The monthly gathering at the Baugh House last Saturday garnered quite bit of interest.
In observance of the March theme “Welcome to the Growing Season,” the Baugh House’s front porch was covered with trays of seedlings brought by several diligent gardeners. Attendees mentally reserved their plant choices and migrated indoors for a little conversation before the program started. This year’s Second Saturday speakers have been well received. Alex Rose, the police department’s Public Information Officer, filled the old house to standing room only.
Rose started with an avalanche of statistics about everything Wheat Ridge –– reassuring figures about the sharp decline in violent crime, down 23 percent, and property crimes, down 38 percent since 2021; traffic problems addressed in new and innovative ways; and increased trust in the fully fledged local police force.
First among resident complaints is speeding. Rose emphasized that the police force’s goal is to retrain bad habits. One success story is the speed cameras placed on 32nd Ave. in front of the high school. The cameras were installed a year ago, and from June through December 2025 citations dropped 62 percent. Folks driving over the posted 30mph may receive a $40 “notice of civil violation” in the mail, no points, just a little gouge to the wallet, a dang sight better than a $100-plus-points for an officer-written citation. The cameras free up officers to address more pressing issues and save hours of paperwork – and, potentially, lives, reports Rose.
Fines from speed cameras go to the owners of cars (not necessarily the drivers), and one side effect has been increased calls to the department from residents asking why they received more than one speeding ticket for the same location while they were at work. Those complaints are met with the question: Do you have a son or daughter who could have been driving your car? Oh… um… yeah. The 32nd Avenue cameras have demonstrated success in increasing awareness and retraining bad habits and are permanent.
The next adventure in traffic enforcement will be “red light cameras” at 44th Ave. and Kipling, the result of escalating complaints about cars in the intersection turning on an already-red light, a common problem during rush hour. Police are anxious to slow traffic there and enforce better driving habits (with a $75 fine!) before two sizeable apartment complexes open. Drivers along 44th Avenue can also expect to see a traffic control trailers with cameras on 44th at Prospect Park (directly in front of the Baugh House) and further east at Hopper Hollow. One more camera is planned for the downhill stretch of Kipling in front of Discovery Park, the popular skate park.
The WR police enjoy a “fully fledged” police force of 93, unusual for metro areas.
Rose spoke for over an hour and would have gone on longer, answering the many questions that followed. The tone of the follow-up questions reflected curiosity about how modern policing works and delight at how well-known problem areas are being addressed. When they left, attendees felt good about living in Wheat Ridge.
