News

Significant Incidents Unresponsive Man Found at Bus Stop Pronounced Deceased On February 14, at 5:51 am, a passerby discovered an unresponsive man near a bus stop in the 7900 block of Wadsworth Blvd. Emergency responders arrived and pronounced him deceased. Evidence of recent narcotic use was found nearby. The Jefferson County Coroner’s Office will determine the cause of death. (Case AR25002592) Molotov Cocktail Discovered Near Arvada Home Under Construction On February 10, a

Significant Incidents Felony Menacing Incident at King Soopers On February 3 at 7:23 pm, officers responded to a felony menacing call in the King Soopers parking lot at 6350 Sheridan Blvd. A male suspect approached the victims, made derogatory comments about their nationality, and displayed a handgun. The suspect fled in a black Mercedes Benz SUV before officers arrived. Attempts to contact him by phone were unsuccessful. The case has been referred to detectives for further i

Significant Incidents Fire and Explosion at Transient Camp On February 2 at 8:18 am, Arvada Police and Fire responded to a fire and explosion behind 7800 Grandview Avenue. A transient camp in the alleyway was found actively burning. Fire personnel quickly extinguished the flames. While no injuries were reported, a residential fence was destroyed. The investigation is ongoing (Case AR25001837). SWAT Team Assists in Narcotics and Weapons Search Warrant On January 31 at 8:00 am,

Last night’s Arvada City Council meeting highlighted a growing crisis in Olde Town—the intersection of homelessness, crime, and public safety. Business owners, residents, and community members voiced their growing distress over the escalating levels of violence, drug use, and disturbances that have disrupted daily life. Their concerns go beyond the moral imperative of aiding the unhoused; they underscore the very real and urgent need to protect the well-being of all Arvadans.

Significant Incidents CRIT Narcotics Search Warrant Leads to Arrest On January 21, 2025, the CRIT executed a search warrant at 5889 Pierce St as part of a narcotics investigation. Through collaboration with other units, CRIT established probable cause and executed the warrant, leading to the seizure of fentanyl pills and the arrest of a suspect. Additionally, the property owner is pursuing eviction proceedings against the involved residents. This operation was a critical step

Significant Incidents Suspect Arrested in Electric Vehicle Charging Station Vandalism AR25800013 and AR25800014 On January 6, 2025, city staff reported two instances of criminal mischief at the RTD Olde Town Parking Garage, where charging cables were cut and stolen from electric vehicle charging stations, requiring costly replacements. Surveillance footage from December 25, 2024, showed a man cutting cables and loading them into a shopping cart.  Homeless man cutting cables f

At the December 16 City Council meeting, the Council approved Resolution #R24-135, authorizing an agreement between the City of Arvada and the owners of the Suburban Studios apartments, located at 6455 North Sheridan Boulevard . The agreement allows for the use of the property for “emergency sheltering” with funding not to exceed $1,134,000 over a two-year period. This funding is provided through a grant from the Colorado Department of Local Affairs (DOLA). As a result, resid

Significant Incidents Suspect arrested for assaulting police officer AR24021696 On December 29, at about 12:49 pm, officers were dispatched to a drug related call at the Olde Town RTD parking garage. An officer arrived and observed several homeless subjects using suspected narcotics in an elevator vestibule. Upon contact one of the males attempted to walk away, and when told he was not free to leave, he slammed his bike into the officer. A physical altercation ensued which ne

Significant Incidents Homeless individual arrested for theft and resisting Arrest at Lowe’s AR25000284 On January 6, 2025, at approximately 10:38 am, officers responded to a theft incident involving an individual at Lowe's on Wadsworth Blvd. The suspect was a homeless individual known to officers from numerous calls for service around Olde Town. When approached by officers, the suspect became non-compliant and resisted arrest. Additional officers arrived to assist, and a tase

Significant Incidents Felony Menacing suspect arrested (AR24018461) On October 28, at 9:05pm , officers responded to a felony menacing in-progress on the corner of Olde Wadsworth Blvd and Ralston Rd. Reporting parties stated a suspect, later identified as George Manzanares (51), was threatening many people with a knife and trying to stab them. Upon arrival on-scene, officers immediately located Manzanares and placed him into custody without incident. Manzanares was booked int

After posting the Arvada crime update from Arvada Police Department for October 21-27 and ongoing discussions surrounding the relocation of homelessness services from Olde Town to the former Early College of Arvada Building, I decided to research additional crime statistics of current and past conditions in the immediate areas surrounding Mission Arvada and the ECA. Methodology: When discussing crime related to homelessness (Burton, Pollio, and Carol, 2018), researchers indic

Significant Incidents Felony menacing suspect arrested in Olde Town (AR24018099) On October 22, 2024 at 2:44pm , officers were dispatched to the library in Olde Town for reports of shots fired. Callers then advised that a large group of transients were involved in a disturbance using whips, chains, and sticks. Officers arrived and determined that there were no firearms involved. Their investigation resulted in one suspect being arrested for felony menacing. During the menacin

Homelessness is an issue that is not ubiquitous nor specific to any region in the United States. It ravages lives, communities, and tax dollars, uptakes a vast majority of police services in areas with high rates of homelessness, and consistently is described as a top issue for residents in Colorado, Washington, California, New York, Oregon, and Vermont. Many scholars have written articles on the benefits of shelters, navigation centers, and other homelessness services; but t