Sector Commander VanderVeen follow up

Arvada PD Commander Bob VanderVeen joined the January Board meeting and gave the community an update on the recent burglary in our neighborhood, as well as a snapshot of crime in the surrounding areas. He was very forthcoming with information and grounded in his approach. He let us know that the police department has been understaffed for some time, but are working hard to get back to capacity.

His #1 tip is to keep your home and cars doors locked, and garages shut. Nearly all of the crime in our neighborhood are crimes of opportunity. Ring cameras are helpful for your peace of mind, but you can opt into a police network to allow them view footage.

A couple bits of information that I found surprising from our conversation: 1. During COVID the jails weren’t accepting many new inmates, especially for minor crimes. This led them to issuing fines and citations, but they were unable to detain people for minor crimes (including our recurring and aggressive homeless man). 2. Vehicle vandalism and theft has been downgraded from a felony to a misdemeanor.

He invited the community to reach out to him directly if there are pertinent or recurring matters. He said that the more they know, the quicker they can act and investigate the situation. Commander VanderVeen’s contact information is available on his Arvada.org profile page.

Lastly, he mentioned some upcoming classes on crime prevention. Here are the upcoming classes:

Current Crime Trends in Arvada & Beyond- How not to be a victim classes

• Thursday March 16 6pm to 8pm Lake Arbor Community Station
• Thursday April 27 6pm to 8pm Anne Campbell room at City Hall
• Thursday May 25 6pm to 8pm West Woods Community Station
• Thursday June 15 6pm to 8pm Whisper Creek Community Station
• Thursday August 17 6pm to 8pm Anne Campbell room at City Hall
• Thursday October 19 6pm to 8pm Lake Arbor Community Station

Crime Free Multi-Housing class

• Thursday August 17 1pm to 5pm Anne Campbell room at City Hall

You can sign up for these classes via this form: Registration Link