impact on local governance when people found out I was from Wheat Ridge they all had the same thing to say “you all work so well together I think it is crucial that Wheat Ridge continues to rise above the chaos and divide that is happening at other levels of government and in other places we must continue to prioritize the voices of our residents ensuring that their concerns and ideas are at the forefront of our decision-making process we collaboratively develop innovative solutions to the challenges our city faces and thriving Wheat Ridge that truly reflects the wonderful people who live here with the opportunity to craft a prosperous future for our residents we can ensure that we not only “work well together” but also deliver meaningful results for our community let’s enhance Wheat Ridge and transform it into an even more dynamic and vibrant place to call home Our collective efforts will be the foundation for continued growth and improvement creating a thriving environment for all who live here The Wheat Ridge Police Department is constantly working to find better ways to make officers more efficient in the field Ridgefest is back for another sunny summer day of local live music April’s Second Saturday Social April 13 at the Baugh House (44th and Robb 10:00-2:00) will celebrate Earth Day and make — The puppies rescued from a Wheat Ridge hotel room earlier this month are recovering and are up for adoption at the Foothills Animal Shelter The Wheat Ridge Police Department said officers were called for a welfare check at a La Quinta Inn on Feb 1 when 11 puppies were found inside one of the hotel rooms Community services officers arrived and found the nearly dozen puppies in four kennels Wheat Ridge PD noted that the officers detected an "overwhelming smell of feces" coming from the room and kennels with one puppy having an open cut on its paw that was "actively bleeding." Their former owner was issued a municipal summons for 11 counts of animal cruelty or inhumane treatment The puppies are up on Foothills Animal Shelter's website now for adoption Foothills is only looking for good homes with owners who will truly care for these puppies During the core pandemic years of 2020 and 2021 similar to other Colorado communities and cities across the country we can now say crime levels have dropped in 2024 The Wheat Ridge Police Department is now seeing Calls for Service or the amount of times citizens call 911 for law enforcement help that are more consistent with what the department saw in 2018 and 2019 While the department does not see as much violent crime compared to larger cities in the Denver metro area the city experiences a fair amount of property crime most reported crimes dropped across the board in Wheat Ridge during 2024 a 25% drop in motor vehicle theft and first-degree criminal trespass Wheat Ridge PD is part of the Colorado Auto Theft Prevention Authority’s Metropolitan Auto Theft Task Force (CMATT) which is a combination of resources from law enforcement agencies across the metro The department believes the work with CMATT has significantly helped impact multiple motor vehicle theft arrests not just in Wheat Ridge one area the department is acutely focused on is theft Theft rose about 12% in 2024 and has hit a five-year high in the city a majority of theft cases are reported by Wheat Ridge businesses so the department is working closely with Loss Prevention teams at big retailors to curb the recent influx of shoplifting WRPD’s Patrol and Crime Prevention teams are working proactively with businesses to review security systems in place and bolster our relationships to fast-track the reporting process You can expect to see more retail theft operations in 2025 and more officers working proactively around businesses that are frequent targets the Wheat Ridge PD Crime Prevention Team worked with retailers at the Applewood Shopping Center to make ten arrests and recover roughly $2,000 worth of stolen goods in one shift These collaborations help build our relationships with our business community and send a strong message to people thinking about victimizing our businesses there are other trends the department is focused on to better serve the community The number of mental health-related calls for service rose roughly 15% in 2024 highlighting the importance of our Crisis Intervention Training (or CIT) Wheat Ridge PD also strengthened the relationship with he Jefferson Center for Mental Health adding another Co-Responder in 2024 and a full time Case Manager to help provide resources to individuals we contact in crisis 2024 also marked a busy year on Wheat Ridge streets Traffic accidents rose nearly 13% in 2024 and DUI crushes skyrocketed 62% Because Wheat Ridge PD is one of the few agencies in the metro area that is fully/overstaffed our traffic enforcement also increased accordingly Our Crash and Traffic Team (CATT) expanded in 2024 by adding two full-time officers Wheat Ridge PD traffic citations went up 49% and DUI arrests rose 28% in 2024 Wheat Ridge PD is committed to continuing the proactive work and strong enforcement into 2025 and believe leveraging new technology including automated speed cameras in parts of the community will allow the department to work smarter in making our community safer.