POLICE TRANSPARENCY:
As seen in many communities across the country, police accountability and transparency are vital components to building a safe and positive environment for all. We need improves communication between police departments and the people and communities they service, in order to protect and support each other.
We all have a right to know how our laws are enforced and how our communities are policed. We want to reassure you our police department operates with transparency and accountability, which is why were committed to increasing police transparency here in Westminster.
At the Westminster Police Department, we take pride in being transparent with the public. We believe that when the public has access to accurate information about the way police operate, they have more trust in our officers.
POLICY/PROCEDURE:
The Westminster Police Department has contracted with Lexipol to have our polices reviewed and updated. Once this process is complete, you will be able to access those policies online. We hope to have this project completed by February 2024.
COMPLIMENTS OR COMPLIANTS:
It is the goal of the Westminster Police Department to provide the highest level of law enforcement services. We want to ensure our employees are performing their duties professionally. Police work is a complex job and we realize we may exceed or fall short of your expectations.
Compliments or complaints may be made at any time via any one of the ways listed below.
Emailed to police@westminsterco.gov
Handwritten or typed compliments or complaints may be mailed to:
Westminster Police Department Professional Standards
c/o Professional Services Commander
9110 Yates Street
Westminster, CO 80031
Call the non-emergency dispatch line at 303-658-4360 and a request to speak to the on-duty supervisor.
Come into the Public Safety Center located at 9110 Yates Street and ask to speak with the on-duty sergeant or commander.
Comments may be left on our comment line at 303-658-4424.
We value your input on the level of service we deliver.
BODY-WORN CAMERA (BWC): The planning, purchasing and deploying of 200 Axon Body 3 cameras began at the end of 2020. In March 2021, the department had their first team of early adopters equipped with body cameras. This included at least one officer from every shift and section. In November 2021 the department had every officer equipped with a body camera.
Westminster PD has fully implemented the BWC program ahead of the July 1, 2023 date required by SB20-217.. All sworn Police and Animal Management officers are equipped, trained and utilizing their assigned camera each day when interacting with citizens. We currently have 200 plus Axon Body Camera 3s in use and looking forward to upgrading to Axon Body Camera 4s in the latter part of 2023, early 2024. The newer cameras have updated features such as wider field of view and more accurate GPS location.
Our body worn camera unit consists of 4 technicians, they are supervised by the Technical Services Commander. There is currently one vacancy in the unit.
The technicians are responsible for maintaining the functionality of the cameras and their associated equipment. They also account for, properly categorizing and identifying all body worn camera videos in Evidence.com. They set up the officers' equipment, and train them on the use of their camera. When a public request for a video comes into records, they are responsible for the redaction of those videos in accordance with the Colorado Open Records Act.
Body-Worn Camera Footage Library
ANTI BIAS-RESPECTFUL WORKPLACE:
The Westminster Police Department complies with HB 15-1287, which mandates training requirements for Colorado Police officers in the areas of; Anti Bias training, Community Policing and De-Escalation skills. In addition, this bill created Rule 28 which further defines required areas of training for police officers in the State of Colorado.
THIN BLUE LINE:
The blue line represents the men and women of law enforcement who stand in the gap between the lawless and the innocent. The background to the flag is stark, representing the men and women who have died defending that line, all embracing the American flag and the unity it symbolizes.
The thin blue line is sometimes mistaken for what some have called the blue wall of silence. That wall, which has indeed existed in some times and places, refers to the shielding of police officers by their colleagues from responsibility for misconduct. The representation of the blue wall of silence is not a revered value to police officers, but a vestige of the past that leaders must still work to overcome.
The rich and deep symbolism of the thin blue line, and the flag on which it appears, is not a flag of defiance. It is not part of a battle cry by police officers of aggression toward the public or those who oppose law and order. It is not a flag pronouncing superiority of class or privilege. It is a symbol to the citizenry that the thin blue line will not be broken. When it appears, it says of the bearer that they support the concept of justice and reason, as well as the strength of the law as enforced by those entrusted to do so. For a police officer, it says they are a part of something bigger than themselves. For the civilian, it says they are willing to stand with those who join in everyone’s responsibility to maintain peace and those whose vocation is dedicated to maintaining peace.
Reference: https://tinyurl.com/3unb4f6c
STATISTICS:
- Monthly statistics will highlight the PD’s NIBRS reported data and the PD’s investigation caseload. Please find our monthly statistics report here.
- Bi-weekly statistics will highlight the PD’s bi-weekly and year-to-date calls for service, speeding tickets, auto thefts and recoveries, and top calls per PD beat. Please find our bi-weekly statistics report here.
MENTAL HEALTH RESOURCES:
Crisis Intervention Team (CIT): The Westminster Police Department continues to recognize the need to train our officers with special skills to recognize when they are interacting with a citizen who may be in crisis and provide them help them in their time of need.
Westminster currently has 128 officers CIT certified (64%), 12 officers are certified as CIT Coaches and 2 officers are Course Directors.
Currently 10 police/fire dispatchers are also CIT certified. We continue to certify our new officers in CIT and refresher training opportunities to those already certified.
CO – RESPONDER PROGRAM:
Westminster Police Department’s Mental Health Co-Responder Program pairs a mental health specialist with a police officer to respond to behavioral health related calls for service.
The City of Westminster’s Co Responder program was brought under the city’s leadership in December 2022 after originally being contracted with Community Reach Center from July 2020 – December 2022. By doing this, we have been able to expand our team to four licensed clinicians, a case manager, and a supervisor. This also allows the Co Responders to better serve the community and other city departments handle calls for service and be more active in city events. The Co Responder team utilizes the combined expertise of the officer and the behavioral health specialist to de-escalate situations and help link people with behavioral health issues to appropriate services. Goals of the program include: prevention of unnecessary incarceration and/or hospitalization of mentally ill individuals, to provide alternate care in the least restrictive environment through a coordinated systemwide approach, prevent duplication of mental health services and facilitate the return of law enforcement units to patrol activities. Members of the Co Responder program also help triage calls into dispatch to help determine if an in-person response is necessary/required. This allows officers to remain in service in order to handle other priority calls for service.
Since the program was established in July of 2020, the Co-Responders have responded to, been referred, and followed up with a total of 5,001 members of our community. As a result of our ability to provide additional follow ups, 76% of these contacts were successful. During that same period the PD received 4,337 calls for service that involved someone suffering from a behavioral health crisis or other identified mental health issue. As a result, the Co-Responders were able to intervene in 59.4% of calls for police service that had a behavioral health or crisis component. The Co-Responders are able to de-escalate situations and stabilize individuals within the community or in their own homes. Recognizing that mental health difficulties affect many members of our community is not exclusive to law enforcement. To better serve Westminster citizens, the Co-Responders have begun to work with various city departments. These include the fire department, homeless navigator, victim services and the municipal court. The purpose of these collaborations is to offer coordinated wrap around services to some of our communities’ most vulnerable populations at the time they are most in need. The Co-Responders are committed to problem solving and have adopted this citywide, team approach to best serve each client and their individual needs.
COMMUNITY LIAISONS:
LQBTQ+ -Officer Samantha Fulk sfulk@westminsterco.gov 303 658 4134
Senior Liaison – Detective Ron Wolf –rwolf@westminsterco.gov 303 658 4718
Hmong Community -Officer Xiong – yxiong@westminsterco.gov 303 658 4096
Hispanic Community Detective Kailey Linkus –kgarcia@westminsterco.gov 303 658 4109
Detective Josh Berzanji – jberzanj@westminsterco.gov 303 658 4710
ADA Commander Dave Lester – dlester@westminsterco.gov 303 658 4418
BUDGET:
2023 Total Budget: $43,315,150
2023 Grant Amount Awarded (Projected): $472,569
(This is projected because not all grant awards have been announced to-date)
| 2023 Police Department Grants |
| HVIDE | Overtime Expenses |
| Co-Responder Services Program Grant | Salary, Benefits, Supplies, Training and Travel |
| CVS VOCA Grant (2 Year Grant) | Salary and Benefits |
| EBM JAG | Equipment |
| LEAF | Overtime Expenses |
|
| |
| NEW CDOT Highway Safety Office Grant | Overtime & Lidars |
| ICAC | Training & Travel |
| DOLA | Mandatory Wellness & Training |
| CATPA-CMATT | Salary, Benefits & Overtime |
State Grants (HVIDE, LEAF, CATPA-CMATT, and Co-Responder Services Program):
HVIDE and LEAF is for DUI Enforcement.
CATPA-CMATT is for partial re-imbursement for an Auto Theft Detective’s salary, benefits and overtime for cases that occur within our jurisdiction. We are unable to accurately project for current and future years. It is case dependent. In the past, we were considered a Vendor with CMATT, so there will be no GIN assigned if that remains the case.
The Co-Responder Services Program is for full funding for 2.0 FTE Co-Responders and partial funding for a Co-Responder Supervisor. We anticipate applying for annually so long as funding continues to be available.
Federal Grants (EBM JAG, ICAC, CVS-VOCA, DOLA and CDOT):
EBM JAG is a local solicitation grant that is utilized to purchase needed equipment. Historically, the awarded amount changes. It is never consistent.
ICAC provides for training and travel.
The CVS-VOCA grant is for partial funding for salary and benefits for a 1.0 FTE fulltime Court VA and partial funding for salary and benefits for a 1.0 FTE part-time salary Court VA as well as for emergency funds. Funding for the CVS-VOCA Grant is a 2-year grant.
DOLA is for Mandatory Wellness Checks, training and travel for sworn officers. It run over 1 year.
The PD anticipates being officially awarded two separate CDOT grants that will provide for overtime and equipment. Both these grants have the possibility to run for a total of 3 years each.