Crime & Safety - Washington Park East

Crime and Safety Matters

WPE continues to experience a wide range of property crimes: Home and garage burglaries, theft from cars, theft of cars and damage to property. The numbers on these crimes change daily. DPD District Three is working on arrests of the criminals on a 24/7 basis. The Colorado laws regarding property crimes are weak. DPD officers are only allowed to work with in the limits of the law. The cases are then turned over to the Denver DA’ office. Most of the people charged with these crimes are given a low bail and they are offered plea deals.The result of this puts them back out on the street “working” to take our property.

DPD has lobbied our state representatives to tighten the property crime laws but to no avail.

WPE residents need to work to Harden The Target-WPE. The more calls on suspicious activity to 720-913-2000 would help District Three in pinpointing the area, time and day of these crimes. The caller should leave their name and contact information at this number to add credibility to the call.

WPE residents need to be aware of unlocked doors and windows. At night park cars in garages-if available. Watch for people parked on the street you have never seen before.

Crime and Safety Tips

PEDESTRIAN SAFETY: WPENA would like to remind our residents that we are a “pedestrian community.” Pedestrians have the right-of-way if they are half-way across the street at an intersection or crosswalk. However, pedestrians must take care and be aware as they cross an intersection. If an oncoming car is approaching and pedestrians have not yet entered the crosswalk, they need to wait until it is clear. Drivers need to be AWARE and SLOW DOWN please!

THEFT FROM MOTOR VEHICLE: This is currently the number one crime again in the Washington Park East neighborhood. The Denver Police District Three Station has these crime prevention tips

Make sure the garage door is down and the side door is closed and locked. These are the entry points for theft. Current theft cases have happened because of unlocked entry points.
Close and lock windows when you are away and at night.
Set light timers when you will not be at home until after dark.
Use your porch lights and outdoor lighting.
Check landscaping around your home. Make sure any bushes are trimmed below the window sill and have space between. Suspects use over-grown landscaping to their advantage for hiding places.
Your address should be seen easily from the street day or night.
When traveling make sure the mail and paper are either stopped or picked up by someone.
District Three has a Vacation Check Service. To schedule a district police car to check your property while you are away call the police station at 720-913-1300.

The District Three Neighborhood Resource Officers are available to answers your questions or set-up a Neighborhood Watch for your block. Contact Officer Sharon Avendano: 720-913-1248 or 720-737-0739 or by email at Sharon.Avendano@denvergov.org. Officer Avendano is new to District Three and really stresses the “if you see something, say something”.

BIKE REGISTRATION: The Denver Police Department is urging residents to register their bicycles at www.nationalbikeregistry.com. DPD does not have a bike registry or licensing unit. There is a high rate of bicycle theft in the Denver area and WPE. Many stolen bicycles are taken to “chop shops” and parts are sold at online sites. DPD works with the National Bike Registry when they recover a stolen bicycle. DPD searches the registry website to match stolen bicycles with their owners. If the owner of a stolen bicycle is not a member of the National Bike Registry, DPD will only be able to return a recovered bicycle to its owner if that owner has the serial number on that bicycle. DPD urges all bicycle owners to keep and file ownership paperwork with a photo of the bicycle. The bicycles that cannot be returned to their rightful owners are auctioned off.

TELEPHONE SCAMS: Telephone scams just keeping multiplying! The latest one is a recorded message letting you know you were caught on a red light camera running a red light. The message then goes on to say you owe $$$$$ in fines. Many of these telephone scams including the “outstanding warrants”, the “IRS” and many others may be initiated from telephone marketing phone number lists. You may want to sign up on a NO CALL list. If you are on a “no-call” list you may want to renew your status.

FIRE SAFETY: A WPE resident lost her house recently due to a fire. The fire was caused from combustible oily rags left in a pile unattended in her home by her contractors! Please make sure oily rags are separated and taken outdoors. You may want to also wet them down!

Denver Police Department District Three – Citizen Advisory Board

The Denver Police Department’s substation District 3 has a monthly Citizens Advisory Board meeting open to all District 3 residents. These informative meetings are held on the first Tuesday of each month at 6pm unless the first Tuesday is NOT preceded by a first Monday. If the first Monday is the following week the CAB meeting will be held on the SECOND TUESDAY at 6pm. The meetings are at the DPD District 3 substation located at 1625 So. University Blvd. Current crimes and arrests in the District 3 area are reviewed. A brief talk is given on a topic from a DPD officer or detective. Citizens are encouraged to ask questions regarding a situation they may have. The officers are also available after each meeting for more questions or discussion. Please contact Joanne Asher at jmasher1@juno.com for more safety information.

Please see upcoming CAB meetings at the CAB Events page