The people who serve Wheat Ridge and the department’s culture have turned it into a destination for young people pursuing a career in law enforcement. On Friday, June 5, eight people graduated the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office and Lakewood Combined Regional Law Enforcement Academy to join the ranks at the Wheat Ridge Police Department. The
There was a time in Wheat Ridge where one in ten police calls for service were dedicated to just a handful of businesses in the city. Ever since Wheat Ridge Police Chief Chris Murtha took on the job in 2020, creating better public safety around the I-70 and Kipling area and the hotels in the
Partnerships between law enforcement create safer communities. There is no more relevant and timelier example of collaborative teamwork than a 10-day operation that happened in Jefferson County known as Operation Gateway Sweep. For this operation, the Wheat Ridge Police Department teamed up with other police departments, including Lakewood, Arvada, Golden and the U.S. Marshals Service.
The Wheat Ridge Optimist Club has been serving youth in the local community and beyond since it was founded in 1957 and now has one of its biggest fundraisers of the year that combines shopping local and supporting children. Whether it’s a dinner for two at one of Wheat Ridge’s finest restaurants, or a gift
The halls of the old Lutheran Medical Center, once bustling with activity, were cold and dusty in February. During the final month before crews started dismantling portions of the old hospital, the Wheat Ridge Police Department took advantage of a unique opportunity to use the vacant space as a training ground. The department dedicates the
After crime in Wheat Ridge peaked during the pandemic in 2021, the Wheat Ridge Police Department has been aggressively tackling hyper-local issues through strong staffing and proactive policing to create a better, safer quality of life for residents. In 2025, persons crimes, things like robberies, assaults and homicide, were level compared to 2024. The Department
Following the successful rollout of the Wheat Ridge Police Department’s automated speed camera program, the department expects to add additional cameras throughout the community in January of 2026. So far, speed cameras outside of Wheat Ridge High School and Anderson Park have acted as a successful deterrent, showing fewer people are excessively speeding in these
What are you going to do about I-70 and Kipling?” That was a key question Wheat Ridge Police Chief Christopher Murtha faced when interviewing for the job back in December of 2019. After researching the history and community concern of this part of town, Chief Murtha knew this wasn’t an issue that could be fixed
The Wheat Ridge Police Department is constantly working to improve service to the residents of the community. A core part of service is communication. Police officers regularly encounter people on their worst days. The department recognizes that coming into contact with an officer can be stressful, especially for people who may be dealing with an
The Wheat Ridge Police Department is constantly working to find better ways to make officers more efficient in the field. The department values your time and the time of our officers. In March, the Wheat Ridge Police Department rolled out a new E-Ticketing system. Through a smartphone app, officers can now scan a driver’s license
It was a busy year on Wheat Ridge roads in 2024 and the Wheat Ridge Police Department stepped up staffing and enforcement to meet that need. In 2024, WRPD saw a nearly 13% increase in total traffic accidents, handling a total of 1,330 calls for accidents in the city. On average over the past five
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
During the core pandemic years of 2020 and 2021, Wheat Ridge experienced a surge in crime, similar to other Colorado communities and cities across the country. Thanks to persistent police work, we can now say crime levels have dropped in 2024, for the third consecutive year. The Wheat Ridge Police Department is now seeing Calls
As a police department, our job is to create public safety for the citizens in our community. While we are proud that crime has dropped for the third consecutive year in Wheat Ridge, and crime is now at levels that we saw before the pandemic, there are still areas of concern for our department, especially
One of the top complaints about quality of life the Wheat Ridge Police Department receives is that people are driving too fast on our roads. Thanks to advances in new technology, the department believes it can address these issues more effectively in 2025. On October 28, 2024, Wheat Ridge City Council approved a new ordinance
After two and a half years of waiting, a Wheat Ridge police officer finally received the closure he deserves. On October 10, a judge sentenced Andre Jones, the man convicted of the attempted murder of Wheat Ridge Police Officer Allan Fischer, to the maximum sentence of 32 years in prison. Jones will serve three additional
As of August 7, motorcyclists in Colorado can legally pass between vehicles stopped on the roadway that are traveling in the same direction as the rider under specific circumstances. It’s known as lane filtering, but there are conditions a rider needs to have in place before they can move ahead and pass vehicles in stopped
The Wheat Ridge Police Department has seen some impressive progress in crime rates since a peak in 2021. Overall, crime was down 26% in 2023 since that peak, but one category remains stubbornly high: theft. For context, we separate motor vehicle theft and theft in our statistics. In 2023, the Wheat Ridge Police Department saw
Some people in the Wheat Ridge community may have seen an alert on their phone, received a call or got an email on the afternoon of Thursday, July 11 about a shelter in place notice for the 4600 block of Vance St. The Wheat Ridge Police Department will sometimes send out these notifications through Lookout
