Crime Mapping

The Westminster Police Department (WPD) strives to keep the public informed about crime. In an effort to be transparent, WPD uses a third party vendor CrimeMapping.com, to provide a daily updated crime map.  

Data from the crime map can be reviewed and used to: 

Types of Crimes  

On CrimeMapping.com, you can view crimes where a police report was taken by WPD. This is a representation of crime and is not all-inclusive of all criminal activity or department activity.  

The data is based on preliminary incident information received from police officers. Crime reports are subjected to investigative review and criminal justice processes which may result in a change in the final crime disposition and/or classification. 

CrimeMapping.com uses a nationwide crime category type system. All possible offense charges were reviewed and placed into the most appropriate category; however, select criminal offenses were excluded due to lack of a representative category.  For example: simple traffic infractions, some child abuse, some kidnapping, or any animal related incidents were not included in the map due to lack of appropriate category.  Other non-criminal police incident like runaways, missing persons, natural deaths and suspicious incidents are not categorized by state or federal statute as crimes, are sometimes considered protected medical or private information and therefore are not reported.

Location 

You can view the whole city or narrow your search to a particular area around an address. The crime locations reported are not the exact addresses, but generalized into hundred blocks or intersections. 

Time Frame 

The crime pin may have up to a week delay from the time the incident occurred. The police report needs to be written, approved, and reviewed by our Records Unit before being displayed on the crime map.  

The data is dynamic, which allows for additions, deletions and/or modifications at any time, resulting in more accurate information. Updates from WPD are refreshed daily from our records management system to CrimeMapping.com. 

The map includes a rolling 180 days (6 months) worth of crime data from our agency. If you require more historical data or detailed information, please contact our Public Information Office at 303-658-4421. 

Disclaimer  

CrimeMapping.com compiles crime data using automated processes that are susceptible to error. No warranty is made or implied by any party regarding the accuracy, timeliness, or completeness of any data provided.  The public is strongly cautioned to not rely upon this data for purposes of making any decisions, or taking or not taking any actions. By using CrimeMapping.com to view Westminster Police Department crime data, you expressly accept these terms of use. 

For more information please visit: https://www.crimemapping.com/FAQ 

Crime mapping can also be found on the Westminster Police Department App

Crime Mapping

Crime Trends

Theft Rings Targeting Shoppers

Date: 9/4/24

Please remember to keep your purses, wallets and other valuables with you at all times while shopping. There has been an increase in organized pickpocket and theft rings across the metro area.

These thieves are targeting shoppers by stealing personal items left unattended in shopping carts. These criminals are not only using stolen credit and debit cards quickly, but taking it a step further. They are engaging in identity theft by opening online accounts in victims' names and transferring funds from existing accounts.

To protect yourself, keep your belongings secured and with you. It's challenging for police to track down these offenders, so prevention is key. Please report suspicious activity by calling non-emergency dispatch at 303-658-4360.

Burglary Trend Targeting Small Business Owners

Date: 7/29/24

The Westminster Police Department wants to make you aware of a burglary trend happening in our community and across the metro area. We have several cases involving home burglaries, specifically the homes of small business owners. The individuals committing these crimes are known to follow small business owners home from work & burglarize their homes while they are away. We believe these criminals suspect large amounts of cash to be kept in these houses. In some cases, these suspects will place trackers on victims' vehicles and/or monitor victims' homes with hidden surveillance cameras. If you find a suspicious device, do not handle. Please contact non-emergency dispatch 303-658-4360.

Here are some tips to protect your business & home:

• Keep vehicles locked
• Check your surroundings - especially in parking lots as you go to/from your vehicle
• Be mindful of anyone who may be following you home
• Be aware of any unwanted/unsolicited deliveries to your home - especially food deliveries
• Think about how you secure valuables in your home
• Do not store large amounts of cash in your home
• Consider motion sensor lighting around your home
• Install security cameras & an alarm system around your home and/or business
• Communicate with your neighbors

Please report any suspicious activity as it relates to this crime trend by calling non-emergency dispatch 303-658-4360.

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Avoiding Common Scams

Banking Scam

The victim will receive a phone call from a scammer claiming to be their bank. They then tell the victim their account has been compromised and they need to transfer their funds to another account. The scammer asks the victim for their account number to make the transfer.

What To Do: Hang up the phone, call your bank and tell them what happened. If it was your bank, they already have your account number and they will NEVER make those types of bank transfers over the phone.

Prize Winner / Lottery Scam

In these scams, the victims are contacted stating they won a lottery or sweepstakes. Scammers will often state they are from Publishers Clearing House or the Canadian Lottery. The victim is then told that to receive their price they must pay taxes on their winnings first, or that there is some fee that needs to be paid to release the money. The victim is instructed on how and where to send the money.

What To Do: If you actually won a prize, taxes are withheld or the winner would claim it later as income. You should never have to pay money up front to receive a prize. If this happens to you, take a phone number from the scammer telling them that you will call them back. Hang up with them and use your phone to look up the original organization's phone number and call them directly to verify if you won a prize.

Grandparent Scam

In this scam you will receive a phone call from someone claiming to be a grandchild or family member stating they have been arrested in another state or country. The victims in these cases have said that the voice have even sounded like their family member. Another scammer may get on the phone claiming to be an attorney or law enforcement saying that you need to bond a family member out. If the victim sends the funds to the scammer, they are often contacted a second time and given a reason why more money needs to be sent. This happens until the victim catches on and hangs up and calls their loved one who is usually at home and not in jail.

What To Do: When you receive the call hang up the phone and call your grandchild. You will know if they are okay or not.

Other Tips:

• NEVER provide financial information over the phone
• If you are contacted by law enforcement, we will never ask for money, or PayPal cards to pay bonds
• No government uses gift cards or PayPal cards to conduct business
• Scammers like to create a sense of urgency
• When skepticism is expressed by the victim, the scammers often become more aggressive and try to make the matter seem more urgent

Report suspicious activity by calling non-emergency dispatch at 303-658-4360.

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